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we've all been there, neighbours who keep complaining
i just don't know what to do anymore, i never play after 8 pm or before 8 am
i can't afford a digital, i can't afford to move out, i will most definitely NOT stop playing nor even think about taking out pieces from my repertoire because my neighbour suggested that optimal practise should take only 5 min (i'm serious!)
i'm preparing an audition for the conservatory in march and i need to practice every day (yeh 5 min just won't cut it on those scales)
for scales and really loud stuff i put on the soft pedal but i hardly believe bach fugues count as "noise" and i can't work on evthg with the pedal on

what do you guys do?

Screw the neighbour. And don't put on the soft pedal. You need to hear exactly what you're playing otherwise you are interfering with your own development. Improvement in technique can only come from listening to what you do.

Also, you are now in danger of developing that bad habit of being afraid of producing rich, thick sound. If that digs itself in your subconsciousness you're going to have a huge problem getting rid of it and learning to play freely in the future.

I asked the city library about piano practice rooms. Unfortunately there weren't any. But the staff was very accommodating in linking me up with a neighborhood church that would let me practice.

I also lined the walls of my music room with soundproofing material (sonex) to prevent neighbors from complaining.

Do you have a Bosendorfer piano?

why does it matter that its noisy? i mean its a piano. plus i never knew it was against the law to have any noise, only if its after 10pm or sth.

even if they call the police; first, the police will be more angry at whoever called the police for such a silly matter, second, its not against the law so nothing can be done.

who cares? screw them lol

Interesting proposition, can you find this stuff at any hardware store?

No i wish, i'm dreaming about one though :p

I KNOW! just the thought of that is freaking me out, already i start thinking if what i'm playing is too loud whenever i sit down

I had a similar problem - I live in a loft style condo with a wooden floor - the weight of the Estonia grand acts like the sound posts in a violin - it guarantees that a large percentage of the energy produced by the sound board will travel down the thick piano legs and couple with the floor -

My downstairs neighbor complained that the piano was so loud it sounded like it was right in the room with him - the woman who manages this place - a friend of mine - agreed with him

So I bought a set of Piattino acoustic insulators - they look like castors and they raise the entire piano up about a half an inch - they seem to be very effective in blocking the transmission of sound into the floor because the guy downstairs says he cant ever hear it now -

I'm an electrical engineer and my first thought was to measure the decrease in power IN DECIBELS! but the guy drew the line at that - oh well -

Think about it - here's a link:

http://www.pianofortesupply.com/

THe owner's name is Jurgen Goering and I think he's in Canada - if you talk to him mention me - Brad Sumner - I tell him I had success with my neighbor problem - I'm sure he'd be glad to hear it

Ask in the City Hall or at your local authorities the maximum practice time allowed per day and the silence hours. That's what I did.

BTW, the neighbours who use to complain the most are those who have the TV set at full volume at night. But for them, it's not noise, it's just the tv.

Get some thick felt from a piano parts supplier and make yourself a celeste rail. You have no right to inflict your practice on your neighbours.

I purchased it directly from the website:

http://www.sonex-online.com/

Thanks for the links, i'll look into isolating the room, sounds like the best thing to do

My mother-in-law knows someone who recently moved into an apartment with her piano and invited all the neighbors for a concert.

I thought this was an excellent idea. Not only do you get to meet your neighbors, but it warms them up to the fact that you can play the piano. I wouldn't do this because I"m not nearly good enough to put off a convincing concert. But, it's a good way to help them understand you and your passion.

Are you in a house or apartment? Wow! I can understand people in an apartment complaining, but not in a neighborhood if you're not playing late in the evening. It sounds like they're the type of people who will never be satisfied regardless of what you do.

i'm in a house, semi detached, so my neighbours live on the second floor and they have a room with a common wall with my basement
my basement is all concrete i don't understand how they say the sound travels all the way up

i'll also call the city hall ask about this kind of stuff, make sure i'm on the safe side