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throughout the years I have done several things, In the summer: it is always nice to play outside, but I have played in a closet in one apartment, taught summer school and used my classroom, worked at a music shop and came in before hours and played, and I have also invited all of my neighbors over and cooked them dinner, and told them I would restrict my playing between X-Z. Most times nobody had a problem if they knew and knew when it would stop.

I really enjoy practicing outside... park benches, parking garages, behind grocery stores, wherever. of course that gets difficult with holding music & stuff, but it usually ends up working fine.

I've been living in apartments for the last 6 years.

What I've done is just go ahead and practice during reasonable hours (ie 10am to 8pm). Generally this has been good enough to keep the neighbors off my back. As long as you are actually practicing, and most of it sounds good, most people don't complain.

If that doesn't work, perhaps work out a practice schedule with the complainer. Most people are pretty understanding about legitimate practicing... it's those garage bands people don't want rehearsing in the apartment next to theirs.

I lived in an apartment the first year I lived in St Louis and so I found the nearest university/college to where I was living and worked out a deal to use their practice rooms. This may not always work but it is worth a couple of phone calls and you never know you might make some professional connections as well. I did.




Alex

When I lived in an apartment my first solution was to get a silence brass mute. That worked okay, but I wasn't really satisfied with it. After that I practiced in the parking garage. That worked great. Big space, good performance practice, didn't have to worry too much about upsetting the neighbors. Yeah, in the summer it was like being in a ceramic oven or something, and in the winter I needed a few layers and fingerless gloves, but I would do it again if I had too.

carrie wrote:so I guess I just assumed everyone likes listening to tubas!

Well, at least they should.

I have not had a problem since college (always lived in a detached house) but I have found practice venues while traveling. Almost every hotel/motel has a conference room that is unused most of the time. The hotel bar is usually empty during daylight hours. If you were willing to barter your time/expertise/artistry you could possibly use an empty hotel room away from guest concentrations. Public schools may have space before or after school if you were willing to play for an assembly now and again or help out with a music/physics of sound/music from other cultures/etc. experience. Public parks are little used between 8 and 11 a.m. (I know from bagpipe practice sessions) and most Church of Christ churches do not have a problem with instrumental music per se, only during the worship experience.

I would imagine any place where you were employed part-time would allow you to come early/stay late and practice. I have known guys who worked the front desk at a hotel and practiced all night.

The boiler room. Depending on how big the apartment is there may very well be a boiler room or storage area in the depths of the basement. I was a caretaker of a 20 unit apartment complex and there was a boiler room deep in the basement....probably came through the pipes but I'd imagine it would be barely noticeable. Talk to the caretaker of the building.

Otherwise like someone said the local collage probably has practice rooms. I've had rehearsals at a couple of different ones and even though I didn't go there I used the rooms. I suppose it's hard to think that someone carrying a tuba into the building is up to no good...

I live in a brick house that is impervious to sound when closed up but my music room needs airing (they don't call me an old fart for nothing) and the neighbors say they enjoy the days I play with the doors open. Most of them bought my c.d.'s and appear to dig tuba.
I'm so old I drool a lot but since I'm a tuba player, no one seems to notice.
When I played trumpet in a rock band on the road, I would jump in the car and drive to a remote area and play in the car. The horn sounded like crap but I got the required lip slurs done when I needed to.

Ditto on the church idea. Our sanctuary has the best natural reverb I've ever heard. Great confidence builder

Ike