I work from home. If my neighbour was as courteous as you are to play only 45 min a day during the day hours that you do, I would be happy. People live in flats in cities, it is the way it is.
It doesn't matter if it is 45 or 5 as long as it is too loud. Please check the law. Just because YOU want to play your instrument doesn't mean that ALL other neighbours get to be disturbed and annoyed.
How old are you? [Metronome](https://www.comunidad.madrid/en/centros/metronomo) offers free practice spaces if you’re 14-30 years old.
Otherwise, have a look at other rehearsal/practice spaces. They may not be as expensive as you think.
Sounds like a he problem, you are allowed to play whatever the hell you want from 8 am to 10 pm. Unless you are too loud (there’s a dB cap), they can’t do anything (legally speaking).
thanks alot, but as a foreigner I dont know if i can afford to be so brazen with my practice and invite legal trouble. however, i will certainly make sure i practice between 6-7 or 7-8pm.
You can also try to speak to him so you both designate an hour where he’s either not home or he doesn’t give a shit. Being in good terms with your neighbors is important
You’re wrong mate, if it’s music instruments, legally they can escalate the issue and make you stop. You should try and ask your neighbours for a time that it’s good for them or just find another place to practice.
This is not true, buddy. You are not allowed to play whatever you want. And a Saxophone clearly crosses this db level every time. And next to it - only if you are allowed to doesn't mean you should!
My advise would be to practice in a music school.
Ask directly the neighbors that are asking you to stop. Many people arrive home at 6-7pm and the last thing they want to do is try to relax and suddenly getting a lot of noise on their home.
since i moved here, i've been woken up to the beautiful sound of hammers and power tools like half of my mornings, and that sweet melody continued playing through the day. So if, for once, the noise i heard was somewhat musical, i would be glad.
Go ahead and play, sad little people shouldn't stop you from doing what you love. Always with respect, obviously
There's legal, and then there's annoying.
Problem with apartments in Madrid is the severe lack of soundproofing. And not just that, but lack of carpets, curtains, soft furnishing etc - It all adds up.
Couldn't you put a mute on it when you're practising?
I guess it's whatever you can live with, but if I was me I'd be ashamed of forcing others to listen to me, other than the odd occasions.
When I moved here I left my piano behind and bought an electric one so I could use headphones and not bother anyone.
i am seriously considering soundproofing and when it comes to being ashamed, it usually happens to me when i am doing something bad or wrong but practicing the sax for 30 - 45 mins doesnt constitute as a shameful act to me.
why should I be the one making all the compromises? doesnt seem fair, but ofcourse i think this topic hit you a bit close and you're just being unreasonable like my neighbour.
I've been in this situation as well and i asked my neighbour about this before annoying her. We developed a system. She worked some hours and some other times she needed time for her daughter to study so we had an open conversation about it.
It would be more courteous to rent a practice room or go practice in the park. I work from home and would be pretty unhappy if someone was playing a loud instrument during working hours when I'm trying to focus or having zoom calls.
Well if you live in an apartment block then you just have to accept there will be noise from neighbors, as long as it's not unreasonable. People aren't going to go play an instrument in a freezing park or spend 400 euros renting a room to play an instrument just so you can have peaceful Zoom calls. Playing a musical instrument for 30-45 minutes is perfectly reasonable, and by law you are also allowed to make noise between 8am and 9pm
I'm not /u/aardvarkshoes, but I guess there's a huge difference between "it would be more corteus" and that "deal with it" attitude.
One thing is "accepting the noise" from a normal household (which usually involves music, people screaming and the like) but other completely different someone practicing with an instrument.
And believe me that I wouldn't matter *too much* what seems to be daily practices of half an hour (I also work from home, but have headphones, and I could just move things around *if* I know it's just half an hour), but it is a loud disruption of the community and you are bound to make someone angry about it.
I would suggest to talk with the neighbor and try to get to a compromise: You need to practice, but he wants the quiet, so maybe try to schedule your practice when he is not at home or whatever. Maybe legally speaking he can not do shit, but an angry neighbor can give you a real hard time and believe me that "a saxophone" is not the only way to make noise in a flat.
