You've got to hear yourself right?

Hi, Greg

YES! You need to be able to hear yourself on stage. It is not a silly question. In fact it is a problem most harp players confront over and over, and learning to conquer it is part of the journey.  I've encountered situations where I can't - or can only barely hear myself. Your skill and experience will help you feel comfortable that you know what you're playing, but its no fun.  I've actually heard guys play an entire solo in the wong key because they couldn't hear themselves in relation to the band! IT IS BETTER to be able to hear yourself!

Many players are surprised when they take their "Blues Jr" to a jam for the 1st (or 4th, or 40th) time. It sounded SO DAMN LOUD in the living room. But it is completely drowned out at a typical (euphemism for "too loud") electric jam. When that happens there is only one solution (assuming you don't have the power to get the rest of the band to turn down, which, unless you're paying them to accompany you, is very unlikely) - and that is YOU NEED A BIGGER AMP. Maybe your amp can crank out 95dB volume. But on stage you need 105dB. Only 10dB more? That's twice as loud - but it takes TEN times the power to get there. Not to mention more speaker. In other words, the difference between a 5W amp and a 50W amp. Jumping from say, 15W to 30W? That will get you a 3dB increase, whch is generally held as the smallest amount of volume increase a human can perceive as "louder." It probably won't be enough.

Finally - Note that this is related, but NOT THE SAME as whether the AUDIENCE can hear you. Unless you have a wireless mic and can literally go out in the audience, you cannot know whether they can or can't hear you. THAT is the job of the sound guy - even if there isn't one (in which case it is the job of the guy who owns the PA and sets it up for the night.) Your amp's signal can be fed to the PA either via a line-out jack on your amp or by mic'ing it. Now the sound guy can (and will) use his or her personal judgement as to how loud you ought to be "out front." But it isn't going to make a difference on stage, UNLESS....

they put some of your signal in the MONITORS at the front of the stage. In a perfect world monitors would be an easy solution to solving your "i can't hear myself" problem. In the real world, a signal loud enough to hear from the monitors is almost always MORE likely to cause feedback problems than if you can hear your own amp. If there is a really GOOD sound guy - AND they're alert all night and paying attention to you - they can adjust the monitor level as the room and tune conditions change. And in the real world? THAT doesn't happen. Not until you're a national touring act filling stadiums traveling with your own sound guy (and ideally a separate guy running the monitor mixes.)

What about in-ear monitors, you ask? They can help you hear too - but again you'll need a dedicated sound guy - and it will make it very, very hard to know how loud you are relative to the rest of the band, since it is sort of like sticking your fingers in your ears and trying to play. You'll hear yourself GREAT with your fingers in your ears.....

I hope that answers some questions for you. 

I've written about this and more at length in my "All About Harmonica Microphones, and Then Some...." PDF -= available from the home page of my web site at http://www.BlowsMeAway.com  - you might find it helpful. Cheers!