Playing Tuba in an Apartment?? (Soundproofing)

[RoosterTuba]

Hello, y'all.

So I'm going to be attending grad school this fall. Currently I teach choir and general music and live 5 minutes from my classroom, so practicing is always great because I have an open room that I can access anytime.

I was wondering if anyone here had experience with soundproofing an apartment room so that one could practice tuba without waging war with their neighbors? I will no longer have as much access to a large practice area, and my college will be a bit longer commute since it's a bigger city.

I'm only looking for suggestions on soundproofing an apartment room, not looking for life advice on the decisions I've made. Just looking for help on whether it's possible and what are the best materials. Thanks in advance, Tubenet community!

[opus37]

Soundproofing is a tricky thing and can be very expensive. Economically speaking, you would be better off getting a Yamaha silent brass outfit. The are a few hundred dollars, but that's what soundproofing would cost (and more). You have the added advantages of portability (use in in any room of the apartment you wish), known to be effective, it doesn't change the apartment and it's yours.

[RoosterTuba]

Soundproofing is a tricky thing and can be very expensive. Economically speaking, you would be better off getting a Yamaha silent brass outfit. The are a few hundred dollars, but that's what soundproofing would cost (and more). You have the added advantages of portability (use in in any room of the apartment you wish), known to be effective, it doesn't change the apartment and it's yours.

Oh I've heard of those. How do those work? It's a mute right? Is it electronic?

[Tubainsauga]

There isn't much to be done without actual renovations. For the cost of a very basic soundproofing job, you could probably buy every practice mute made for tuba (and the new silent brass system is really good).

[RoosterTuba]

There isn't much to be done without actual renovations. For the cost of a very basic soundproofing job, you could probably buy every practice mute made for tuba (and the new silent brass system is really good).

Ah I see. I should change this thread to "good practice mutes"

Any suggestions on something not Yamaha silent brass system? (I saw that price and frowned financially)

[Ltrain]

Hahaha - I was literally just thinking deeply about this with great anxiety as I have for the last two months (context: I just started playing tuba again 2 months ago). I live in an old pre-war NYC apt building (brownstone is a nice word for it).

I'm in the market for a Silent Brass system (you should get one), but here are some practical considerations:

If you don't have one already, get a LARGE (the kind that properly takes up almost the entire room; save 1.5 - 2ft from the wall). Do this even if you have carpet flooring. You can go cheap and still end up with something fancy-looking: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DW ... UTF8&psc=1" target="_blank" target="_blank The extra layer of carpet will absorb sound and you water valve deposits. To the later point, this will ensure you get your security deposit back!

Any plush furniture (couches and pillows) will also act as a natural sound dampener. Tapestries and thick curtains also help.

What I've mentioned so far is practical advice that also will also spruce up your apartment. If you're into feng shui, or just appreciate good design (but don't have the eye for it), consult a friend that does, or skim some DIY interior design blogs for advice of buying the correct rug/drape size/colors etc.

And the most important thing: TALK to you neighbors, especially those above, or directly beside your practice room. When I bought my horn, I worked out a deal with my neighbors: no practicing after 9 PM on weeknights.

The only reason I'm still in the market for a silent brass system is so I can practice first thing in the morning. Good luck!

[Ltrain]

Oh, I recently fell down a TN hole and found these, sold by an incredibly-respected Tube-Netter Lee Stofer (see Schlipf mutes): http://tubameister.com/accessories/" target="_blank

[oldbandnerd]

https://www.amazon.com/Denis-Wick-DW551 ... B000SNVT3G" target="_blank

Get a Denis Wick practice mute. No batteries required and you'll love what it does for your playing.

[TUbajohn20J]

Good luck! Everytime I would practice in my apartment in college my upstairs neighbor would call me and tell me to keep it down. I eventually just quit answering the phone.. Which resulted in them knocking on my door instead. Finally I just started playing with a pillow on top of my bell but that muffled the sound horribly. A tuba in an apartment is a nightmare! Good luck

[TheGoyWonder]

play anyways and NEVER back down. If they complain negotiate AM and PM cutoffs and stick to them.
arguments to use:
it's only an acoustic instrument not amplified.
It's of limited duration and at sensible hours.
their footsteps/amplified music/dogs/yelling is louder, at worse times, and more persistent duration.

that being said you should probably make sure that besides the tuba nobody hears a mouse fart out of your apartment.

[bort]

Check your lease and the city laws. When I lived in NYC, the lease just said that you couldn't play before 8 and after 10pm, or something like that. I also think there was an ordinance that doesn't completely disallow it.

A few floors below me, there was a very.good trombone player, who practiced constantly.

Or, get a Schlipf mute. I had one, but when I realized nobody complained and it wasn't breaking the rules, I never used it.

[swillafew]

I can't recommend a tuba mute, but if I play my trombone with the cup mute (a very tight one at that) it always makes an immediate effect on the tone, and a very good one at that. If I was in the OP's shoes, I would practice when the fewest people were around and get whatever was a logical purchase for a mute.

[Ltrain]

Update: this thread just gave me GAS (and the final push I needed) to purchase a silent brass system.

I chose Musician's Friend because I'm a long-time Platinum Card member and they always send me exclusive discount and financing offers. My "exclusive promo" wasn't working online so I called and they gave me a deal @ 15% off ($459 free shipping/no sales tax). This is the latest system and a I got a great deal). The only downside is it's backordered until 5/1. Oh well. I can wait a month to save almost $100 with no tax.

I asked if I could spread the word. They said they can definitely extend their 13% off deal to anyone who calls (their "April fools" promo). I got 15% because of a coupon that was emailed to me.

[happyroman]

You will likely find that a little communication will go a long way if you talk with your neighbors before starting to practice at your apartment. If you explain your situation, and stick to reasonable hours, you may find that they are a lot more understanding than you think.

I started practicing at home a little over a year ago, after discovering that my old fall back, some relatively unused practice rooms in a building at the local university, were locked 24/7 and required a student ID card with a magnetic code to gain access. I explained my situation to my neighbors, and gave them my cell phone number, explaining that if I were practicing at a particularly inopportune time for them, to give me a call and I would stop and practice at another time. It actually turned out that my upstairs neighbor enjoys listening to me practice.

You will find that most people will gladly help out someone who makes an effort to be a good neighbor.

[mwlorrison893]

I did buy the Yamaha System (with financial aid money of course) and it actually works and is amazing! I was surprised how well it does and effective it is. Now of course, the higher you go the partials don't come out like that should as when the system is out of your bell but for the most part it is a great tool!

[Voisi1ev]

Needed to practice in my apartment this week instead of my band room. Can confirm, the $10 pillow I have from Walmart worked well just sitting on the bell.

[tbonesullivan]

If you are so motivated, you can probably construct some type of sound proof chamber to practice inside. There are expensive solutions available, but I have friends who have made small recording chambers. Thankfully a tuba does not require the same amount of room that a trombone does.

[lprince]

Initially I misread this as "playing tuba in an argument" which seems like a really useful skill- just play pedals until the other party gives up or you pass out.

But in all seriousness, having lived in apartments in NYC and elsewhere, I've never had a problem as long as I stopped by 10PM, may have just gotten lucky though.

[tubaphillips]

Check the local laws on practicing in your apartment. In NYC you can practice all you want. 802 has a great article on is with legal precedent cited

http://www.local802afm.org/2012/12/can- ... apartment/" target="_blank

[ppalan]

I have an Altieri bag for my Miraphone 186. The bell cover that comes with the bag is a pretty reasonable substitute for a practice mute in a pinch. I actually use it before gigs quite a bit. Just a thought...
Pete