Neighbour complaining about drum practice

[Cleanermaidcook]

First, I know that drums are loud and not everyone enjoys them but does my neighbour have a point here or do I ignore.

Ds 14 is a drummer. He practices on his acoustic kit 3 afternoons a week between 4 and 5pm for a maximum of 30 minutes.

He practices on a Sunday afternoon at 3pm for 30 minutes. Neighbour is not in at this time on a Sunday.

The kit is in the room furthest away from the neighbours house. He uses dampeners on his drums to reduce the noise but I accept that they are still loud. He closes all windows and doors before he starts.

He's grade 6 so not a kid banging tunelessly.

Neighbour has said any drum noise is unacceptable and he needs to practice out of the house. He does twice a week.

I tried to ask her to talk about it and could we arrange a set time when she is out walking her dog but she just facepalmed me and shouted at me that she's not discussing it.

We've always got on ok, I don't want to fall out but I don't want to stop him either. I can't afford to soundproof a room but am open to other suggestions

If she complains to the council will it be upheld?

(Donning hard hat for having a drummer)

I would take 30 mins of drumming over my neighbours obsession with power tools/garden equipment! I swear there is nothing left to do in the garden but every day it's a leaf blower, strimmer, mower, drill, saw...

Of course you’re unreasonable. Get him dealing drugs and having mates hanging around outside the house drinking cheap cider and vaping.

Most drummers I know don't practice at home.

Where are they supposed to practice then? I know a lot of drummers (my son is at conservatoire studying popular music, played with NYMT and in theatre pit bands and has just done a popular music Btec.) Several of the talented drummers he knows are from less well off backgrounds, some were lucky enough to get subsidised lessons at school and managed to save/work to buy a kit but certainly can't afford to hire practice rooms every day for the amount of time it takes to get to conservatoire entry standard.

What you have described is very reasonable and I wouldn't complain, even though I wouldn't like it much when it was going on myself. That's how it is when you live in a neighbourhood. There are far worse issues your neighbour could be dealing with.

Could he not practise at school, then come home after that?. I grew up in a semi and we could hear next door's tv, so I imagine drums would be really loud.

The people saying you're reasonable obviously don't have to put up it. Our ndn played drums and the racket was horrendous whatever the time of day. Our son now plays the drums and he doesn't do it in the house. He goes to college to do it or in the shed at his grandparents which is far away from any other houses.

Actually, I’m married to a drummer/percussionist.

No-one’s denying that a drum kit is loud, but it’s not unreasonable to play it for 30 minutes, 2 or 3 times a week, in the same way that, eg power tools aren’t pleasant to listen to, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use them in your home.

Our neighbours put speakers and a sound system out on the green next to our house, and hold drunken karaoke get togethers, from 2pm until midnight in the summer months.
THAT’S a noise issue!!

My nephew did and so did my one of my cousins who lived in different houses.

As a result all the neighbours knew who everyone who lived in their houses and visited their houses e.g. me, were. People randomly would speak to my family in the street or on public transport. The comments weren't negative.

I also lived next to a drummer in a flat. He practiced at noon to 1pm every weekday. He was very good.

When I collect my DD from her childminder depending what street I walked down at between 4pm to 5.30pm I can hear drums, pianos, guitars, violins and brass instruments being practiced. Unfortunately most of them need to practice a bit more.....

No-one’s denying that a drum kit is loud, but it’s not unreasonable to play it for 30 minutes, 2 or 3 times a week, in the same way that, eg power tools aren’t pleasant to listen to, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use them in your home.

Completely disagree. Power tools are not usually used for 30 minutes at a time, 2 or 3 times a week for months on end. And it's unlikely that you'd hear a power tool from 4 or 5 houses (or maybe even more) away.

My son is an amazing drummer and I love hearing him play, but I'm not daft or inconsiderate enough to think that all my neighbours feel the same way.

You’ve missed my point.