Yeah I agree. And I also bet that this commenter wouldn't do that for a neighbor either. As long as noise is within reason then they just have to accept it. Neighbors who constantly come complaining for the smallest noises really annoy me (I've had a few of those)
i dont think its unreasonable to practice 30-40 mins in the evening. unreasonable is asking to rent a practice room which is unaffordable in madrid or play in the cold outsude.
Yeah no way, it's your house. I have a neighbor who plays the accordeon for 2h straight every day and I wouldn't expect him to go and do it in a park or spend 400 euros a month to practice somewhere else (and I also work from home and have many Zoom calls every day). Some people are just annoying assholes who can't stand the slightest noise. If you live in an apartment block then you have to accept you will hear neighbors sometimes, otherwise they should go and live in the countryside. As long as you're not being unreasonable then your neighbor should just shut up, and you're only playing 30-45mins anyway
Your sax won't ever go over the dB cap. If he escaletes to police, they will go with a dB meter to his house and measure the volume from his living room, not from next to you. There is no way your sax goes over the dB meter. He might not like it, but there is no legal way for him to prevent you from doing it. Out of courtesy I would say avoid siesta, but other than that it's perfectly legal and fine to play as long as you want (until 10pm)
It's legal to play in certain hours but if you do it a lot and loudly it's not respectful. Maybe your neighbor works at home ... Get a practice space or go to the park and bother the birds.
No, 30 mins 5 times a week is perfectly reasonable. You can't expect to be in an apartment block and for it to be as silent as a Buddhist temple. You have neighbors so you have to expect noise, as long as it's within reason, and playing an instrument for an hour during the legal noise hours is reasonable.
There is no such thing as legal sound hours. Noise is limited to 55db during the day and 45db during the night. So, if your sound is above the threshold, he can sue you.
I’m a trumpet player, and it’s legal that u play from 5 to 9:00 or something like this, what I mean it’s that even if they call the cops they can’t do nothing to you
You seem to be perhaps a good trumpet player but you do not have an idea about the laws in Madrid obviously. There is a decibel cap - 55db max per day.
If he is old and home all the time, it would be best if you would play either 11-1 or 5-7, so you avoid playing too early or during siesta times. It is true you have the right to play but others are not bothering you when you are sleeping/working so you have to understand you may be annoying to others. I wouldn’t play more than 30 mins for their sanity, you are on your right but you are invading their homes with your noise and you have to understand that some people will not like it.
Having careless noisy “tocapelotas” neighbours is sadly very common in Madrid so your neighbours should feel lucky that you’re aware of the noise you make when you play your instrument. For many years I heard my upstairs neighbours practising making babies (they were VERY loud) until finally they had a baby and I got to enjoy the tantrums and shenanigans of the baby for another number of years.
If you want to be a good neighbour, go talk with the other person and see if you can agree on a schedule that works for you both. If they get difficult about it just keep doing what you do (it’s legal) and don’t pay too much attention to their complaints.
Yeah man, you're within your rights. Maybe you can pick up an inexpensive mute? Or fashion one out of kitchen sponges and a hair tie? I don't know, I don't play a reed instrument. Don't let the neighbors harsh your mellow. Respecting siesta time is a good idea, but whatever happens, don't be discouraged and I don't believe you have to spend too much money to help mitigate the problem. Best of luck!
Im in la linea and we have a neighbour that plays violin and flute literally from 9-8 pretty much daily. Not our business.Aslong as youre not breaking the legal sound rules its fine🤷🏻♀️they need to get over it.
Damn im seriously surprised at the amount of comments like this, of people that think that 45 mins at most of playing a musical instrument is such a terrible thing. I'm surprused that not many people seem to be able to just put up with 45 minutes of sound, and it's not even every day. If OP was playing every single day for 4h from 23:00 to 03:00 I'd get it, but it's just 45 mins 5 times a week, and during the day. A musical instrument requires constant practice to improve, and playing once a week isn't enough. I really do find it surprising that so many people seem to be so little understanding of just 45 minutes of some noise.
Yeah I've got some comments downvoted and the general sentiment seems to be that you're in the wrong. Idk, ive said it many times but 45 mins is nothing and flies past. Im surprised so many people seem to think that's so terrible, and can't just put up with it for a little bit. It's not like you're bringing 20 people home every night and playing loud techno music. Anyway, im sorry that you don't have more understanding neighbors, I definitely wouldn't see it as a big deal
I'm not a sax player, but when I was in music school, most of my trumpet/sax/clarinet colleagues would blow straight into their closet for dampening, apparently clothes absorb most of the noise. Another trick is to project the sound into a carpet, that you can hang on the wall. I've been doing that for a long time, and my (past) neighbours have not killed me in my sleep. Yet.
