Hi, everyone!
I've just received the first complaint from my neighbor about the noise. They (one family) are not so harsh but just told me to refrain from playing the whistle (Susato!), especially on weekends. Of course, I haven't played after the sunset but sometimes continue to play for around two hours in the daytime.
It seems this kind of problem has not been posted for a discussion yet, but I think it's not only me but many people have the same problem.
As for me, I've been rather addicted to playing the music, so it's good to keep away from the instument for a while.
But, does anyone have any good idea not to annoy the neighbors in the future? Have you already solved the problem yet?
Not a problem with the fiddle, really -- we can buy big chunky rubber practise mutes that really cut down on the noise. You can also get an electric fiddle that you can plug headphones into if it's still a problem for the neighbors.
But for the whistle? Wow. Don't know about that.
We've had some discussion about noise issues, largely based around a friend of Scotty the fiddler's friend Mitch. Letters from members of The Session helped in part to allow senior citizen and fiddler Mitch Elash to play his fiddle in his own home again after the city ordered him to "cease and desist." Pretty cool. Mitch has a great friend in Scotty, whose activism was probably one of the biggest factors in the rescinding of Mitch's desist order.
I think your neighbours have quite a low tolerance level if you are just playing in the day, and not loud amplied rock music - but don,t tell them that or it can make the situation worse! Though I mainly play mandolin,(Which doesn,t seem to be a problem), I also play the whistle.It can be a bit penetrating at the upper octave - sometimes I just almost
finger the notes and blow gently ( the upper octave being lower) if I,m just getting the feel of a tune - or I play the low D whistle.I will then have a really good blast when they are out ( and occassionally when they are in).The thing about neighbours is not to let a problem escalate, but it sounds like you are going to be alright.Just don,t take up the pipes.
Hi,
Best thing to do is talk to the neighbours, and tell them that the whistle is not the loudest instrument, and maybe find out which times are best for them. If they stay funny, which a lot of neighbours are , (at least in Europe) tell them that you will be taking up the drums instead...
Susatos are loud whistles. There are quiet whistles. I believe Mack Hoover makes one that is very quiet although I don't have one. In addition a standard whistle can be muted. I keep a Sweetone here by the computer which can be muted some by putting two paper clips in the windway aperature as per a suggestion by someone at the Chiff & Fipple. You can also cover part of the aperature with tape which will mute it considerably but also change the tone a lot.
Most any other whistle wold be quiter than your Susato. When I would play at night, i would use a rubber band wrapped around the head joint....just barely extending over the windway. Also, some people cannot stand the pitch of the high notes. One man told me it was driving an icepick into his head. (Idon't play at the laundry anymore)
I would agree with Sarah here, it appears that your neighbors do have a problem and not you. I am an embryonic piper of nearly 3 years and play my pipes mostly during the late afternoon, early evening. I haven't yet received any complaints from any neighbors (I live in an apartment building with neighbors below, and on both sides.)
I think one wonderful solution would be to investigate a quieter whistle.
I also think it would be a good idea that you reaffirm to your neighbors that you all live there, and all want to live happily. But if they're living happily at your expense, then that's not cool.
I know that if anyone asked me to not reguarly play my pipes during reasonable hours, I'd move out, or just keep playing and to hell with them. (Reasonable hours* --> this can be different for different folks. For instance, my downstairs neighbor is up late and sleeps late (she's a DJ), so that's much different than the yuppie couple next door to me.)
My son also plays tuba - good thing his band practise twice a week (out of earshot).
I have not got him to take it to a session yet, but do like the idea of tuba playing along to Harpers Fancy,Bonnie Kate, Bonnie Breastknots and the like.
But not TUBA with IRISH music, PLEASE.
I've been learning to play the button box - not the quietest of instruments. I can't get better if I don't practice, something I love to do, so I play only during the day or early evening. I know my neighbours can hear me, as I can hear them but I have no intention of stopping, even if they don't like it! Life in the city is give and take. Good luck,
Heather
Oh my...practice in the closet with the door shut? On my flute, I play "whisper" notes when it's late at night. (The sound is the equivalent of what you do vocally when you whisper.) I can hear the pitch quite fine and not disturb anyone. I haven't tried to see if that's possible on my whistles because I never play the piercing creatures at night.
