Pianos in an apartment

[ggpianogg]

Hi guys,

To make things short: I want to buy an "acoustic" piano. My concern is that it will be way too annoying to the neighbours when I play it, since I live in an apartament in a pretty big building.

So my question to anyone in a similar situation: is it annoying? Can the sound of a piano be frustrating to other people living in the same building?

Thanks in advance!

P.s. I hope this is the right section for this question, wasn't sure.

[richard black]

Depends on how well the apartment block is built and how your neighbours react. Some people find even the minutest amount of noise annoying, others don't seem to mind in the least if you play loudly for hours. A singer friend was telling me the other day that her neighbour turns the radio off to listen to the sounds of singing coming through the wall. Really all you can do is 'suck it and see'.

[ramseytheii]

Really all you can do is 'suck it and see'.

I think I've seen that movie before.

My advice on a piano: forget as quickly as possible about annoying other people when practicing.  If you practice reasonable hours (say 9 am to 9 pm, or 8 am to 8 pm) then you are well within your rights.  If you want to be a serious pianist, you cannot afford to worry whether people like to listen to you practice.  You just have to do the work no matter what.

Walter Ramsey

[oxy60]

Until we know the city where the apartment is located, we can't really comment. Every city has different rules. For example, in Rome it was quite common to hear all sorts of instruments and voices, but at a certain hour, generally just after the 10 o'clock news the city falls silent. Even the church clock bells were limited. (As of the late 70's)

Here in Southern California it is quite strict. Five diesel engines pulling a hundred car freight train can't be heard more than fifty feet away. To silence those locomotives to that degree was no easy task!

[richard black]

Here in Southern California it is quite strict. Five diesel engines pulling a hundred car freight train can't be heard more than fifty feet away.

Fifty _feet_??? That's not very far - heck, on a quiet night I can hear a Nissan Micra driving at 30mph on a good road surface that far away.

Anyway, rules are one thing, applications of them another. The 'rules' regarding my flat appear to say that playing any musical instrument is out of order. On the other hand, another set of 'rules' says no one can actually enforce that first rule unless the average volume is something insane like 70dB in a neighbouring flat. Common sense says you just try to be reasonable and hope everyone else is likewise.

[oxy60]

Fifty _feet_??? That's not very far - heck, on a quiet night I can hear a Nissan Micra driving at 30mph on a good road surface that far away.

Yes it's true. The traffic on the interstate on the other side of the tracks was louder than the locomotives. Sometimes these environmental laws give strange results. We also have a curfew from 11PM to 7AM:. no planes, no construction, no machines. With those silenced locomotives freight can be moved 24/7. I sleep soundly 100 feet from the tracks.

[go12_3]

When you play nice pieces, perhaps the neighbors will smile more as you pass them
by.         I used to live in an apartment and had a piano there while I attended college.
It was no problem when I practiced on the regular hours of the day, well, I was mostly
at the college practicing there instead, so the piano in the apartment didn't get played
on as much.  It depends where you are located in the apartment--upstairs or
on the floor level, but it really makes no difference, the sound of the piano will carry
through walls anyhow.  But, keep in mind, just play for a while not too lengthy and play
the more melodic pieces.

[ramseytheii]

When you play nice pieces, perhaps the neighbors will smile more as you pass them
by.         I used to live in an apartment and had a piano there while I attended college.
It was no problem when I practiced on the regular hours of the day, well, I was mostly
at the college practicing there instead, so the piano in the apartment didn't get played
on as much.  It depends where you are located in the apartment--upstairs or
on the floor level, but it really makes no difference, the sound of the piano will carry
through walls anyhow.  But, keep in mind, just play for a while not too lengthy and play
the more melodic pieces.

I disagree totally.  Practice whatever you are practicing - forget about all constraints, even those you might consider of decency, when it comes to playing piano.

Walter Ramsey

[go12_3]

I disagree totally.  Practice whatever you are practicing - forget about all constraints, even those you might consider of decency, when it comes to playing piano.

Walter Ramsey

Oh, whatever.  Have you lived in an apartment?  Would you like to have someone banging  above or below you from the neighbors?  I think not or perhaps you do.  I don't know.
It's up to the individual if they want to practice away and whatever they want to
do in their apartment.  I think this thread is ridiculous anyhow... I mean, get real, whoever lives
in an apartment will sooner or later figure out what needs to be done.  

[littletune]

Well we live in an apartment and im getting an acoustic piano!          And we have a few neighbors who are very grumpy but they find something to complain about anyway if they want to no matter what u do!... theres this woman that complains about everything like just walking too loud or moving the chairs or even water running!  and for some time my parents were really nice and understanding to her... and the nicer my parentns were to her more she complained all the time and she found more and more things that were wrong and that we should and shouldnt do. And then one day my parents had enough and they stopped being nice to her and they told her what they thought about her... and since then she has never complained again (thats about a year now). i think i kinda feel sorry for her. It must be horrible to spend your whole life just complaining and being grumpy and angry all the time and just thinking about what other people are doing wrong! isnt that kinda a waist of life? 

[richard black]

And then one day my parents had enough and they stopped being nice to her

Yeah, some people react really well to a good verbal smack upside the head. Odd, isn't it?

[ggpianogg]

Ah, unfortunately I live in Poland, where there are laws governing how loud you can be in your apartment even during the day! So for example, if you do something that makes it not possible for people to rest, you should only do it between 10 AM and 3 PM, and even then you could get expelled if some old people who stay home all day complain to the landlord.

I think I will have to settle for a digital piano...

[cygnusdei]

I have an upright in my apartment. Following a friend's advice, I put a bed comforter between the wall and the back of the piano, and over the top. It helps minimize resonance through the wall, and gives the 'focused' sound that I like. Other than that, I quit playing at 9 pm.

