Using Noise-cancelling Headphones For Guitar Practice: How To Get The Most Out Of Them

Although we’d all love to spend every guitar practice with an amp plugged in and the volume cranked up, late-night jams and nearby neighbours simply aren’t a good mix. 

However, that doesn’t mean you have to skip practice altogether. Using noise-cancelling headphones is a great way to get the most out of your guitar practice without disturbing others.

Why Use Headphones?

Using noise-cancelling headphones allows you to concentrate on the guitar sound without needing to battle through other outside noise.  They will block out ambient noise and background noise to give you a clearer sound which is perfect for practice. In addition to this, they will stop sound from leaking out of the headphones so others won’t be able to hear what you are hearing. There are lots of benefits to using noise-cancelling headphones. They are ideal for focus and will give you a better overall listening experience. Sometimes we use the high volume of the amp to cut ourselves off from the rest of the world, noise-cancelling headphones allow you to do that without the high volume. You can still feel like it’s just you and the music without causing issues with family or neighbours.

The Best Headphones for Guitar Practice

Getting the most out of your sessions requires you use suitable headphones for the job at hand. The best headphones for guitar practice are often closed back noise-cancelling headphones that use a wired connection. While Bluetooth is a convenient option, it is common to experience latency which can affect your guitar practice.  Latency is a delay between when you play the strings and when the sound is heard in your headphones. This can make practicing your favourite songs very frustrating. Instead, go for wired headphones for producing optimal sound and a more affordable price.  Over the ear headphones are better suited to guitar practice than earbuds as they offer great sound isolation, high-quality sound and less pressure on the eardrums. With over the ear headphones, you can enjoy longer, more comfortable practice sessions. Make sure you choose a pair that fits snugly to provide the most effective noise cancellation.

The Right Set-Up

When you want to use headphones with your guitar, don’t connect them directly to the jack output of your guitar. Instead, you want to connect the headphones to your amp.Most modern amps have a headphone jack that you can plug your headphones directly into. Some amps have standard-sized (3.5mm) headphone jacks while some have a jack that is the same size as your guitar cable (6.3mm). If your amp has a 6.3mm jack then you will need to use an adaptor to plug your headphones in. These adaptors are affordable and easy to get hold of so don’t worry if your amp has a larger jack.  

Make sure you plug the headphones into the right port

Not all amps have a headphone port so before you plug anything in, double-check the jack you are looking at is for headphones and isn’t designed for speaker connections or something similar. 

Why Connect the Headphones to the Amp?

Connecting headphones directly to the guitar will not produce a good sound and can cause damage to the headphones. If you don’t have an amp you can also use a direct input (DI) box to connect the guitar and optimize the signal for your headphones. Using headphones with an amp or DI is quick and easy to set up and allows you to make use of your rig without disturbing your family, housemates or neighbours. If you like to use your guitar when you are travelling, you may find a micro guitar amp is a more suitable piece of kit for plugging your headphones into. This is a more portable, lightweight option than a regular amp.

Don’t Crank the Volume Up

When using noise-cancelling headphones you don’t have to turn the volume all the way up because you will be able to hear each note clearly at lower volume levels. This can help protect your hearing while still providing an enjoyable practice session. The last thing a musician wants is to damage their hearing and noise-cancelling headphones help to make sure you don’t need to use dangerously high volumes.  

Conclusion

Guitar practice should be a fun, enjoyable experience. Plugging headphones into your amp is the perfect way to continue practicing when it’s late at night or your housemates have had enough of hearing you practice. A good pair of noise-cancelling headphones make sure you can hear every strum and pluck clearly. 

All the background noise is eliminated so you can enjoy the music without distraction.