Neighbors Complaining Part 2

Well, in case it all goes pear-shaped, invite all the police over for a recital.

: Etude Op. 39 No. 5. So far he hasn't complained. Great news!!

Frankly, I think that it's rude to play one's piano in an apartment building at midnight unless you have extremely good soundproofing. And if he's complaining because you're playing the piano at midnight, I don't think that his complaints are necessarily unjustified. If it were a more normal hour (say 6 pm) I might be more sympathetic to you.

: I checked to see if my neighbor was sleeping by looking in his window.

That is, of course, illegal.

: Neighbor: No. The problem is you play late at night, not like normal : people do. : : Me: The problem is the floor transmits sound. Now would you like to : solve this problem or not?

No, the problem apparently is that you play the piano late at night. Does he complain when you play at a time that is not late at night?

: Neighbor: I pay rent, and I have the right to live in my apartment. : Me: I pay rent too, and I also like to live in my apartment.

Is he disturbing you at midnight except by complaining about your piano playing?

: Here's my mildly anti-semitic remark: I'm just worried he has : military experience and wouldn't hesitate to use it on me. He : has these large Israeli flags plastered all over his wall. And : isn't military service mandatory in Israel?

Is he Israeli, or does he just have Israeli flags on his wall? If the former, then you might be interested to know that while Israelis are on average much less prone to violence than Americans, there are laws in Israel that state that it is illegal to make noise between 2 and 4 pm and between 11 pm and 6 am.

: I'm not gonna stop playing,

Bully for you.

: and yesterday he wanted me to stop playing a 9pm at night, every : time it seems like he wants me to stop earlier and earlier. First : midnight, than 11, 10, now 9.

IMO, 9 pm is not an unreasonable time to request that you stop playing. I don't play after 8:30 pm, myself.

: Thanks for reading this. It's been a load off my chest, and not many : people can understand my problem, but other musicians.

I would hope that most other musicians have some kind of consideration for their neighbors.

Yes, it is. And by the way, the US already used the nuke bomb twice. We , on the other hand, will not be the first to use it

And one more thing.... one of my good friends is Herr Doktor Christof Pflumm....a German chap,you know.... I wonder .. should I avoid him in the future... ?

Rabbi Strudell

: digital piano, Yamaha GT1, played with earphones.

Which doesn't eliminate foot stomping, chair squeaking, tuneless humming, etc. If the downstairs neighbor can tell when the piano is being played, then clearly, whatever is happening is loud enough to cause a disturbance, and midnight is much too late to be disturbing the neighbors. Remember, we only have one side of the story here, and we have no idea how much noise is actually being made. And you have to admit that the OP hardly seems like the guy to Win Friends and Influence People.

I have 'military training' (though not with the Israeli military) and here's my perspective.

Anyone formally trained in martial arts is also trained in the appropriate use of said skills. Appropriate use does *not* include solving annoying neighbor problems using violence. You'll find that those who are trained 'for war' have a deeply-felt respect for peace.

Regardless, keep up with your efforts in trying to mitigate the problem. You may be bothering another less vocal neighbor who appreciates your efforts.

And if it comes to litigation, you can demonstrate that you are making an effort to limit the intrusion.

However, realize that Rachmaninof at midnite may not be appropriate for an apartment building.

Atom bomb actually. Huge difference. A nuclear weapon has never been used (afaik).

Bernard Hill Selkirk, Scotland

An atom bomb *is* a nuclear weapon; one using fission. A hydrogen bomb is also a nuclear weapon, using fusion. Never been used in

The YAMAHA GTs are known for being very noisy. In fact, my wife and lil' kid complain about the noise made by my YAMAHA P120 in the late evening hours. I cannot practice with earphones if someone is watching TV - the noise of the keyboard is too loud .

On the other hand, when I was practicing on the accoustic piano, before 14:00 and before 20:00 in the evening, there was always the Israeli woman (not intellectually fitted to serve in the military) from the third floor 'anonimously' complaining about the noise. And YES, she is ugly and dumb and I ignore her. The big problem was with my familiy so I bought the P120. Serenity now ! Serenity now !

Rabbi Shtrudel

I can sympathize with you, but: Being asked to limit your playing time to 'normal waking hours' is not unreasonable. I am lucky enough to live in a single-family house, but I still have to have consideration for other members of my family ... so I seldom am able to practice after 9PM.

The neighbor downstairs can probably hear your footsteps to the bathroom too, but that doesnt mean you cant pee until morning. I'd guess the real issue is about all such accumulated history. You are seeking heroic measures, but the neighbor is too antisocial to help in any slightest way. That's tough, let him move away.

But if the keyboard is over a bedroom, maybe it would be better in a different room?

Are you fully understanding the situation? He's playing on a digital piano with headphones! The amount of noise he makes is probably the same as me on my computer late at night pounding on the keyboard. And I frequently go to the kitchen and make tea.

And FreddyF, I'm glad you got the acoustic mat. It might just work. By the way, I'm glad got the matt