What you find annoying, and what’s “unreasonable” are two different things when it comes to a noise issue.
Unless a noise reaches a certain decibel, for a certain length of time, or at a particular time of day/night, it’s not “ unreasonable”.

www.ism.org/news/celebrations-as-ism-member-wins-case-against-noise-complaints

The result of this is that James is allowed to practice at home five hours per day on Mondays through to Saturdays between the hours of 9am and 9pm, where only two hours may be after 5pm, and six days per year where they may be allowed to have five hours up until 10.30pm to hold "family concerts" for friends and relatives

Fucking hell. I mean, come on - it might be legal but his poor neighbours. You honestly think five hours a day is reasonable?

You are assuming that schools have spare drum kits/practice rooms/facilities etc. Some may, most have not. Then what happens when they leave school?

A judge thinks it’s reasonable, not me.
However, I don’t think 30 minutes, 3 times a week on the drum kit is unreasonable.

Everyone has their opinion on what is and isn’t reasonable in a domestic setting, but it doesn’t mean that others have to be ruled by that opinion.

Personally, I think the OP’s neighbour is being unreasonable in their expectations, and I am almost certain that the council would agree if she were to complain.
Whether other people disagree is beside the point, legally.

I wasn't assuming anything. I was asking if it would be possible, as it would be at my childrens very average high school. That's what the question mark indicates.
As for what he would do when he left school, he's 14, so not really applicable yet. He or the neighbour may have moved house or given up drumming by then.

Music is very low on the list of priorities in schools round here. Rooms, equipment and resources are very limited. Also schools only go up to age 16.

I presumed that you linked to that because you thought it was reasonable, given your earlier post about noise reaching a certain decibel, for a certain length of time, or at a particular time of day/night and it not being unreasonable. Interesting (and awful) that a judge has deemed 5 hours a day of keyboard practise (including evenings) to be legal and reasonable.

To answer a few points, no he can't practice at school, he used to but there are no staff to supervise the music room at lunch.
He was practicing for 30 minutes 3 days a week not for hours at a time and never in the evening.
I contacted the drummers union and they said this was well within the suggested guidelines and absolutely wouldn't be considered as a noise complaint.

However I want to work it out with my neighbour so I've bought a new electric kit that he will do the majority of his practice on.
He will use his acoustic kit one afternoon a week for 30 minutes and one day at weekend for 45 minutes when the complaining neighbour is out.
I have asked my other neighbour if the noise disturbs her and she said no, the neighbour across the road didn't even know he drums because she'd never heard him.

I know this is an old thread but Ds has just got an acoustic kit and it lives in our detached garage. He plays for a maximum of 5 minutes at a time maybe twice a day during to it being the holidays. He’s only had 6 lessons but has got a few good beats going. The neighbour has left a note today complaining the drums are loud again. It was midday. He only plays between 10am and 8pm for a few minutes at a time. The neighbour right next to us thinks it’s great and has no issue. The twats next door but one who have disturbed us with various noise at unsocial hours for 17 years are the ones complaining. I am going to get some sound proofing for the garage but he’s only had the kit a week and I’ve not got round to it yet. Op did you find a solution with your annoying neighbour? it sounds like you went above and beyond to be accommodating.

hi!
to answer your questions, we bought an electro acoustic kit in the end similar to the one i've put a link up for but to be honest he hates it. Its better than an electric kit but still not the same as a proper acoustic. He doesn't play his acoustic kit at home any more. It's sad. Also, the neighbours still don't speak to us anyway.
So, now he practices 3 times a week at a local rehearsal studio and just uses the electric kit when he has to ie if he's writing a song.
Millenium MPS-1000 E-Drum Set – Thomann UK

On the plus side, he's now a successful musician, he plays regularly with his band and loves it. He still lives for drumming so it was worth all the hassle.

Also, its very difficult to soundproof a garage, their structure doesn't really lend itself to it unless its brick built, you'd have to build a double wall and block up the doors, very expensive and the sound will still leak sorry.
If your son is a beginner I'd say find a local rehearsal space for him, buy a more basic electric kit to start or go with the acoustic and accept your neighbours will moan.