Noise complaint filed against me. (Background info included.)

So, 6 years ago at Christmas I got bought a drum kit, a 5 piece pearl forum kit. Not too shabby. Here I am 6 years later, same kit, just slightly bigger and better at using it. Prior to buying this kit my parents asked the surrounding housing estate if they had any problems with this, no one did. Sweet. So here I am. Still 6 years later, nearly 17, unemployed (I plan on changing this real soon.) with no cash income, my kit has been built purely on birthday and Christmas presents/money. During my first year of high school I met two guys who were 3 years older than me, a guitarist and a bassist, (see where this is going?), we jammed a lot and eventually they had to leave school, we got by and they would come back to the school after they had finished their jobs and we'd practise. Skip forward, now, it's late 2012, my dad had just finished 25 years of service in the British Army, he got a lump sum of cash and decided that since my drum kit had started to not fit in the kitchen (previously in my bedroom which it also outgrew.) anymore tha he'd pay for a custom build shed/garage just for me and the band, and he did. I'm ridiculously grateful for it and it's amazing. I've practiced nearly everyday for 6 years, on strict time restrains, 1pm-6pm. I've never gone past these limits. After approaching my old friends roughly 9 weeks ago I ask if they'd still like to jam, they said yes. Awesome. Tey turn up at my house, gear in car. We set up the shed for a band practice. Before starting, I walk around and ask every neighbour within our housing area if they mind the band playing, giving fair warnings that it will be loud. I've had no complaints in 6 years. At this point we started practising every Saturday from 2:30pm-4:30pm, we have done 8 times. Why not 9 you may ask? 9 week and all. Because this Saturday, 29th June '13, was different, the guys turn up, out guitarist pulls out his guitar rack, 4 guitars. An amp and a mic set with its own amp, our bassist with his bass and amp. Let's go. We start like any other practice, it's about 3pm, we've just finished warming up and stuff. We start to play our next song (we had started performing at a bar local to us and we had a set list to practice) my dad walks up to the shed and signals to stop playing, so we do.
Turns out someone has rang up the police and reported us for being too loud, my parents were issued a verbal warning and told by the officer stood outside our shed that it has not been the first time we have been reported. He was told that if it happens again that all our equipment can be taken away from us and confiscated, not something that any of us want, especially considering our guitarists guitars were all £1000+ in value and we've all spent a lot of money on gear. The officer told me that even if I practise on my own and someone calls that they can still take my stuff, so, what do I do? I can't practise on my own as it will be too loud, the band can't practice so we're gonna have to call off any gigs we had planned. What really bugs me is that whoever reported me didn't have the balls to actually come to me and ask us to be quietter, at least then we could have spoke and figured something out, I guess some people need to grow a pair. *Sigh* The obvious answer would be soundproofing but, my family has just busted their asses saving for a new bathroom and after spending a bit too much we're now in a tight financial situation and soundproofing is expensive (I saw stuff in the Internet and boy, it was NOT cheap.)


TL;DR: Drumming for 6 years, neighbours didn't mind, asked them all if the band could play in expensive, custom built drum shed, all said okay, after 8 weeks of band practice, got reported to the police and told by the police that all our stuff will be taken away if we're ever loud again and that, that goes for me practicing solo, how does one drum without upsetting neighbours too much? Can't afford soundproofing.



Thanks. Mac.

1. Electronic Kit may be your best bet if you want to avoid any person to person communication.

2. You can also ask when the best time for you to practice is if they would let you.

3. Do you own dB readings and see how loud the sound actually is. There could be laws to prevents frivolous noise complaints.


4. Blackmail your neighbors so they keep quiet.

1) I've thought about electric kits and I've played a few but nothing can beat the feel or sound of a nicely tuned acoustic set. To be honest I'd rather the neighbour come up to me and tell me that we're too loud, at least then we can arrange something to suit instead of going as far as calling the police, I'm reasonable, I swear.

2) I happily talk to who ever reported me but A) don't know no it was and B) they'd rather go straight into reporting me rather than having a talk about it.

3) How can I do that? If I can, I'll give it a go. We've heard nothing from anyone over the last 6 years and today was the first real complaint ever, no one has ever said anything.

4) I wish. I'm poor though so there's a problem, reckon they'll take my girlfriend off my hands? Fair trade I'd say. (I'm joking aha)

While they're not calibrated or admissible in court, there are apps for phones that will give sound level readings. You can see if you are anywhere around whatever the ordinances are in your area. Most laws take a reading at the property line. Sound recognizable as music (which may or may not be to someone's taste, which may be the root of the problem) can be way below the permissible limits. That doesn't stop people from objecting to it.

I live in a 3 story "Townhouse" (although it's not really a house, here in Taiwan it's a much different housing system), and I have neighbours on either side, all attached on the ground floor of one massive building. So there is literally just a wall separating the houses. Now, here in Taiwan, everything is concrete and rebar (earthquakes), so this wall is a good two feet thick of solid cement.

