For those who live in apartments or condos or those caring for the very young or elderly, managing noise is a priority. Yet, music students require time to practice music not only to succeed but to excel. What’s a parent (or adult student) to do?

If you feel stuck between being a good neighbour and being a good parent (or a student yourself), the good news is there is a compromise. With just a bit of forethought and planning, you can keep both your neighbours and your family happy; all while making sure that much-needed practice gets done.

Here are a few tips to help you find that middle ground.

4 Tips To Practice Music Discreetly

Reply on Technology

Many modern instruments now include a built-in headphone jack. These allow students to plug directly into an amp to monitor their sound through a pair of headphones. This simple piece of tech makes it easy for any student to practice music as much and as loud as they please, with zero risk of bothering anyone.

Unfortunately, this option is usually reserved only for electric guitars, violins, keyboards/pianos, and select other (typically electric) instruments. This option isn’t available if you or your child plays a brass or woodwind. However, depending on the instrument, a different type of technology may be available: mutes for horns and drum pads for percussion help make playing more neighbour “friendly.”

For more insight into how technology can help, speak with your student’s music instructor.

Select an Appropriate Time of Day

One of these most straightforward ways to mollify neighbours is to keep practice time during business hours (9 AM-6 PM). Most apartments or condos have mandatory “quiet hours,” so be sure to consult the rules when planning practice times. Reaching out to neighbours for input and accommodations is also a wise (and often appreciated) course of action. If your neighbour works a night shift, practicing music during their sleeping hours will probably cause issues. In most cases, neighbours understand the need for a music student to practice music. Most will be happy to help you find the optimal time to practice that won’t disturb them.

Consider Your Practice Room Layout

When it comes to apartment living, consider the layout of your living area before choosing a practice space. If your living room shares a wall with your neighbour’s bedroom, it may not be an ideal location for evening or morning practice sessions. Perhaps the best location is a room that does not share walls with any adjacent apartments. It may even be appropriate (especially for vocalists) to practice music in a highly upholstered room or even a large closet. This way, you can sing or perform freely without worrying too much about volume.

If you don’t know the layout of your neighbouring apartments, you may be able to view floorplans online, request information from the leasing office, or simply reach out to your neighbours. You never know, what you think is a bedroom on the other side of that wall may be a home office that’s only used at specific times.

Soundproofing

While the above suggestions may work well for many instruments, like the flute or violin, some instruments are just loud. If what’s practiced in your home is a trumpet or drums, soundproofing may be your best option. Unfortunately for most musicians, modern wall design is very much like our eardrums: they are built with a membrane (usually drywall) on their outer surfaces, with an internal structural framework that is mostly air. Any sound wave of sufficient strength will hit one surface, pass through the internal airspace, and vibrate the other surface as audible noise. Furthermore, hard, flat surfaces reflect sound waves around the inside of your room.

To counteract these problems, you’ll need to install some soft material that will absorb sound waves rather than reflect them. In this case, at least, you only have to spend the big bucks if you really want to. If you’re sticking to that budget, you can use those big, thick blankets and comforters again, hung about the room to absorb sound and cut down on the transference through the wall. Another inexpensive option is padded carpet scraps.

Of course, spending a little money will get you the best results possible. Choose from a wide variety of sound-absorbing panels that can be attached to walls, some more permanently than others.

Look into absorption materials and bass traps. Most absorption material is a high-density foam specially designed to suck up sound, and bass traps take it even a step further. Low-frequency sound waves produced by bass instruments are very long. This makes them stronger and more challenging to control than mid and high-frequency sounds. But bass traps are made of specially designed foam to snare those long waves.

Practice Music Without Upsetting the Neighbours

With just a little forethought and preparation, you can make sure enough practice time is had without raising any neighbourhood ire. However, if sound continues to be an issue despite your efforts, speak with your student’s music teacher; they may be able to offer further insights. The solution may end up being to practice in a common room or another location altogether.

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