****************************************************************************
Brother Steve's Tin Whistle site (I love his site!) [http://www.rogermillington.com/siamsa/brosteve/] has tips on muting your whistle, although I've not had occasion to try them. I quote from his site:
"How to mute your whistle
I got this tip from Winnipeg-based whistle teacher Sue Hammer, who got it from the fine flute and whistle player John Skelton.
For times when you want to play quietly, get some of that stuff called 'blue tack' or 'sticky tack' (a kind of putty used to stick posters on walls inside the house). Take a small ball of the stuff and place it on the 'exit ramp' of the whistle's windway - at the end of the window farthest from your mouth. Experiment with different positions - you'll find you can adjust the volume of your whistle from full to zero by rolling the ball back and forward, obscuring more or less of the window.
If you don't have any of that blue goo handy, here's a tip from a reader: 'Another great way to play quietly to yourself is to turn the whistle out to the side like a flute and blow in the top. You'll still hear faint pitch, keep your whistle warm and in tune, or begin thinking of purchasing a keyless flute.' --Steve Cooper"
****************************************************************************
I'd definately suggest something other than a Susato, they are indeed both loud and piercing. And how about playing on a lower pitched whistle, a Bb for example, or failing that, a C? The higher the pitch, the more the noise will carry and the more it will drive people insane. (Or at the other extreme, loud bass will drive people crazy as well, and it's impossible to blot out - so don't take up the Djembe drum as an alternative!).
However, it does seem a bit unfair that they expect you not to play even in the daytime! You have to do it some time...
Now, I'll do
1. make a plan to improve my playing effectively and reduce the amount of time for practicing
2. pick up Generation more often than Susato
3. change the room for practicing (the neighbor in problem is the very next door)
4. make a mute for the whistle
I hope they will understand I'm making some effort not to disturb them. And I've just ordered a wooden flute, so if it arrives, they won't suffer the higher pitch of Susato.
Again, thanks a lot, everyone. It's good to hear from you all. I'll be alright. But I really envy you your tolerant neighbors.
I had a complaint a few years ago - which I heard second hand.Apparently "he always plays the same tune." The cheek of it, some people just can,t tell their jig from their reel.But I won,t take it personally.
I once had the neighbours knock on the wall when I was playing whistle (a C Generation). I have a habit of wandering around the house playing, trying out each room for its acoustics. Anyway, since then, I have always made sure I only play whistle in rooms which do not have an adjoining wall (fine if you live in a semi) and have had no problem since.
I have a friend who plays violin professionally, and who used to live in a flat where the neighbours complained about the noise when she practised. She says she would just turn her telly up full blast and carry on. They then stopped complaining because the telly covered up the fiddle, and the telly was the sort of noise they were used to and could cope with.
My neighbour used to say it sounded like I was murdering a cat when I played - he doesnt say anything more - I think hes happy that I can play in tune now
I've just tried Steve's way and found it's perfect. Imagine that Susato becomes quieter than Generation. That is a magic. It makes the higher tones much less piercing while keeping the sound quality of the whistle. I'll try other methods, but this seems the smartest.
Slainte...someone else mentioned using a rubber band in the same way that you use the blue tack. I'll have to go try these out just to satisfy my curiosity.
I have to tell you all a remarkable (for me) story. I own my own house in a semi-quiet neighborhood. The neighbor next to me was very quiet, to herself type of person, with two young children. We neighbors wave to each other as we pass up and down the street, all except this lady, who I thought just didn't see my waving, then I realized that she didn't want to say hi. So it's been many years (about 8) that we've lived next door to one another, and, alas, I gave up trying to converse with her or even wave any longer. (I tried it for years) About a year and a half ago, I started to get serious about my whistle playing, and would go into one room in my house, close the door and practice for hours. So, whether the windows were closed or opened, like in the summertime, I would practice. One summer day the mailman came so I walked outside to get my mail, I had been practising until then. As I walked out, so did my neighbor, neither one of us acknowledging the other, I didn't even look at her. I picked up the mail, walked back to my front stairs and looked at the mail, then I started to play my whistle again, only outdoors, something I hadn't done until then. All of a sudden I hear this voice coming from next door, the lady was saying something to me and walking towards me. "Oh, no" I thought!!! But she said something like this. "Oh, it's you that plays that instrument. (pause)......I just love listening to you play. When you play at night, I go outside and sit on my deck and listen to you play, it's so beautiful" Well, I think my mouth just dropped open, I must've looked like a goober. I was so taken aback by 1) her saying anything to me 2) that she thought MY playing was 'beautiful' 3) that anyone else, besides myself could actually ENJOY whistle playing and 4)that she actually went outside to listen to my playing. All I could say was "thank you", I was so in shock!!!! So, you just never know!!! Deb (smile)
( I think I was so in shock because for a couple of years my (then) teenagers would complain "Mom....are you almost done?"