My drums are on the first floor/garage, and there is a small business to the left of me (with a family upstairs), and a small business on the other side (with a family upstairs). When I moved in about two years ago, I personally told both residents on either side that I was a drummer, I played in a band, and it would be loud. I promised I would only play during the day, and if anyone had any problems, to please come and talk to me!

And then I started bribing them with boxes of fruit, chocolate, and baked goods... Always with a smile and a "thank you for letting me play".

Speaking of which, it's probably time for another box of oranges...

To paraphrase former first lady, Nancy Ragen, "Just Play Softer".

MacMac said:

Can't afford soundproofing.

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Your story was way too long and filled with things that don't matter.


At your age, you see the world in a different perspective. The bottom line there is that all the adult neighbors have worked very hard for many years to pay for their houses and they deserve a peaceful existence. They were also correct in calling the police. They didn't know if you would take the complaint civilly.

Bottom line, if you want to play in the shed, you cant afford not to soundproof it.

Get a job, collect some money and start soundproofing. It may be cheaper than you think. A big 2" thick foam mattress pad is under $10 here. You could staple them a couple layers thick if necessary all over the walls, doors, windows and ceiling and throw some scrap carpet on the floor.

And....wear ear plugs. You will thank me some day. In my youth, the police were often summoned to shut down our rehearsals. Now, it's never an issue. Once you learn how to play, you learn how to play at a lower volume. Beginners tend to use volume to try and conceal mistakes.

Get some soft sheets and put them under your drum heads, top and bottom. Also fill your bass drum up with cloth. Have band rehearsal elsewhere. That's a good start.

If you think you'll be living there for a long time you better sound proof.

Muffle down your kit with pillows or blankets in/on them so they barely make a sound or by a mute pack that is pre made. The cymbals gotta be muffled as well. As far as practice see about your other members places or invest in the sound proofing once you get a job. Cheap sound proofing can be anything that does what you need it to do.

I do wear earplugs
I've been handing in job applications all over the place but most people want someone who's 18, plus come September I'll be doing 4 A Levels so I'll be up to my earplugs in homework and studying, I'm still gonna search about though.

Something ironic was the Police officer who came to the house was a metal head who was an annual downloader, last thing he said was "I expect to see you at download in 5 years." Irony?

Hello Macmac this brings back memories of my first band! My dad's garage was our practice room and we agreed our playing time with neighbours. They were really nice about it but we couldn't afford effective soundproofing and so in the end we had to stop.

So we used the local church hall (Saturday afternoons, 4 hours for £3!) and once some of us had cars we used proper practice studios in town. The hourly rate can be quite reasonable, although the cheapest ones are pretty dingy. In Sheffield it's around £25 for 4 hours.

Upside is you can make as much noise as you like and neighbours will love you.

Downside is cost, having to schlep the gear (or you use house gear which is usually in bad condition) and......being in a building where on everyside you are surrounded by other bands making as much noise as they like too.....

Don't forget the earplugs!

While I have every sympathy with neighbours who are driven to despair by noise, I think that going straight to the police without first attempting to negotiate a mutually-acceptable solution is Absolutely Not On.

Your parents may have a legal advice helpline in either their house or car insurance policies. If so, it might be worth checking that what the police officer told you is actually true, and you could find out exactly where you stand, legally.

If you don't have the legal helpline, try the Citizens' Advice Bureau but it may take some time to get an appointment.

Whatever the legal position, mitigating the effects of your playing can't hurt, but ohh this sort of thing makes me cross. If your neighbour would only TALK to you, you could probably sort something out.

Magenta said:

While I have every sympathy with neighbours who are driven to despair by noise, I think that going straight to the police without first attempting to negotiate a mutually-acceptable solution is Absolutely Not On.

Your parents may have a legal advice helpline in either their house or car insurance policies. If so, it might be worth checking that what the police officer told you is actually true, and you could find out exactly where you stand, legally.

If you don't have the legal helpline, try the Citizens' Advice Bureau but it may take some time to get an appointment.

Whatever the legal position, mitigating the effects of your playing can't hurt, but ohh this sort of thing makes me cross. If your neighbour would only TALK to you, you could probably sort something out.

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It's a two way thing.

If I was having my pals round to knock some loud music off one day, I'd speak to my neighbours beforehand so that they know that I'm reasonable and open to a face to face conversation if it's all too loud.

It's easy to forget these things are DAMN loud....talk of measuring the loudness is a bit pointless...an acoustic drumkit will EASILY trip any sound restriction anywhere.

That bass drum....can probably be heard to an extent 1/4 of a mile away

What kind of music do you play?

Practicing by yourself is one thing. Practicing as a band is something completely different. If your playing a genre that some of the neighbors really don't care for, you risk complaints being filed against you. That's life!

If I were you, I'd canvas the neighborhood with a smile (and without the Metallica t-shirt) and find out what would be a good time and/or day to practice. Saturday afternoons may be great for you, but for the poor schlep who works full time, this is his/her day off.

