Piano Guidance
Photo by Matthias Groeneveld Pexels Logo Photo: Matthias Groeneveld

Why do singers plug one ear?

Chances are, you're not since you learned how to hit the right notes from being able to hear yourself hitting the right notes. Related Post: What Makes A Good Singer? To fix this, singers close or cover one ear to be able to hear themselves way more clearly.

How do I know what key to solo in?
How do I know what key to solo in?

The scales used most often for soloing in blues-influenced music are minor and major pentatonic. As its name implies, a pentatonic scale consists...

Read More »
Is the Yamaha np12 good for beginners?
Is the Yamaha np12 good for beginners?

We chose the Yamaha Piaggero NP-12 as our best keyboard for beginners, and we stand by that choice. If we think about the fundamental functions and...

Read More »
Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide
Join almost HALF A MILLION Happy Students Worldwide

Pianoforall is one of the most popular online piano courses online and has helped over 450,000 students around the world achieve their dream of playing beautiful piano for over a decade.

Learn More »

Why Do Singers Hold Their Ear?

Why Do Singers Close One Ear?

You've probably seen it several times: a singer performing live with a full band or choir on stage with them, and they're singing their hearts out into the mic but covering an ear. Not both ears, just one. What's going on? Are they going deaf? Are they hearing something unpleasant? Are they doing it just to look cool because that's what other singers do? It's time to get some answers here.

Reason 1: They Can't Hear Themselves Enough

Singing is tough to do if you can't hear yourself. When you see a singer hold one ear, the problem is that everything happening around them is way too loud. When a singer is hitting their notes, they're used to being able to hear the notes as direct guidance as to whether they're hitting the right ones or not. If you're singing and you can't hear the notes coming out, are you sure you're even hitting the right ones? Chances are, you're not since you learned how to hit the right notes from being able to hear yourself hitting the right notes.

To fix this, singers close or cover one ear to be able to hear themselves way more clearly. Try singing or speaking without holding an ear. Then try it while holding one ear closed. See how the sound hits you more clearly?

A singer could try to hold both ears, but then they wouldn't hear the music, which would create the problem of possibly not matching the pitches of the instrumentation. So the main concern here is pitch.

Reason 2: Natural Reflex When Performing

If a singer is used to having to hold one ear to perform, they might develop that act as a literal reflex every time they sing. They could be in a good environment sound-wise, but still, they'll start holding their ear on a pivotal point of the track because that's just what they were used to doing when the sound around them got too loud. Since holding your ear is often happening at the pivotal point of the song, it likely happens on high notes that singers hit. If you brace yourself for a high note by holding an ear, the chances are that it will stick with you for some time. Some singers are literally just faking it to be cool, but I hope that doesn't happen a lot. But as I said, this ear-holding business often happens for high notes, so I can imagine a singer faking it on a high note would make themselves look more passionate and talented (at least in their opinion).

Is Grade 2 piano hard?
Is Grade 2 piano hard?

Much like Grade 1, Grade 2 is generally one of the more straightforward grades to pass, it may sound obvious, but if you are prepared, you will...

Read More »
Who is Crawley whom does Berniece blame for Crawley's death?
Who is Crawley whom does Berniece blame for Crawley's death?

Unlike other characters, the stage notes for Berniece are somewhat sparse, describing her as a thirty-five-year-old mother still mourning for her...

Read More »

Reason 3: In-Ear Monitor Broken Or Not Loud Enough

In-ear monitors were created to fix the problem of not hearing the right thing when singing. When a singer is wearing an in-ear monitor, that earpiece is directly giving them what they prefer to hear in their ear. The only problem is, sometimes that monitor ain't so handy. The earpiece could malfunction completely, or it could just not be loud enough, which would force the singer to hold it closer to their ear. It could be loose and about to fall out, also causing the singer to hold their ear. While many things can go wrong with the monitor, these things don't happen most of the time, so don't worry too much about their faultiness. At the end of the day, the singer can either rely on the monitors or just rely on their hands to hear what they want to hear as long as it works for them.

What Do Singers Hear In Their Earpieces?

Most singers prefer to hear themselves, but they may prefer to hear the piano feed, the background vocalists feed along with their feed, etc. It's really up to the singer, but it often beats holding your ear when you can do as you please with a handy monitor doing the work for you. If you're a singer that would benefit from in-ear monitors, you will easily be able to find them for around 100 bucks. Amazon has some really good in-ear monitors that are around $50, which is a good deal, in my opinion. Check them out!

Why do high jumpers lean back?
Why do high jumpers lean back?

If we go back to the late 1960's when Dick Fosbury discovered the Fosbury Flop , we find the reason for his unique jumping style. From a physics...

Read More »
What are 5 instruments playing together called?
What are 5 instruments playing together called?

Quintet—Quintets are five musicians performing together, pieces of music meant to be played by five musicians, or a piece of music that includes...

Read More »
What is a half piano called?
What is a half piano called?

A spinet is a smaller type of harpsichord or other keyboard instrument, such as a piano or organ.

Read More »
Can I play piano on Zoom?
Can I play piano on Zoom?

During the zoom meeting, select “Share Screen.” In the next menu, select “advanced.” Then select “Music or Computer Sound Only.” Now when you play...

Read More »