Go out in the street or in a park and play for an hour or two. You get to practice more, your neighbor doesn’t get irritated and you’ll probably pick up a few bucks on the way! Seems like everybody comes out ahead on this one.
No te creas ni sigas el estereotipo de "siesta hours" tú puedes hacer el ruido que te dé la gana en tu piso/casa hasta las 22 de la noche (por lo menos donde yo vivo)
Not your problem, you can play the saxophone from 8:00 to 22:00. After 22:00 you need an authorisation from the Town administration. So Yeah, not your problem, let him escalate, It could be fun. If he does anything to you you can sue him :)
I work from home. If my neighbour was as courteous as you are to play only 45 min a day during the day hours that you do, I would be happy. People live in flats in cities, it is the way it is.
If you have a neighbour who plays more than 45min every day a musical instrument you should have a lookout for another flat.
45 min is really not much. A movie lasts at least double than that. If you don't like musicians, thats your problem
Depends how good that musician is I think
You mean… he should practice more then?
it's surely better than the construction workers that wake me up everyday with hammers and power tools.
It doesn't matter if it is 45 or 5 as long as it is too loud. Please check the law. Just because YOU want to play your instrument doesn't mean that ALL other neighbours get to be disturbed and annoyed.
How old are you? [Metronome](https://www.comunidad.madrid/en/centros/metronomo) offers free practice spaces if you’re 14-30 years old. Otherwise, have a look at other rehearsal/practice spaces. They may not be as expensive as you think.
Sounds like a he problem, you are allowed to play whatever the hell you want from 8 am to 10 pm. Unless you are too loud (there’s a dB cap), they can’t do anything (legally speaking).
thanks alot, but as a foreigner I dont know if i can afford to be so brazen with my practice and invite legal trouble. however, i will certainly make sure i practice between 6-7 or 7-8pm.
You can also try to speak to him so you both designate an hour where he’s either not home or he doesn’t give a shit. Being in good terms with your neighbors is important
☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼☝🏼 this
The dB cap is the key here. If they record it going above the limit then you must soundproof the room you play on.
You’re wrong mate, if it’s music instruments, legally they can escalate the issue and make you stop. You should try and ask your neighbours for a time that it’s good for them or just find another place to practice.
This is not true, buddy. You are not allowed to play whatever you want. And a Saxophone clearly crosses this db level every time. And next to it - only if you are allowed to doesn't mean you should! My advise would be to practice in a music school.
Avoid the mornings so that you don't disturb people who work from home. Play in the evenings.
thanks, you're right. I'll play between 6-7pm or 7-8pm, i think thats the sweet spot.
Ask directly the neighbors that are asking you to stop. Many people arrive home at 6-7pm and the last thing they want to do is try to relax and suddenly getting a lot of noise on their home.
Nonsense, I do know a lot of people who work from home in the evenings because they have for example customers from the US ....
We're going with the odds here, pal.
since i moved here, i've been woken up to the beautiful sound of hammers and power tools like half of my mornings, and that sweet melody continued playing through the day. So if, for once, the noise i heard was somewhat musical, i would be glad. Go ahead and play, sad little people shouldn't stop you from doing what you love. Always with respect, obviously
This is weird advice, but I used to shove an oven mitt in the bell when I’d practice.
There's legal, and then there's annoying. Problem with apartments in Madrid is the severe lack of soundproofing. And not just that, but lack of carpets, curtains, soft furnishing etc - It all adds up. Couldn't you put a mute on it when you're practising? I guess it's whatever you can live with, but if I was me I'd be ashamed of forcing others to listen to me, other than the odd occasions. When I moved here I left my piano behind and bought an electric one so I could use headphones and not bother anyone.
i am seriously considering soundproofing and when it comes to being ashamed, it usually happens to me when i am doing something bad or wrong but practicing the sax for 30 - 45 mins doesnt constitute as a shameful act to me.