Just think of a guy mowing his lawn at 7:30am right outside your bedroom window on a Saturday morning... You wouldn't be thrilled with him either, would you?

Good luck!

If it's a shed, do it cheap, build false walls filled with sand, Foam will do SHIT ALL in stopping sound escaping, all it does it stop it from rebounding and coming back (turning into echoes). I had mattresses against my walls, etc.. and it literately did nothing, so I built false walls, 10cm thick, went to the beach, and grabbed bags filled with sand, I built the walls first and then poured the sand in, it cost me under $50.

Now when you stand outside the room, you have to put your ear right up against the wall to hear anything, step a few metres away (which is still less than what my neighbours are away) and you can't hear a thing. When you think of cement/bricks that a lot of people use to build ACTUAL studios out of, it's all just a combination of some form of sand.

When I build my own studio I'll do it with cement bricks, but the house I built it in has been standing for 25 years, so I couldn't, haha.

Aeolian said:

While they're not calibrated or admissible in court, there are apps for phones that will give sound level readings. You can see if you are anywhere around whatever the ordinances are in your area. Most laws take a reading at the property line. Sound recognizable as music (which may or may not be to someone's taste, which may be the root of the problem) can be way below the permissible limits. That doesn't stop people from objecting to it.

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The phone apps really don't work that well. They can only measure the sound up to the limit that your phone's microphone can take in. After it gets so loud, your phone's mic starts to compress it to prevent clipping (if you have a fairly nice phone), so your reading will top out once it gets to that level, and if you keep playing louder, the phone will just give you the same reading.

At least that's what mine does.

So you live in the UK? Where I live, you can be as loud as you want before 8pm, so people can call and complain all they want, but the cops won't come around and shut you down unless you're being too loud after 8. Now that I think about it, I'm pretty lucky. Everybody should adopt a similar system. You can even get a permit here so that you can make as much noise as you want after midnight, even, if you're having a show in a residential area, or something of the sort.

I don't know what to tell you other than to try your best at finding out who the person is, and talking it out with them, given that you can't afford soundproofing.

You could check on Craigslist for old mattresses and padding, or egg cartons. Every once and a while, somebody will give away TONS of egg cartons on Craigslist for free. They won't make your practice silent to your neighbors, but it should definitely help reduce the sound.

TColumbia37 said:

You could check on Craigslist for old mattresses and padding, or egg cartons. Every once and a while, somebody will give away TONS of egg cartons on Craigslist for free. They won't make your practice silent to your neighbors, but it should definitely help reduce the sound.

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Your advice was doing well up to this point. Egg cartons are good for holding eggs, and that's it. They only reduce internal sound slapback. Mass and separation equal soundproofing. A thin layer of foam does nothing.

To the OP: At this point it's clear that one of your neighbors doesn't like it and has complained multiple times. Either you'll have to take drastic soundproofing steps, make peace with that neighbor in some way, or drastically change your practice habits. None of those is ideal, but then again, we play a loud, non-melodic instrument, and it can be annoying to someone not invested in your playing.

alparrott said:

Your advice was doing well up to this point. Egg cartons are good for holding eggs, and that's it. They only reduce internal sound slapback. Mass and separation equal soundproofing. A thin layer of foam does nothing.

To the OP: At this point it's clear that one of your neighbors doesn't like it and has complained multiple times. Either you'll have to take drastic soundproofing steps, make peace with that neighbor in some way, or drastically change your practice habits. None of those is ideal, but then again, we play a loud, non-melodic instrument, and it can be annoying to someone not invested in your playing.

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Well, thanks for the heads up. I've never personally used egg cartons, but people have always told me that they worked great. I'll have to keep that in mind.

TColumbia37 said:

Well, thanks for the heads up. I've never personally used egg cartons, but people have always told me that they worked great. I'll have to keep that in mind.

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alparrott said:

Your advice was doing well up to this point. Egg cartons are good for holding eggs, and that's it. They only reduce internal sound slapback. Mass and separation equal soundproofing. A thin layer of foam does nothing.

To the OP: At this point it's clear that one of your neighbors doesn't like it and has complained multiple times. Either you'll have to take drastic soundproofing steps, make peace with that neighbor in some way, or drastically change your practice habits. None of those is ideal, but then again, we play a loud, non-melodic instrument, and it can be annoying to someone not invested in your playing.

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That is sage advice right there. People who say blankets, carpet, carpet padding, acoustic foam, egg cartons and such have no clue what it sounds like on the outside because they sit behind the kit and "hear a difference", it just sounds better in the room like alparrott said it just reduces the reflections in the room.

Let's be honest if those techniques really worked at stopping sound transmission then recording studios would design their spaces that way and it'd be a whole lot cheaper? Yet I've never seen one designed using those principals to stop sound. Just something to think about.

Here's some really good reading on soundproofing from Auralex who makes acoustic foam. http://www.acoustics101.com/