To complain about Next Door's piano

[Tarrarra]

All of a sudden there's a piano next door. I think someone else is staying there while they are away, and whilst I like piano music, it's a bit like listening to Les Dawson (if you are old enough to remember). It's every night for around an hour.

I'm super sensitive at the moment as my dm died at the weekend, and all I want is peace and quiet, though I realise in a semi-detached house you don't often get that.

I can't work out if it is real or a keyboard that I could ask them to turn down (or better yet put headphones in). If it is real, can I ask them to move it away from our wall? What's the MN ettiquette on classical noise pollution?

Unless they're playing after 10pm I think YABU

Just ask them nicely! If you can hear it I would guess it's a real piano, but maybe they could move it.

They aren't being unreasonable to play, but no harm in asking.

Very sorry about your mum

I wouldn't have positioned it on a party wall to be honest what were they thinking? I used to think semi detached living was the way to go but I despise it now. I'd have a friendly chat with them if it's bugging you.

Noise pollution is noise pollution - playing a piano, even if it is played well, is just as disturbing to a neighbour who doesn't want to hear it as someone playing Drum n Bass loudly on their stereo.

A semi-detached house (or terraced house or flat) is not a suitable place for the playing of a musical instrument or loud music. Unfortunate if that's all you can afford, but tough.

It's unfortunate that your personal circumstances have coincided with the neighbour getting a piano. (As I'm sure you are aware) they are not doing it to annoy you. But you are within your rights to ask them to be more considerate.

It depends on how reasonable a person they are. They might not realise it is bothering you, and agree to relocate it or use headphones. If they are uncooperative, keep a diary of how long they play it for, what time of day, record the sound and maybe measure it in decibels on your phone - and then get the council involved.

It's for an hour. Not continually.

next door had a piano delivered the day we moved in. they put it on the party wall and clanked and clattered away.

then we went round and asked them to move it and they did. no drama. try it.

Agree with trams

Our neighbours son had a drum kit and played for an hour (badly & loudly) every night at about 9 o clock. My nerves were in shreds.

DH went round in the end after we tried to ignore it and after that he stopped. Definitely try talking to them first.

Alternatively, tramstay, a semi-detached or terraced house is not a suitable place to have an expectation of quiet living. People make noise. You can't get away from that.

I'm sorry about your loss, OP, and by all means politely explain the situation and ask whether there's anything they can do, but as long as they continue to play for the odd hour at a reasonable time, they're perfectly within their right to do so.

YABU

It's for one hour in the day.

A semi-detached house (or terraced house or flat) is not a suitable place for the playing of a musical instrument or loud music.

Really?

My neighbours are very musical. We get piano, trumpet, violin, singing, harp and cello from any time between 7am and 8pm. It bugs me a bit when I am trying to have a sleep in, but basically, tough, isn't it?

An hour a day (as long as it is at a reasonable time) is not a problem. That said - it might be worth asking if there is anything they can do to minimise the sound which carries.

Stick some headphones in and listen to somethinh you like for that hour, it's not the end of the world.
If it gets worse or you can't tolerate it then go and have a friendly chat, ask if they can move it away from the party wall.

People make noise but shouldn't impose it on other people's living spaces. That's how we saw moving into our semi. No electric guitars, pianos or subwoofers. It's just not the place for it (we do have a detached garage if DH wants to make a racket though).

Our attached neighbours play piano. It's in the room attached to our living room but on the opposite wall and we can barely hear it. Certainly not at all if we have any tv or radio on or even are chatting.
Different people have different ideas of "peace and quiet" if you want actual silence you may struggle but if you watch tv or put the radio on you shouldn't be able to hear a piano on the other wall. If you can hear it I'd pop round and ask if it's up against your wall.

Tbh, I think if it is for an hour a day and not played by a toddler, you may just have to grin and bear it. The idea from a poster above that because someone can't afford a mansion in the country they shouldn't be allowed to learn an instrument is a bit chuffing barking tbh. Sorry to hear you are particularly sensitive at the mo and why :( Is it usually at the same time of day? If so, could you plan to be out taking a walk/doing the shopping/lying on the bed with your favourite tunes on the earphones for that big of the day?

Definitely not unreasonable to pop over and politely check if they could potentially plu it in (if electronic) or move to another wall if not - if you're nice about it, they'd have to be a bit gittish to refuse imo. But worth having a backup plan to cope, as gits do abound! :p

Neighbour noise is the wooooorrrst (we are in a ground floor flat below the worst behaved three children in the WORLD who seem to have no bedtime, throw rubbish out often he window onto my veg patch, ring all the flats doorbells for a laugh etc etc - it's amazing I haven't killed them all!); but up to a point, what people do in their own house is their own affair, unless it's constant, or in unsocial hours. At some point, you may have reason to be making a noise they can hear and don't think much of, and you'll want to be able to live your life as you see fit without too much interference. Every time upstairs' ghastly children are bouncing on my ceiling in dead of night shrieking, I just pat my pregnant belly and think how soon I will be getting my own back :p

Be strong, my friend!!

A semi-detached house (or terraced house or flat) is not a suitable place for the playing of a musical instrument or loud music. Unfortunate if that's all you can afford, but tough

If that's all you can afford? Like a semi or terrace is roughing it or something? They're very normal family homes of a large percentage of the population, and many cost £1m + in London and other expensive areas.
We all have to be a bit considerate and a bit tolerant when sharing walls with others.

Ear plugs?
I'm sorry for the loss of your dm. I'm sure your grief is making it harder to deal with. Ds2 is learning the drums and this year at school they've all got trumpets or trombones. He's got a trombone and when he plays it, it sounds like a constipated elephant. It's so funny, but he has extremely high standards so I can't laugh. But it's so funny watching the expression on the dog's face as he worries what's happening to the sad elephant upstairs...

Thanks, I'm aware I am sensitive at the moment which is why I need the objectivity from MN! The piano noise is so loud I can't hear my tv when it is on. I think it is a keyboard as the volume seems to vary. I will leave it a day or two, and make a polite request to move or turn it down if it's intrusive. In the meantime I shall let the music play and see what happens... Thankyou all.

It is probably worth having a casual chat to find out -if you are very quiet they may not realise how badly the noise is carrying through the wall. We had this with very loud opera music played by a new neighbour in a semi a few years back. It made sense once their 6 year old shared the info that they used to live in the middle of nowhere with a pony in a very large plot of land! She was a lovely little and said it was fun having neighbours

As long as they have finished by 9/10pm, I don't really see the problem. If they are on a party wall then you could ask them to move it, otherwise I would invest in some headphones!