[crodrigues]

Hi,

Check the Silent System used by yamaha S4S or other. You can play/practice your accustic piano without making any noise (with headphones). You can install this system in older accustic pianos.

Regards,
Carlos

[keys60]

Learn to use the soft shift pedal. That helps. They also make practice mutes for pianos that lay between the strings and the hammers on their contact points. Some pianos are built with a mute already installed.

[roseli]

during a year I had a piano student in my 4 floors building, and belive me when I tell you that it was pure hell.
he had no respect for the neighbors, he played every day, most of the time until 2am. no one could sleep, it was impossible to rest during the day, to study... everything! and it was always the same music...
for real... I'm now learning how to play, and I bought an electronic, because I suffred so must with that guy, that I couldn't bare to be such an annoyance to my neighbors.
You must ask yourself if you would like to have someone playing a loud instrument over your home every day or not... you will ever know if them will want to hear music at 6am in the morning...
I don't recommend you to buy one, or buy the one for yamaha that you can attach some headphones, but respect the other people.   

[quantum]

I'd rather have some guy pounding away on a piano than hear Airplanes at 6am.   

[maestro1987]

I have an upright piano in my apartement (bought in October) and about a week ago one neighbour who lives above asked if it is me playing piano. I said "yes" and her answer to my question "Does it disturb a lot?" was "Of course not, how such beautiful music can disturb somebody!".   It was really surprising.  I don't hold myself back while playing but always between 11 am to 8 pm.
By the way it seems that my next door neighbour is playing accordion sometimes and I've also heard someone else practising scales.

[gyzzzmo]

You can concider buying a 'silenced piano', wich is an accoustic piano but with headphones.
Saying 'screw the neighbours' can look very cool, but isnt very practical, especially if you want to practise as much as you want.

[roseli]

I'd rather have some guy pounding away on a piano than hear Airplanes at 6am.   

what I mean was, if you wile playing piano are disturbing someone until 2am, the other people may want to disturb YOU with some music at 6 am.
I never did it lol, I just called the police a lot, and talked to is parents too and then he moved out and  everyone in the building and the others ones right around us were very happy.
Here in my city, the law says, that you can not disturb your neighbors even during the day if you live in an apartment... there are people that work during the night and need the day to rest.
all the noises have to stop at 10pm. if they don't, the people that are making them are in the risk of paying over 500€ for the funny idea.

[lostinidlewonder]

Traffic noise is different from the sound coming from a musical instrument and in fact the musical instrument can be thousands of times more irritating. Because musical instruments capture our attention, it begs for us to listen to it and consider it no matter how good we play, noise is just a continuous droning which most of us can tune out.

I would never get an acoustic for an apartment situation, you are just constrained too much with your practice. You cannot practice things very loudly, you can't practice very early or late in the day. Naturally when you are living in a place you don't want to be disharmonious with your neighbors. You may have to see the same person for many years and it is not worth it to have quarrels.

If you really want to practice on an acoustic at home then get an acoustic piano! We should not be denied the freedom to own a real piano. But then please get a digital piano as well so you can practice any time you like. Play your acoustic during the legal times and your digital when things should be quiet. Personally I would love to hear beautiful music being played, but after you hear beautiful music repeated 500 times it can drive even a piano lover nuts.

[fifthelegy]

I used to live in an apartment, and you'll find that most people enjoy your playing, just except for the one or two people who don't appreciate music.
There was a pair of grannies who lived on the same level as me and they'd always be standing outside my door just listening. But then there was the guy who lived below me and he was constantly complaining about the noise.
I had an upright, so what I did was to just stuff a blanket behind the piano. It muted a lot of the noise, and I guess it's probably good for making your fingers stronger since you have to play harder to get more noise out of it.

Now I have a grand and live in a house, but I still get heaps of feedback from the people all living down my street

[pianisten1989]

Ask your neighbours, and try to come up with a resonable deal. That's probably the only thing you can do.

[ramseytheii]

Ask your apartment manager or office, and then when the neighbors come to complain, tell them to take it to the office.

Walter Ramsey

[dss62467]

Well we live in an apartment and im getting an acoustic piano!          And we have a few neighbors who are very grumpy but they find something to complain about anyway if they want to no matter what u do!... theres this woman that complains about everything like just walking too loud or moving the chairs or even water running!  and for some time my parents were really nice and understanding to her... and the nicer my parentns were to her more she complained all the time and she found more and more things that were wrong and that we should and shouldnt do. And then one day my parents had enough and they stopped being nice to her and they told her what they thought about her... and since then she has never complained again (thats about a year now). i think i kinda feel sorry for her. It must be horrible to spend your whole life just complaining and being grumpy and angry all the time and just thinking about what other people are doing wrong! isnt that kinda a waist of life? 

Those are MY neighbors!!!  Only I live in a house, and theirs is probably 150' away from mine.  They complain about EVERYTHING and everybody.  I've even come up with my imitation of them.  It's a lot like angry chickens squawking in the barnyard when a dog comes running through.   It involves a lot of finger waving and butt wiggling too.  Cracks my daughter up.

I would say to the poster, find out what the rules are in your building.  And practice within those constraints.  Then they have no recourse, assuming they even mind.  Personally, I would LOVE to listen to someone practicing, as long as they weren't bad.

[oxy60]

I would also love to hear someone practice if it was like a concert. However we all know too well that practicing is not like a concert. Stuff needs to be worked out. The more difficult a piece, the more time needed. One of the great joys is to be able to practice without an audience. Especially if that audience is another pianist!

Here we have drums. The thundering drums cut through everything. I've learned to tune it out but when the drummer asks how I liked that "fill" I have to admit that I wasn't really listening.