Or my husband, Bob "Deb, can you play that thing in the other room with the door shut??)
Mine was the opposite problem. The neighbor was the musician who practiced with his house closed up...and was the unfriendly hermit who never waved, smiled or nodded back at us. He'd play at night (guitar) all hours...and never come out in the day except to leave quickly. We joked because we never saw him cut the grass, but it was always trim. We decided he waited until no one was home next door to do it to avoid seeing anyone at all.
One day, we were hunting for kittens because we realized our once-plump cat was now thin. We ended up knocking at his door...the property surrounding his door was kept overgrown, and we suspected the kits were somewhere there. Heard thumping and walking in the house...and unbelieveably, he came to the door! We'd never tried knocking his door.
I started a conversation about music with him...told him how surely he's heard me and another neighbor play...and flood recorded music out the open windows when we garden (both extensive gardeners). I told him we sit out and listen to him at night when we kick back to look over the garden and share some tea and how much our children love his music too. We told him to open the darned windows when he plays so we can hear better.
From that little chat, he started waving back...stopped and talked...although always a bit nervously. It turned out that he'd been a drinker and estranged from his family. He'd gotten sober and moved out here to live like a hermit so he wouldn't be exposed to the old lifestyle. He was lonely, and had lived this way so long, he didn't know how to open up. He was about to sell this "hermit house" and move to be near family...and had met a sweet lady he was about to marry. (Turns out, he had the kittens...old softy!)
Unfortunately, after our budding friendship began, he passed away suddenly and didn't get to accomplish his new life. His family never knew all this, and it helped them to know. They'd just found him to be trouble and odd...and stopped communicating years before. I hope it helped them to understand...knowing what he shared with us. It just goes to show you never know about people.
Hmmmmmmm...Hermit House...sounds like a tune to me. I can still hear his guitar...
Katie,
How sad the man never started his new life. But it was nice to hear that after all those years of being close in, he finally found some warmth and friendship of sorts with you and the other neightbors. It must have done so much for his own feelings of self-worth. Imagine that it would never have come about without missing kitties!! (smile) Someone who takes in kittens can't be all bad, he must've had a good heart. (I'm vet tech, have been for many years, and see lots of good and bad things happen to animals) I'm glad your memory of him will be positive since you got to know a little of him.Thank you for sharing......Deb
Problem with the Noise
Problem with the Noise
Hi, everyone!
I've just received the first complaint from my neighbor about the noise. They (one family) are not so harsh but just told me to refrain from playing the whistle (Susato!), especially on weekends. Of course, I haven't played after the sunset but sometimes continue to play for around two hours in the daytime.
It seems this kind of problem has not been posted for a discussion yet, but I think it's not only me but many people have the same problem.
As for me, I've been rather addicted to playing the music, so it's good to keep away from the instument for a while.
But, does anyone have any good idea not to annoy the neighbors in the future? Have you already solved the problem yet?
# Posted on January 18th 2003 by slainte
Re: Problem with the Noise
if you're playing in the daytime, i think the problem is your neighbors, not you ...
sarah
# Posted on January 18th 2003 by eleyne
Re: Problem with the Noise
Not a problem with the fiddle, really -- we can buy big chunky rubber practise mutes that really cut down on the noise. You can also get an electric fiddle that you can plug headphones into if it's still a problem for the neighbors.
But for the whistle? Wow. Don't know about that.
