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I recently moved to a new town to attend a year-long course. For the first time I'm now living in an apartment building instead of a shared house. I can't hear anything from the tenants next door, but apparently they can hear ME. Seems they're not fond of my practise schedule even though I knock off by 8 pm. One of them's already had it out with me in the hallway.
I realise I'm not the first to have this problem, but now I'm all paranoid. How do you guys deal with this?
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to chinito)
Hi Jake,
Invite some mates over for a good drinking session with plenty of loud music for a few nights. Then they'll appreciate how much less noise your practice really is in comparison to what it could be.
I live in a townhouse as well, and the guy who lived there before me used to play the trumpet so when I moved in, I was actually quieter
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to chinito)
Chinito
How many hours do you practice a day. If you practice a lot, you could put a sponge below the strings at the bridge some of the time. (You´d like it)
To me it sounds like you have hysterical neighbours. You should be allowed to play until at least 10pm.... If you have hysterical neighbours, theres not much you can do besides playing with respect and when they have a go on you, smile and say "me know nothing... I´m from Barcelona" (English joke)
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to chinito)
This brings up something I was going to mention anyway. I read some time ago (I think it was on this site) about putting a bit of sponge under the strings at the bridge to mute the sound. I was a bit unsure about this idea, but I tried it a couple of days ago, and I think its a brilliant idea. Apart from less aggro from the neighbours, it seems to help build more power into my playing, and also accuracy. After doing it for a couple of hours, then taking the sponge out, I find I can project far more tone and volume in my playing, as opposed to before I found out about this idea. It means I can practice at any time and not feel I have to be wary about what other folk think, or if I am annoying them. Its a winner, I think
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to chinito)
Get yourself one of those "silent guitars" for practising. I believe Yamaha do one for a few hundred quid. You can plug in headphones and thereby save your relationship with your neighbours whilst still being able to practise to your heart's content.
Jb
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¡Si esto no está en compas, esto no es el Flamenco!
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to chinito)
If you use bassy playanlongs.... I could understand your neighbour. And if you practice for ours the same 3 notes or you practice very mixed without structure, just play a crappy alegrias falseta than a tango one and than other crap... Than you should stop playing, for you neighbours health. Otherwise they will get ill.....psycologically...you know?
Yestrdaythere was a guy in the train. He jumped around and scared all the people. Than he raped his trousers and underwear from his body and pulled his dick and did pervert thigs..... In the end everywhere was **** and blood. uuuh... how scary. Im happy that I watched this **** from another station with savety distance. I think his neighbour must have been a flamenco-guitar-trainee. I know what Im talking about. I live in a share house (WG), together with my girlfriend and a friend. He practice like I described above. Its the pure hell, if he play the whole sunday. Its ****ing horrible... I stopped playing flameco guitar coz I have no time anymore. Just for some danceclasses to get some money. But I dont practice anymore at home. And I have to write many lab-reports for my boss. And its not possible to concentrate just for a second with a guy who practice without structure or only exercises for the fingers. AAH!! So please try to see it from the viewpoint of your neighbour.
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to chinito)
The law is different everywhere, in Germany very exact, so as long as I stop between 11am and 1pm, quit by 10pm and keep quiet on Sundays nobody can complain if there's nothing in my rental contract. I had major problems in my last place and was forced by a change in contract to stop by 8pm every night. Fortunately now we have thick walls and nobody hears me in my practise room so I can play all night.
I'd say ignore the complaining until somebody shows you that what you're doing is illegal or a breach of contract.
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to chinito)
When I need to play but need to be quiet, I get a piece of tissue (Kleenex) fold it length wise until it's about an inch wide. Then I weave the tissue in and out between all the strings. I then slid the tissue all the way back until it touches the bridge. This muffles the sound but still allows you enough room to practice as usually.
Regarding picky neighbors, I'm sure your not playing THAT loud. It's not like your jaming on a Les Paul through a Marshall stack. Just go about your business. If another confrontation arises, a knee to the nuts followed by another knee to the head as his head goes down from the knee to the nuts almost always fixes any problems. When the cops come knocking on your door as he will call them, use Anders' line "me know nothing...I'm from Barcelona".
