complaints about piano in my apartment building

[fiasco]

So, I moved into an apartment building last year, and first thing had a talk with the superinterdent about the piano, which he assured me wasn't a problem.  Just don't play past 9PM, he says.  So, after the first week or so I start getting complaints.  Maybe I could somehow soundproof the room, he suggests.  Instead I go out and buy a Yamaha digital piano, which I put in the bedroom, and practice nightly with headphones on.  A few months in, while playing, I started hearing loud bangs coming from upstairs.  Turns out, people are complaining about, get this, the sound of my fingers hitting the keys.  No music, see, just the percussive sound of the keys being hit.  This is while playing Liszt transcription of Beethoven's 5th, which can be pretty forceful.  I couldn't believe anyone could possibly hear my fingers on the keyboard, but if they can hear it, whatever.  So I started playing Alkan's 50 ans, which is the quietest, slowest piece I could find, and they're still complaining.  The whole side of the building is complaining about a "drumming and tapping" he says.  So now, I informed him that everyone seems to be, I don't know, insane, and I'll be moving out at the end of the lease.  Has anyone else experienced such hostility?  I don't want to bother anyone, and I always have the TV very low, etc..., but am I to be expected not to play at all until the lease is up, five months from now?  I've begun looking into buying a house, which I figure is the only way to get people off my back.

[debussy symbolism]

Greetings.

I completely understand how you feel right now, as I too was often heckled by ungrateful neighbors when I was living in a town house. It must be worse for you as your neighbors could turn to the entire apartment for aid. Concerning playing on an acoustic piano, I say keep on playing as you have the right to do so. I also used to get bangs from my neighbors even during dayhours. I am very docile when it comes to argument and usually let them have their rest. I managed a truce in which my neighbors could get their rest until say 11 or 12 of clock. When practicing on a digital, you could place something really thick like a lush and massive carpet under it to stifle out the sound. I know exactly how you feel and quiete frankly, I say that if you really do feel hurt by your neighbor's complaints, just complain to the manager and enforce your rights. If howerer the weekends are in place then perhaps practice on a digital, especially in the morning. Otherwise ignore the complaints.

[bench warmer]

Try moving the Digital into the LivingRoom. When everyone is trying to sleep in the bedrooms when you play,  they shouldn't hear your hammering the keys from the L.R. if you use the earphones. And while they are all in the L.Rooms watching TV the surely wouldn't hear you playing thru your 'phones.

... You can't Really ignore the complaints if it's after 10pm, they can sic the cops on you for Diturbing the Peace.

[invictious]

Just them them up by playing Rachmaninov, Prokofiev and Scriabin for the whole day, exaggerating the ff's.

[imbetter]

i know exactly how you feel, my older brother is this exact same way, and I think it's quite rediculous how they can even hear you tapping against the keys. I don't know advice to give you exept sound proof your room or just remain patient until your  leece is up.

Just them them up by playing Rachmaninov, Prokofiev and Scriabin for the whole day, exaggerating the ff's.

another idea is you could just show them the true meaning of annoying sounds and just bang at the most intense pieces you know but I don't recommend that.

[shortyshort]

I sometimes get the kids coming down at night saying they can't sleep due to the thudding of the keys, (headphones on).

I often wonder if it's just an excuse to come downstairs. 

Some people just like confrontation. Do they also complain about the Police Cars and Fire Engines that go past?

Shorty

[andersand]

I can't image a piano where the keys are so loud that it can be heard in another apartment. I wonder if it is the damper-pedal that makes all the noise? It's something completely different with a foot hammering against the floor. It sounds really ridiculous that you can't even play with headphones!

[danny elfboy]

Unfortunately I have to confirm that on a weighted key digital piano at night you can easily hear the tapping of the fingers on the keys. Actually it's not the tapping itself but the whole weight redicted from the torso to the arms and hands to the keybed to the stand to the floor. The sound it's way louder and noisier when heard from another apartment than what you can hear in your room.

In my building they expect everyone to respect these "unofficial" times

8 am till 12 am
12 am to 4 pm is REST TIME (this is the time when people that work at night, are very old, are very young or do part-time sleep or rest)
4 pm to 8 pm

During the non rest time even the other people do a lot of noise (music, jumping on the floor, running, screaming, loud television, vacuum cleaners) but although it kinds of limit us I have to agree that it's very reasonable to be quite from 12 am to 4 pm and after 8 pm. A good solution for your acustic is a silenter. It is made of a special phonoabsorbent fabric which captures the vibrations of the chords and send them to the headphones.
It can be switched on or switched off whenever you can and need no installation (so your piano wood is not ruined by using it)

https://www.michelettipianoforti.com/Piano&cuffia.html

[knabe31]

Try and get out of the lease. If the super told you that the piano would not be a problem and it turns out to be a problem then he misinformed you and I believe that would be grounds to break the lease. You have a quality of life issue here. You should not be prohibitted from your enjoyment. Perhaps you could sublet the apartment to someone else to finish your lease. Of course you would need the managements permission for that. Try and find someone to take the lease over so you can leave and buy your own place. Of course you could continue playing and he will get a bunch of complaints and throw  you out. Not recommended. I wish you luck. 

[quantum]

This is one reason I insist on living in a detached house.    knbe31 makes a point.  It sounds like they are making a ridiculous fuss about a little noise.  Do they do the same every time someone vacuumes or pulls a chair out from under a table?

On the last day you leave there, let them hear what LOUD actually sounds like.  Practice Rach or Prok or Alkan or something.  Then while you move your stuff out, blast your stereo with Boulez, Xenakis and even louder and obnoxious stuff.

[Bob]

For the digital, if you put enough towels, carpet pieces, cardboard, etc. under it, that would dampen any vibrations from hitting the keys a lot.

[fiasco]

Thank you for your empathy and understanding everybody.  I've decided that whatever I do, it'll never be enough, so I'm moving out at the end of the lease, dragging my poor girlfriend along with me.

And yes, when I feel like just playing and not trying to be quiet I do bang out a mean Rach prelude #1 which gets the job done nicely.  For the time being I play at my parents house when I can, and on my keyboard at the apartment, if it's on a weekday afternoon, I don't see how anyone could have a problem with that.  I just think that all these miserable people have been living there for years, and when I just moved in and started playing right away, they felt like I was intruding on their little world.  And not to sound too Crime and Punishment, but what am I stopping them from doing?  Watching American Idol?  There should be an unspoken agreement that high culture trumps lowbrow every time, haha.

[rach n bach]

Good luck fiasco!

This whole situation is just stuipd... We with "high culture" are obviously superior, and these lesser mortals should feel honored to be in our presence, or at the very lest, the noise of our silent digital pianos...   

RnB

[moi_not_toi]

here here!

I say invite them over to a mandatory recital, lock the doors and play a Straight Scriabin concert w/ a horrid interpretation. And to top it off, add a little Allegro Barbaro by Bartok at the end.

only do this in the last month or week, though...