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Here are some basic ideas to avoid annoying your neighbors when practicing drums or playing with a full band.

1. If you are practicing in a garage, you can soundproof the walls using an "eggcrate" style foam. Insulate all surfaces of the room except the door, as most garage door won't work if you attach a soundproofing material to them. For the door, attach hooks above the door, where you can hang a heavy curtain. Make sure to put holes along the top edge of the curtain to put the hooks through. This way you can put it up before and remove it after practice. And you will still be able to use your garage door.

2. While I've never tried this method, I've had several friends whose bands swear by it. Find a public storage facility that takes up several acres. Rent a unit. If you can ask for a unit in the middle of the facility. Practice to your heart's content! Most of these facilities are in business or industrial areas, so there will be no neighbors around to complain.

3. If you're fairly serious about being a professional musician, get a lockout. Eventually, if you are serious, you will be confronted with this decision, anyway, but highly sought out is the drummer who already has practice space.

4. Use techniques to dampen your sound. There are pads you can buy to mute the loudness of your toms and cymbals. Also consider rubber sticks and brushes. On several occasions my band has practiced with brushes to keep the drums from overpowering unamplified acoustic guitars anyway. Or you can use practice pads that don't really make any noise.

5. Move into a place that's a little removed from the neighbors. If you can get a place that's a mile or two from the closest neighbors then do it. That's probably the best solution, but most people can't afford it.

6. If you can't do the above things, then just try to be conscious of your neighbors. Don't practice late at night or early in the morning. Check to see what your city's noise ordinance is. And as strange as it sounds be conscious of what the demographic is in your neighborhood. An old band of mine was practicing in an upscale, predominantly white neighborhood, playing mostly blues. One day our lead guitarist decided he wanted to try to rap, so we put down the guitars, and threw down a little drum and bass for him. The cops were called less than four minutes into the song. It just goes to show you, in a rich white neighborhood, blues is cool, rap isn't.

Hope these ideas help, keep playing and good luck with your music.

Learn more about this author, Bob O'Shaunessey.
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