Pianos in flats

Nyiregyhazi · Post by **Nyiregyhazi** » 15 May 2007, 16:16

Hi.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice on finding a place where I will safely be able to practise the piano without worrying about complaints. I've been living in a large 8 person house in Birmingham, with thick walls, where I've had nothing to worry about. However, I'm probably moving out at the end of June. What is the best way to go about finding a flat/cheap house where I can be sure that practising the piano for a number of hours every day will cause no problems? It strikes me that flats are often likely to have rather thin walls.

Andrew

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 15 May 2007, 17:20

...and floors too, of course. Is it a new flat or an old house converted? Older properties can be thicker walled, but modern flats are (allegedly) subject to planning regs re soundproofing, so it's swings and roundabouts.
There is the celeste pedal/lever option, which sounds like playing your piano through a soggy sock, and displeases most serious pianists. You can put polystyrene sheets about an inch thick (used for lagging water tanks) behind and beneath the piano, and use thick rugs, wallhangings, curtains and squishy furniture to absorb sound. You can approach neighbours and explain you won't play after/before 8 (for instance). You can find out the layout of adjacent flats and try not to park the joanna over/under/next to anyone's bedroom/sitting room.
Or you can swallow hard and lash out on a Yammie silent piano, discussed elsewhere on the forum. My only reservation is that one never knows how the electric spaghetti will age, or who the hell would fix it if it went wrong!

Nyiregyhazi · Post by **Nyiregyhazi** » 15 May 2007, 18:18

"and floors too, of course. Is it a new flat or an old house converted? Older properties can be thicker walled, but modern flats are (allegedly) subject to planning regs re soundproofing, so it's swings and roundabouts."

Yeah, I don't know which is necessarily better but I can't help but feel a lot of newer places might actually be rather worse. I'm still in my old house and don't have anywhere new yet. I'm actually thinking in terms of how to find a place which is likely to be ideal, rather than how to minimise noise when I get there, right now. The issue of noise would be by far the most important thing when looking for somewhere and I'm wondering if anyone has any tips on how best to find a place where I would be able to practise for long hours without having to worry (being able to practise into the night would be the ideal situation, but having no worries about practising throughout the day and on weekends is absolutely essential). Silent pianos are an interesting idea (although a keyboard is certainly of no interest) but what I would prefer is a place where I can just play out without worrying about noise levels. If I mention this to a letting agent, would be likely to find somewhere with this in mind, or would they just give a puzzled look and say they have no idea about that aspect.

Thanks for the tips on absorbing the sound. Would such things be likely to have a detrimental effect on the sound in the room though, or just stop it carrying beyond? Also, My piano is an old Bluther, that has a rounded depth of tone but I believe this type of sound may be rather less penetrating than the hard metallic edge of more modern instruments. It doesn't carry too badly in my house at the moment, but I don't know if this is just down to thick walls. Presumably finding a ground floor place would be a good idea, but it's probably still no guarantee.

Andrew

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 15 May 2007, 19:39

On houses, the best ones to go for are the Terraced houses that have the front doors in groups of 2, then go for and end of Terrace. You then have the stairs on the inside wall and so will next door they are very quiet downstairs

Normal layout is door window door window...., but on some it is window door door window, window door door window ,window door door window

Hope that makes sense

Barrie,

Nyiregyhazi · Post by **Nyiregyhazi** » 15 May 2007, 22:03

"On houses, the best ones to go for are the Terraced houses that have the front doors in groups of 2, then go for and end of Terrace. You then have the stairs on the inside wall and so will next door they are very quiet downstairs

Normal layout is door window door window...., but on some it is window door door window, window door door window ,window door door window"

Yeah, I know what you mean. Thanks for the tip. How about semi-detached, by the way? Obviously there are only people on one side, but would the insulation tend to be thinner than with terraced houses? I kind of suspect this for some reason, but I'm not quite sure why.

Andrew

Post by **Barrie Heaton** » 16 May 2007, 17:51

On semi-detached 1930 tend to offer the best 1970 -80 are bad, fart and next door can name that tune in one. Modern houses 2000 + are better but not much

Barrie,

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 16 May 2007, 18:25

And put the piano on any other wall than the adjoining one. Basic, I know, but you'd be amazed...

Post by **Feg** » 17 May 2007, 18:20

Semi-detached houses tend to have a good thick adjoining wall - mine is circa 1970. I coudn't comment on later builds though putting the piano on an internal wall would be the best idea in any situation except............

I have a customer living in a terraced house and despite putting the piano on a solid internal wall, she is still getting complaints from the neighbours who live furthest away from the piano the other side of an alleyway providing access to the rear of the properties! This despite putting the piano on carpet and stuffing an old duvet behind the piano.

Post by **Gill the Piano** » 18 May 2007, 15:33

Ah, but she could probably cut all the strings and break the hammer heads off and pour concrete in the piano and the neighbour would STILL complain. Some people are just like that...