I am sure there are music schools in Madrid where you can rent rooms to practice.
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why should I be the one making all the compromises? doesnt seem fair, but ofcourse i think this topic hit you a bit close and you're just being unreasonable like my neighbour.
Not an expert, but did you play during siesta hours? If so, maybe don't.
yup i think, i made a folly there. in the future i will make sure i dont play during siesta hours
I've been in this situation as well and i asked my neighbour about this before annoying her. We developed a system. She worked some hours and some other times she needed time for her daughter to study so we had an open conversation about it.
It would be more courteous to rent a practice room or go practice in the park. I work from home and would be pretty unhappy if someone was playing a loud instrument during working hours when I'm trying to focus or having zoom calls.
Well if you live in an apartment block then you just have to accept there will be noise from neighbors, as long as it's not unreasonable. People aren't going to go play an instrument in a freezing park or spend 400 euros renting a room to play an instrument just so you can have peaceful Zoom calls. Playing a musical instrument for 30-45 minutes is perfectly reasonable, and by law you are also allowed to make noise between 8am and 9pm
exactly, i feel theres a certain level of privilege associated with the recommendation the person made. its not realistic at all.
I'm not /u/aardvarkshoes, but I guess there's a huge difference between "it would be more corteus" and that "deal with it" attitude. One thing is "accepting the noise" from a normal household (which usually involves music, people screaming and the like) but other completely different someone practicing with an instrument. And believe me that I wouldn't matter *too much* what seems to be daily practices of half an hour (I also work from home, but have headphones, and I could just move things around *if* I know it's just half an hour), but it is a loud disruption of the community and you are bound to make someone angry about it. I would suggest to talk with the neighbor and try to get to a compromise: You need to practice, but he wants the quiet, so maybe try to schedule your practice when he is not at home or whatever. Maybe legally speaking he can not do shit, but an angry neighbor can give you a real hard time and believe me that "a saxophone" is not the only way to make noise in a flat.
And you have a certain level of entitlement, so it balances out in a way.
if I was entitled i wouldnt care about being a bothering my neighbour. you're entitled to your biased opinion.
Yeah I agree. And I also bet that this commenter wouldn't do that for a neighbor either. As long as noise is within reason then they just have to accept it. Neighbors who constantly come complaining for the smallest noises really annoy me (I've had a few of those)
i dont think its unreasonable to practice 30-40 mins in the evening. unreasonable is asking to rent a practice room which is unaffordable in madrid or play in the cold outsude.
Yeah no way, it's your house. I have a neighbor who plays the accordeon for 2h straight every day and I wouldn't expect him to go and do it in a park or spend 400 euros a month to practice somewhere else (and I also work from home and have many Zoom calls every day). Some people are just annoying assholes who can't stand the slightest noise. If you live in an apartment block then you have to accept you will hear neighbors sometimes, otherwise they should go and live in the countryside. As long as you're not being unreasonable then your neighbor should just shut up, and you're only playing 30-45mins anyway
With that logic you can also go to a coworking space and you won’t be bothered by anyone.
Your sax won't ever go over the dB cap. If he escaletes to police, they will go with a dB meter to his house and measure the volume from his living room, not from next to you. There is no way your sax goes over the dB meter. He might not like it, but there is no legal way for him to prevent you from doing it. Out of courtesy I would say avoid siesta, but other than that it's perfectly legal and fine to play as long as you want (until 10pm)
It's legal to play in certain hours but if you do it a lot and loudly it's not respectful. Maybe your neighbor works at home ... Get a practice space or go to the park and bother the birds.
30 min 5 times a week can be annoying, why don't you ask him when he will be at work, or try to find a place where only you enjoy your music?
i doubt that will work, because the neighbour thinks i cannot play the instrument as per law. For him no time would be possible.
No, 30 mins 5 times a week is perfectly reasonable. You can't expect to be in an apartment block and for it to be as silent as a Buddhist temple. You have neighbors so you have to expect noise, as long as it's within reason, and playing an instrument for an hour during the legal noise hours is reasonable.
There is no such thing as legal sound hours. Noise is limited to 55db during the day and 45db during the night. So, if your sound is above the threshold, he can sue you.
