How To Practice The Drums When Your Parents Have Put You On A Noise Ban

There are several ways to practice the drums while on a noise ban, and in some cases, you won’t need your drum kit either!

If your parents are sick of complaints from the neighbours and other family members about your drum practice sessions and the noise, don’t think that you won’t be able to hone your percussion skills without keeping everyone happy.

Here are five clever ways that will keep everyone happy!

Get (or make) a practice pad kit

Practice pad kits are basically wooden blocks covered in rubber that allow you to try out different stick control techniques without disturbing other members of the household. Arranged in the same way as a regular drum kit, these practice pads can also help you improve your hand memory and learn the basics of odd time signatures.

Look at purchasing some brushes

Drum brushes are great accessories if you still want to play the drums with gusto without causing too much noise. They’re also good if you don’t want to sacrifice stick height to create soft sounds.

Control your volume

Although keeping the noise down doesn’t seem like much fun, controlling the volume of your drumming is a useful skill to have if you’re serious about mastering different techniques. Playing with a lower stick height and a lighter touch can be tricky, but it’s something you can work on with your tutor during your drum lessons.

Re-tune your drums

You can also decrease the overall volume of your drum kit by tuning them a pitch lower than their natural resonance. For even greater noise saving abilities, oil drum heads tuned to low pitches can help keep you and the parents happy.

Invest in an electronic kit

If you really want to keep noise levels down, an electronic drum kit can offer the perfect solution as they have an adjustable volume knob so you can set a noise level that’s agreeable to everyone.

Make use of the garage

If your parents want to encourage your drum practice but are worried about upsetting the people living next door, ask them if you can move your drum kit into the garage to avoid the noise travelling through the walls and into next door’s home. That way, you can attack those drums as often and as loudly as you like!

If you are interested in Drum lessons at HCM Music Academy, our friendly admissions team can help you get started. You can either complete an enquiry form or contact us directly on 01920 460646 or learn@h-c-m.co.uk