 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: John
Date: 2001-05-09 20:23
Any ideas how to help sound transfer in apartments? Don't want to spend a lot of money - but need to do somehting - can't practice when I need to due to neighbors etc... I heard that Buddy DeFranco's wife made him a large sock like thing that covered his entire clarinet with draw string at top and 2 hand holes - Guess I could do that but if anyone has any ideas - inexpensive - most helpful
thanks
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Author: Ken
Date: 2001-05-09 22:00
Hmmmm, use a walk in closet if you have one. Go to a grocery store and ask for a bunch of empty case cartons of eggs and tape them to the wall of your practice room to reflect/deaden the sound. Use a carpeted room and/or a room with partitions in the middle of the apartment. For late practice hours use the bathroom and close the door, guess where you have to sit? Get new neighbors.
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Author: Rob
Date: 2001-05-10 01:14
Ditto what Ken says. Egg Cartons! Egg Cartons! Egg Cartons!. We even used them in the band room when I was in Jr. High many years ago because the architect who designed the building thought it would look nice with oak paneling and a terrazzo floor. I guess it was easy to clean. The choice of style over function was a disaster though, because the sound echoed everywhere, but the egg cartons helped a great deal. You could also try putting up insulation in a walk-in closet. If you're in a rental unit you can just attach it to the walls with a staple gun and take it down when you move out without too much bother, but if you spring for purchasing insulation, buy it during warm weather. It gets very pricey when you try to buy it in the winter. My last apartment had a carpeted entry hall with rooms on 3 sides and so I used to practice in there. I also really didn't like my neighors all that much so I wasn't too, too concerned. It helped though that they all thought I was a police officer (where they got that notion I have no idea) so they were somewhat hesitant to complain about anything I did.
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Author: Gretchen
Date: 2001-05-10 02:58
I have an apartment and often practice and teach lessons there. Before moving in, I made sure to get an apartment in the extreme corner of the complex where I only have 3 neighbors. Additionally I only play or teach between 11AM and 9PM. Plus all of my neighbors get occasional presents from me. We are in a noisy occupation and must be considerate. Since you cannot reduce your number of neighbors, I would recommend befriending them as much as possible and being very strict on the hours that you play. Then they will respect your professionalism.
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Author: Jim
Date: 2001-05-10 04:29
There are actually 2 issues to sound control, reflection in the room and transmission out of the room. Absorbing sound in a room is easy and will help some, while the egg cartons will work, so will padded carpets, drapes, tapestries, quilts on stands, overstuffed furniture with throw pillows and afghans draped on the backs etc. All of which are more decorative than egg cartons. Additionally be aware that the cartons especially the foam variety constitute a fire hazard. Preventing sound transmission is much more difficult as the wall surfaces and structure serve to collect, transfer and amplify the sound (much like a sounding board in a piano or the body of a string instrument.
I did practice in a 13 unit building as a kid. It helped that my grandmother owned the building and the rents were low. I had more trouble with the neighbors whose building was about 30 inches away. This especially in summer with open windows. However once my brother got his first drum I heard many fewer complaints about the clarinet.
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Author: Mike Irish
Date: 2001-05-10 05:23
how about like a neighbor of mine did in Iceland.....
he invited others to practice with him... and to judge his playing.....
he also (ahead of time_) let all the neighbors know he was just starting to learn the violin..... we lived next door to him.... and there were 12 apartments in our section, 24 with in the building.... the building was concrete and the hallways resinated very well......
he received no flack from any one, but he also made sure he didnt practice when some one was trying to sleep......and he did improve from just trying to make a sound on the fiddle, to actually playin fairly well in just a short time....
Egg cartons on the walls, or even ceiling tiles for the drop ceilings, carpet, even hanging blankets can help muffle the sound..... also playing very quietly....
good luck...
Mike
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Author: Mike Irish
Date: 2001-05-10 05:28
oh.... as an after thought.....
you might ask your neighbors what kind of music they like.... what type of songs...
and such.... blues, jazz, gospel and such.... and accomidate them..... if they have any favorite songs.... that might help too....
:)
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Author: Don Poulsen
Date: 2001-05-10 13:36
Just a thought, but if you could create a partitioned off area (office cubicle walls?) in the corner of the apartment farthest from your neighbors and then drape blankets over the partitions, it would help dampen the sound. If you have neighbors below you, you might want to add an extra layer of carpet or rug underneath. If you have neighbors above, drape a blanket above you like a tent.
Or, turn up your stereo so loud that no one can hear your clarinet playing! ;-)
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Author: Bob Arney
Date: 2001-05-10 14:00
Ask the custodian if you could have the key to the furnace room and practice there. Maybe too warm ?
Bob A
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Author: Jim
Date: 2001-05-11 04:02
A furnace room could actually be worse if ductwork or pipe chases carry the sound.
If you don't mind practicing away from home, perhaps there is a church you attend or nearby where you can borrow a classroom or choir room to use for practice. Many churches have large facilities that are mostly used only on Sunday. It might cost you a donation or perhaps a performance or 2. My wife would do this to use a piano before we bought one.
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Author: Anji
Date: 2001-05-11 12:29
Didn't Charlie Parker practice in the basement, too?
If he could hear himself over the burner, he figured no crowd would drown him out.
After sweating through 8 hours of scales, no lights would break his cool.
Invite the neighbors over for coffee? Let them know what you're about, I bet they will be more sympathetic.
Basically, most apartments like quiet between 10PM and 10AM.
Wood frames tend to reinforce low freq notes, and propogate them throughout the building (I have heard this, it can be amazingly loud.), cinder block buildings tend to dampen the same.
anji
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Author: Meri
Date: 2001-05-11 21:55
The church idea is viable for some people.
Anyway, I used to have a similar problem when I lived in a townhouse...however, the practicing problem was easy to solve because the neighbours on either side were always away between the time I got home from school and 6:30 pm.
Meri
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Author: Steve
Date: 2001-05-12 01:59
John,
I have wondered about the same thing lately. A trumpet has a mute, does a clarinet? Would their be a market for it if it was made? Worth a patent??
Hmmmm.....
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Author: Mark Charette
Date: 2001-05-12 13:31
The problem with a clarinet "mute" is in the fact that a clarinet produces sound from the toneholes, not the bell (except for the "long" notes"). A trumpet's sound must all exit the bell.
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