We've had some discussion about noise issues, largely based around a friend of Scotty the fiddler's friend Mitch. Letters from members of The Session helped in part to allow senior citizen and fiddler Mitch Elash to play his fiddle in his own home again after the city ordered him to "cease and desist." Pretty cool. Mitch has a great friend in Scotty, whose activism was probably one of the biggest factors in the rescinding of Mitch's desist order.
http://www.thesession.org/discussions/display.php/650
Zina
# Posted on January 18th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Problem with the Noise
I think your neighbours have quite a low tolerance level if you are just playing in the day, and not loud amplied rock music - but don,t tell them that or it can make the situation worse! Though I mainly play mandolin,(Which doesn,t seem to be a problem), I also play the whistle.It can be a bit penetrating at the upper octave - sometimes I just almost
finger the notes and blow gently ( the upper octave being lower) if I,m just getting the feel of a tune - or I play the low D whistle.I will then have a really good blast when they are out ( and occassionally when they are in).The thing about neighbours is not to let a problem escalate, but it sounds like you are going to be alright.Just don,t take up the pipes.
# Posted on January 18th 2003 by Christopher Reynolds
Re: Problem with the Noise
Hi,
Best thing to do is talk to the neighbours, and tell them that the whistle is not the loudest instrument, and maybe find out which times are best for them. If they stay funny, which a lot of neighbours are , (at least in Europe) tell them that you will be taking up the drums instead...
David
# Posted on January 18th 2003 by dutchdave
Re: Problem with the Noise
Susatos are loud whistles. There are quiet whistles. I believe Mack Hoover makes one that is very quiet although I don't have one. In addition a standard whistle can be muted. I keep a Sweetone here by the computer which can be muted some by putting two paper clips in the windway aperature as per a suggestion by someone at the Chiff & Fipple. You can also cover part of the aperature with tape which will mute it considerably but also change the tone a lot.
Steve
# Posted on January 18th 2003 by SteveKendall
Re: Problem with the Noise
Hi,
Do you have a basement??.....I always go downstairs if I don't want to use my mute at night, it seems to help a lot!
Blu
# Posted on January 19th 2003 by BluFiddle
Re: Problem with the Noise
Most any other whistle wold be quiter than your Susato. When I would play at night, i would use a rubber band wrapped around the head joint....just barely extending over the windway. Also, some people cannot stand the pitch of the high notes. One man told me it was driving an icepick into his head. (Idon't play at the laundry anymore)
Betty
# Posted on January 19th 2003 by Gault802
Re: Problem with the Noise
I would agree with Sarah here, it appears that your neighbors do have a problem and not you. I am an embryonic piper of nearly 3 years and play my pipes mostly during the late afternoon, early evening. I haven't yet received any complaints from any neighbors (I live in an apartment building with neighbors below, and on both sides.)
I think one wonderful solution would be to investigate a quieter whistle.
I also think it would be a good idea that you reaffirm to your neighbors that you all live there, and all want to live happily. But if they're living happily at your expense, then that's not cool.
I know that if anyone asked me to not reguarly play my pipes during reasonable hours, I'd move out, or just keep playing and to hell with them. (Reasonable hours* --> this can be different for different folks. For instance, my downstairs neighbor is up late and sleeps late (she's a DJ), so that's much different than the yuppie couple next door to me.)
Good luck.
*Jonathan*
# Posted on January 19th 2003 by j.hohl.kennedy
Re: Problem with the Noise
My son also plays tuba - good thing his band practise twice a week (out of earshot).
I have not got him to take it to a session yet, but do like the idea of tuba playing along to Harpers Fancy,Bonnie Kate, Bonnie Breastknots and the like.
But not TUBA with IRISH music, PLEASE.
# Posted on January 19th 2003 by geoffwright
Re: Problem with the Noise
I've been learning to play the button box - not the quietest of instruments. I can't get better if I don't practice, something I love to do, so I play only during the day or early evening. I know my neighbours can hear me, as I can hear them but I have no intention of stopping, even if they don't like it! Life in the city is give and take. Good luck,
Heather
# Posted on January 19th 2003 by boxielady
Re: Problem with the Noise--muting a tin whistle
Oh my...practice in the closet with the door shut? On my flute, I play "whisper" notes when it's late at night. (The sound is the equivalent of what you do vocally when you whisper.) I can hear the pitch quite fine and not disturb anyone. I haven't tried to see if that's possible on my whistles because I never play the piercing creatures at night.