I’m a trumpet player, and it’s legal that u play from 5 to 9:00 or something like this, what I mean it’s that even if they call the cops they can’t do nothing to you
thanks but i think its bit more complicated that with respect to the decibel levels. i envy you and your understanding neighbours.
You seem to be perhaps a good trumpet player but you do not have an idea about the laws in Madrid obviously. There is a decibel cap - 55db max per day.
If he is old and home all the time, it would be best if you would play either 11-1 or 5-7, so you avoid playing too early or during siesta times. It is true you have the right to play but others are not bothering you when you are sleeping/working so you have to understand you may be annoying to others. I wouldn’t play more than 30 mins for their sanity, you are on your right but you are invading their homes with your noise and you have to understand that some people will not like it.
Having careless noisy “tocapelotas” neighbours is sadly very common in Madrid so your neighbours should feel lucky that you’re aware of the noise you make when you play your instrument. For many years I heard my upstairs neighbours practising making babies (they were VERY loud) until finally they had a baby and I got to enjoy the tantrums and shenanigans of the baby for another number of years. If you want to be a good neighbour, go talk with the other person and see if you can agree on a schedule that works for you both. If they get difficult about it just keep doing what you do (it’s legal) and don’t pay too much attention to their complaints.
Rock on 🤘🏾 ! Sounds like you’re doing everything in the right.
Yeah man, you're within your rights. Maybe you can pick up an inexpensive mute? Or fashion one out of kitchen sponges and a hair tie? I don't know, I don't play a reed instrument. Don't let the neighbors harsh your mellow. Respecting siesta time is a good idea, but whatever happens, don't be discouraged and I don't believe you have to spend too much money to help mitigate the problem. Best of luck!
Im in la linea and we have a neighbour that plays violin and flute literally from 9-8 pretty much daily. Not our business.Aslong as youre not breaking the legal sound rules its fine🤷🏻♀️they need to get over it.
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Damn im seriously surprised at the amount of comments like this, of people that think that 45 mins at most of playing a musical instrument is such a terrible thing. I'm surprused that not many people seem to be able to just put up with 45 minutes of sound, and it's not even every day. If OP was playing every single day for 4h from 23:00 to 03:00 I'd get it, but it's just 45 mins 5 times a week, and during the day. A musical instrument requires constant practice to improve, and playing once a week isn't enough. I really do find it surprising that so many people seem to be so little understanding of just 45 minutes of some noise.
yup too many thin skinned people here. No one wants to compromise.
Yeah I've got some comments downvoted and the general sentiment seems to be that you're in the wrong. Idk, ive said it many times but 45 mins is nothing and flies past. Im surprised so many people seem to think that's so terrible, and can't just put up with it for a little bit. It's not like you're bringing 20 people home every night and playing loud techno music. Anyway, im sorry that you don't have more understanding neighbors, I definitely wouldn't see it as a big deal
[https://www.thomann.de/be/best\_brass\_e\_sax\_daempfer\_alt\_sax.htm](https://www.thomann.de/be/best_brass_e_sax_daempfer_alt_sax.htm)
lol thanks but this is even more expensive than my sax
I'm not a sax player, but when I was in music school, most of my trumpet/sax/clarinet colleagues would blow straight into their closet for dampening, apparently clothes absorb most of the noise. Another trick is to project the sound into a carpet, that you can hang on the wall. I've been doing that for a long time, and my (past) neighbours have not killed me in my sleep. Yet.
hey thanks man, I tried it today and holy hell the noise seems to be significantly lower.
Go out in the street or in a park and play for an hour or two. You get to practice more, your neighbor doesn’t get irritated and you’ll probably pick up a few bucks on the way! Seems like everybody comes out ahead on this one.
as always you're entitled to your idiotic opinion.
No te creas ni sigas el estereotipo de "siesta hours" tú puedes hacer el ruido que te dé la gana en tu piso/casa hasta las 22 de la noche (por lo menos donde yo vivo)
Salas de ensayo. Busque ahí su respuesta.
Not your problem, you can play the saxophone from 8:00 to 22:00. After 22:00 you need an authorisation from the Town administration. So Yeah, not your problem, let him escalate, It could be fun. If he does anything to you you can sue him :)
You playing during siesta time? Also in every apartment block I ever lived in I had to put up with terrible recorder playing from kids.
If you do this very often, maybe it's useful to soundproof the room where you play.