Ways to Practice Your Music and Still Be a Good Neighbor

“Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of life-bringing peace, abolishing strife.” — Kahlil Gibran

Music is universal, and something that we all appreciate in our lives in one form or another. As Gibran says, it’s the “language” we all understand. Still, you’d be pretty hard-pressed to find anyone who appreciated the sound of crashing cymbals coming from the apartment next door at 11 o’clock at night.

The reality is that unless you take some preemptive measures, loud jam sessions won’t exactly make you the most popular person in the building. Whether you’re an aspiring rock star or just someone who enjoys casually strumming their guitar after a long day at work, you’ll definitely want to make use of these hacks to keep yourself in your neighbors’ good graces while you’re honing your craft.

Soundproof Your Room

Simply investing in some solid soundproofing will go a long way towards solving your noise problem. Of course, soundproofing equipment and materials vary from low to high-tech, and depending on what kind of treatment you opt for, can be a little pricey. Some soundproofing methods, such as vinyl sound barriers placed on walls, floors, and ceilings, may muffle or reduce sounds but not eliminate them completely. Door seals may further block sound from traveling outside the room you’re playing your music in.

The golden rule? Always remember to ask for your landlord’s permission before taking any kind of heavy-duty action towards soundproofing your space.

Practice at Appropriate Times

Another great work-around for musicians is to practice at times of the day when their neighbors are either gone or making noise themselves. Depending on how acquainted you are with your fellow tenants, you might be privy to when people come and go, or on what days they work or are otherwise not around. Nighttime and early morning hours probably won’t be ideal in most cases, so try to come up with a schedule based around days and times when you know you’ll be free to turn up the amps and rock out to your heart’s content.

Headphones

You can also buy some noise-cancelling headphones if your instrument is equipped with a headphone jack. That way, only you will be able to hear the music you play and record.