****************************************************************************
Brother Steve's Tin Whistle site (I love his site!) [http://www.rogermillington.com/siamsa/brosteve/] has tips on muting your whistle, although I've not had occasion to try them. I quote from his site:
"How to mute your whistle
I got this tip from Winnipeg-based whistle teacher Sue Hammer, who got it from the fine flute and whistle player John Skelton.
For times when you want to play quietly, get some of that stuff called 'blue tack' or 'sticky tack' (a kind of putty used to stick posters on walls inside the house). Take a small ball of the stuff and place it on the 'exit ramp' of the whistle's windway - at the end of the window farthest from your mouth. Experiment with different positions - you'll find you can adjust the volume of your whistle from full to zero by rolling the ball back and forward, obscuring more or less of the window.
If you don't have any of that blue goo handy, here's a tip from a reader: 'Another great way to play quietly to yourself is to turn the whistle out to the side like a flute and blow in the top. You'll still hear faint pitch, keep your whistle warm and in tune, or begin thinking of purchasing a keyless flute.' --Steve Cooper"
****************************************************************************
--Stace
# Posted on January 19th 2003 by katiebythegate
Re: Problem with the Noise
I'd definately suggest something other than a Susato, they are indeed both loud and piercing. And how about playing on a lower pitched whistle, a Bb for example, or failing that, a C? The higher the pitch, the more the noise will carry and the more it will drive people insane. (Or at the other extreme, loud bass will drive people crazy as well, and it's impossible to blot out - so don't take up the Djembe drum as an alternative!).
However, it does seem a bit unfair that they expect you not to play even in the daytime! You have to do it some time...
# Posted on January 19th 2003 by Nell
Re: Problem with the Noise
Thanks all, and sorry to be back here a bit late.
Now, I'll do
1. make a plan to improve my playing effectively and reduce the amount of time for practicing
2. pick up Generation more often than Susato
3. change the room for practicing (the neighbor in problem is the very next door)
4. make a mute for the whistle
I hope they will understand I'm making some effort not to disturb them. And I've just ordered a wooden flute, so if it arrives, they won't suffer the higher pitch of Susato.
Again, thanks a lot, everyone. It's good to hear from you all. I'll be alright. But I really envy you your tolerant neighbors.
# Posted on January 19th 2003 by slainte
Re: Problem with the Noise
Those neighbors of yours need a dog howling along with your playing. Would you like to borrow mine?
# Posted on January 20th 2003 by katiebythegate
Re: Problem with the Noise
I had a complaint a few years ago - which I heard second hand.Apparently "he always plays the same tune." The cheek of it, some people just can,t tell their jig from their reel.But I won,t take it personally.
# Posted on January 20th 2003 by Christopher Reynolds
Re: Problem with the Noise
I once had the neighbours knock on the wall when I was playing whistle (a C Generation). I have a habit of wandering around the house playing, trying out each room for its acoustics. Anyway, since then, I have always made sure I only play whistle in rooms which do not have an adjoining wall (fine if you live in a semi) and have had no problem since.
# Posted on January 20th 2003 by granama
Re: Problem with the Noise
I have a friend who plays violin professionally, and who used to live in a flat where the neighbours complained about the noise when she practised. She says she would just turn her telly up full blast and carry on. They then stopped complaining because the telly covered up the fiddle, and the telly was the sort of noise they were used to and could cope with.
# Posted on January 20th 2003 by Ottery
Re: Problem with the Noise
My neighbour used to say it sounded like I was murdering a cat when I played - he doesnt say anything more - I think hes happy that I can play in tune now
# Posted on January 20th 2003 by bb
Magic with the Paper Clips
I'm happy to know some more funny stories.
I've just tried Steve's way and found it's perfect. Imagine that Susato becomes quieter than Generation. That is a magic. It makes the higher tones much less piercing while keeping the sound quality of the whistle. I'll try other methods, but this seems the smartest.
slainte
# Posted on January 20th 2003 by slainte
Re: Problem with the Noise
Chris, all those years ago perhaps you were only playing one tune -
As you know from our sessions, I can now play three!
trevor
# Posted on January 20th 2003 by lazyhound
Re: Problem with the Noise
Slainte...someone else mentioned using a rubber band in the same way that you use the blue tack. I'll have to go try these out just to satisfy my curiosity.
