Research on classical musicians has also discovered signs of issues. According to one research from the 1990s, violinists and violists suffer higher hearing loss in their left ear than in their right ear. According to five studies, between 37 and 58 percent of classical musicians had hearing loss.

Violin playing can also induce hearing loss or deafness, particularly in the left ear. This should come as no surprise given the enormous loudness the instrument can create and your closeness to said instrument when playing — particularly in the left ear, which confronts the instrument more directly while you play.

Reasons for Deafness

The E string of a violin is tuned to a very high frequency of 659,3 Hz. Furthermore, the sound is rich in overtones that go up to 1000 Hz (source). That is reasonably high and causes significant strain on the ear over time.

Most people underestimate the volume of a violin. A violin can produce 75 to 95 dB when played loudly, called fortissimo. 

Not only would the volume strain your hearing, but the violin’s high frequencies will do the same. The most prevalent affected range among musicians with hearing loss was between 3000hz and 6000hz. The resemblance becomes rather evident when you consider that the violin can hit notes just above 3500hz.

Ways to Protect Hearing

Earplugs

Buying some excellent earplugs is an effective option utilized throughout the musical spectrum, and is arguably the most obvious one. They are cheap and effective at protecting your ears, with some of the better ones blocking over 30 dB, which is enough to reduce the volume of your violin to a safe level. 

Keep in mind that they block the incoming sound slightly, so you may want to simply enter them partially, or use one of them if only your left ear is strained. Alternatively, you can even use cotton if you want to.

Mute

A mute is a great way to quickly and significantly reduce the volume of your violin while practicing. If you’re not familiar, a mute is a device that fits over the bridge of your violin to reduce its volume.

They are available in a number of forms, including those for playing and practice, and with varying degrees of sound dampening. It will be one of the cheaper parts in your kit, and your ears will thank you.

Plexiglass

Plexiglass shields for individual players might assist minimize the sound of your fellow players in a performance scenario if possible.

There is considerable controversy about how useful this technique is because it does not truly decrease the dB levels of the other instruments, but it can make a notable difference when combined with earplugs.

The Conclusion

Playing the violin may absolutely impair your hearing, but picking up the instrument does not come with the expectation that you will harm your ears along the way. There is a lot you can do similar to what a lot of violinists have done for years to maintain your hearing in good form throughout your violin playing journey.