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to Doitsujin)
quote:
Yestrdaythere was a guy in the train. He jumped around and scared all the people. Than he raped his trousers and underwear from his body and pulled his **** and did pervert thigs..... In the end everywhere was **** and blood. uuuh... how scary. Im happy that I watched this **** from another station with savety distance. I think his neighbour must have been a flamenco-guitar-trainee.
That is so f*cking cool. I think that guy would be me if I hadn't discovered flamenco guitar.
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to Doitsujin)
quote:
Yestrdaythere was a guy in the train. He jumped around and scared all the people. Than he raped his trousers and underwear from his body and pulled his **** and did pervert thigs..... In the end everywhere was **** and blood. uuuh... how scary. Im happy that I watched this
I don't give a damn sh... what my old Nazi neighbours think or want. They were unfriendly to me from the beginning on just because i am not German they were full of prejudice.
So now they get the answer! I play as loud as i can and as i often as i can ( as long as it is within the german laws , the can do nothing! ).
But this only applies to me . This is not a recommandation for the rest of you with nice neighbours !
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to chinito)
i live in an apartment building in hollywood and i never play later than 11 PM or earlier than 9 AM. i'm not even good at all but i've had several people say that they stop in the hallway in front of my door and listen for a bit. one guy said that "that paganini stuff you're playing rocks!"
there are so many apartments in my block that i can hear a jazz trumpeter (really good) and a classical pianist (really bad) practice all the time.
i'm lucky in that no one has ever complained but i do live right off of sunset blvd so its really noisy here anyways. i did finish one farruca and my windows were open and someone yelled ole! at the finish.
sounds like you have some really uptight neighbors!
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to chinito)
Something comes in my mind.. My friend who lives next door, allways play very loud. I told him that he olny can play with dynamics and more control if he would play less loud. Thats no **** and I can work whle he plays. By the way, the direction where you point the soundhole is a big factor too. I mean, point it away from your neighbours wall. It might work.
Posts: 15725
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to chinito)
When you pass by your neighbor just say F off! Also knock on his door and ring the bell really late at night after bed, then run back to your room before he can answer, every night. And when at home, it is now a good time to start learning to sing cante, martinete is good, but all the palos too, and test out your sound system. You know, how loud you can get it before feedback comes in.
Posts: 833
Joined: Oct. 29 2006
From: Olympia, WA in the Great Pacific Northwest
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to chinito)
I live in a basement apartment in a house owned and occupied by my landlord, so, in the interest of keeping my lease extended and not ending up on the street, I try not to get too obnoxious with the all-hours guitar playing. I contemplated getting one of those silent guitars but they’re just too pricey, besides which - no soundboard; nothing to tap on; no golpes. Not ideal for flamenco practice. So I ended up making a practice guitar by taking an old, beat up guitar from the back of my closet and stuffing it full of ten bucks worth of foam rubber. It’s a bit heavy now, but other than that it plays and feels just right, with a volume a touch louder than that of an unplugged electric- definitely quiet enough to practice whenever I want without making too much noise. It’s a bit extreme compared to the simple sponge-at-the-bridge method, but with this the play in the strings is unaffected. I wouldn’t cram your 1-A full of old kitchen sponges but if you have an otherwise unused guitar laying around…
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to chinito)
Thanks to all for your answers. I'm trying the sponge thing under the strings. Still not as muted as I'd like, but definitely quieter than before. If anyone complains again I'll start with the tonas before bed.
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to Ricardo)
quote:
Also knock on his door and ring the bell really late at night after bed, then run back to your room before he can answer
LOL! --- Leave a paper bag filled with dog s**t outside his door late one night and set it on fire, ring the bell. when he comes out with his pajamas and bare feet, watch him stamp it out
Similar theme: Tie two opposite doors together with string and run down the hallway shouting FIRE!
RE: "Sensetive" neighbours... (in reply to chinito)
Or put a broken stick for cleaning teeth in the bell that it rings without stopping by itself at 4am. Thats a really good joke if he lives in the 4th floor as me without elevator and 3,4m high levels. Really good till he des it with you.. :./
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I stopped playing flameco guitar coz I have no time anymore. Just for some danceclasses to get some money. But I dont practice anymore at home. And I have to write many lab-reports for my boss. And its not possible to concentrate just for a second with a guy who practice without structure or only exercises for the fingers. AAH!! So please try to see it from the viewpoint of your neighbour.
It'll give you a break as well 
. This is not a recommandation for the rest of you with nice neighbours ! 
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