Stace
# Posted on January 21st 2003 by katiebythegate
Re: Problem with the Noise
I have to tell you all a remarkable (for me) story. I own my own house in a semi-quiet neighborhood. The neighbor next to me was very quiet, to herself type of person, with two young children. We neighbors wave to each other as we pass up and down the street, all except this lady, who I thought just didn't see my waving, then I realized that she didn't want to say hi. So it's been many years (about 8) that we've lived next door to one another, and, alas, I gave up trying to converse with her or even wave any longer. (I tried it for years) About a year and a half ago, I started to get serious about my whistle playing, and would go into one room in my house, close the door and practice for hours. So, whether the windows were closed or opened, like in the summertime, I would practice. One summer day the mailman came so I walked outside to get my mail, I had been practising until then. As I walked out, so did my neighbor, neither one of us acknowledging the other, I didn't even look at her. I picked up the mail, walked back to my front stairs and looked at the mail, then I started to play my whistle again, only outdoors, something I hadn't done until then. All of a sudden I hear this voice coming from next door, the lady was saying something to me and walking towards me. "Oh, no" I thought!!! But she said something like this. "Oh, it's you that plays that instrument. (pause)......I just love listening to you play. When you play at night, I go outside and sit on my deck and listen to you play, it's so beautiful" Well, I think my mouth just dropped open, I must've looked like a goober. I was so taken aback by 1) her saying anything to me 2) that she thought MY playing was 'beautiful' 3) that anyone else, besides myself could actually ENJOY whistle playing and 4)that she actually went outside to listen to my playing. All I could say was "thank you", I was so in shock!!!! So, you just never know!!! Deb (smile)
( I think I was so in shock because for a couple of years my (then) teenagers would complain "Mom....are you almost done?"
Or my husband, Bob "Deb, can you play that thing in the other room with the door shut??)
# Posted on January 23rd 2003 by whistlegirl in RI
Re: Problem with the Noise
Mine was the opposite problem. The neighbor was the musician who practiced with his house closed up...and was the unfriendly hermit who never waved, smiled or nodded back at us. He'd play at night (guitar) all hours...and never come out in the day except to leave quickly. We joked because we never saw him cut the grass, but it was always trim. We decided he waited until no one was home next door to do it to avoid seeing anyone at all.
One day, we were hunting for kittens because we realized our once-plump cat was now thin. We ended up knocking at his door...the property surrounding his door was kept overgrown, and we suspected the kits were somewhere there. Heard thumping and walking in the house...and unbelieveably, he came to the door! We'd never tried knocking his door.
I started a conversation about music with him...told him how surely he's heard me and another neighbor play...and flood recorded music out the open windows when we garden (both extensive gardeners). I told him we sit out and listen to him at night when we kick back to look over the garden and share some tea and how much our children love his music too. We told him to open the darned windows when he plays so we can hear better.
From that little chat, he started waving back...stopped and talked...although always a bit nervously. It turned out that he'd been a drinker and estranged from his family. He'd gotten sober and moved out here to live like a hermit so he wouldn't be exposed to the old lifestyle. He was lonely, and had lived this way so long, he didn't know how to open up. He was about to sell this "hermit house" and move to be near family...and had met a sweet lady he was about to marry. (Turns out, he had the kittens...old softy!)
Unfortunately, after our budding friendship began, he passed away suddenly and didn't get to accomplish his new life. His family never knew all this, and it helped them to know. They'd just found him to be trouble and odd...and stopped communicating years before. I hope it helped them to understand...knowing what he shared with us. It just goes to show you never know about people.
Hmmmmmmm...Hermit House...sounds like a tune to me. I can still hear his guitar...
# Posted on January 24th 2003 by katiebythegate
Re: Problem with the Noise
Katie,
How sad the man never started his new life. But it was nice to hear that after all those years of being close in, he finally found some warmth and friendship of sorts with you and the other neightbors. It must have done so much for his own feelings of self-worth. Imagine that it would never have come about without missing kitties!! (smile) Someone who takes in kittens can't be all bad, he must've had a good heart. (I'm vet tech, have been for many years, and see lots of good and bad things happen to animals) I'm glad your memory of him will be positive since you got to know a little of him.Thank you for sharing......Deb
# Posted on January 26th 2003 by whistlegirl in RI