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Acoustic guitars can be played loudly or softly. If you strum hard the sound can travel through apartment walls, and could be too loud for your neighbors during late nights or early mornings. If your apartment has a high Sound Transmission Class(STC) Rating (60+) your guitar should be only faintly heard in other rooms.
- Place a Soft Object Under the Strings. …
- Fill the Body with a Small Cushion. …
- Use a Feedback Buster. …
- Practice Palm Muting. …
- Use Lighter Strings. …
- Silent Acoustic Guitar. …
- Use an Unplugged Electric Guitar. …
- Play Somewhere Quiet.
- Practice Electric Guitar With Headphones.
- Practice Electric Guitar Without an Amp.
- Dampen Your Acoustic Guitar With a T-Shirt.
- Use an Acoustic Guitar Feedback Dampener.
- Use an Acoustic Guitar Silencer.
- Buy a Silent Travel Guitar.
- Use Palm Muting.
Contents
How do I make my guitar quieter?
- Practice Electric Guitar With Headphones.
- Practice Electric Guitar Without an Amp.
- Dampen Your Acoustic Guitar With a T-Shirt.
- Use an Acoustic Guitar Feedback Dampener.
- Use an Acoustic Guitar Silencer.
- Buy a Silent Travel Guitar.
- Use Palm Muting.
Is acoustic guitar too loud for apartment?
Acoustic guitars can be played loudly or softly. If you strum hard the sound can travel through apartment walls, and could be too loud for your neighbors during late nights or early mornings. If your apartment has a high Sound Transmission Class(STC) Rating (60+) your guitar should be only faintly heard in other rooms.
Why is guitar so loud?
If you’re hearing noise, buzz or hum that’s as loud or louder than your guitar, you may have a bad ground inside your guitar. If your guitar has this issue the ground will need to be re-soldered.
Can you use headphones with acoustic guitar?
Most guitar amps have a headphone jack; however, you will require an adapter if your headphones have a smaller connector. Just plug in the adapter to the amplifier, and then plug your headphones into the adapter, and you’re good to go!
What does a string dampener do guitar?
A string dampener is exactly what it sounds like: a device that sits on your fretboard and dampens your strings. There are a few different designs, but they all aim to do the same job, keep your guitar nice and quiet.
Can you play a guitar with headphones?
Connect Your Guitar to a Micro-Amp
Most of the time, you simply need to plug the micro-amp into your guitar and start playing. A lot of micro-amps have a 3.5-mm output designed specifically for headphones or speakers.
How do you practice guitar muffle?
- Lighter Strings.
- Use your fingers instead of a pick.
- Get a Sound Hole Cover.
- Use a string damper.
- Fill the body.
- Palm mute more often.
- Adjust room acoustics.
- Get a travel guitar.
Can my neighbor hear my guitar?
5 Answers. Show activity on this post. The short answer to your question is YES, it is possible to hear unplugged electric guitars through walls. Even a solid body will make enough noise to penetrate some walls.
Why is acoustic guitar loud?
When strings vibrate, the soundboard resonates in harmony with the string causing air to move and creating sound waves that we hear. A larger soundboard and air cavity in the body allow the guitar to move more air and so will produce a louder sound.
How loud should an acoustic guitar be?
How loud is an acoustic guitar in decibels? A rough estimate would be 80 dB when you are trying to strum it as loudly as possible.
What makes acoustic guitars loud?
When strings vibrate, the soundboard resonates in harmony with the string causing air to move and creating sound waves that we hear. A larger soundboard and air cavity in the body allow the guitar to move more air and so will produce a louder sound.
Why are some acoustic guitars louder than others?
The more air you move, the more volume produced. So generally, bigger guitars, the dreadnaughts and jumbos, tend to have the most volume. However, that’s not always the case; and there are many other factors that can contribute to the instrument’s overall tone. Construction, wood types, bracing styles…
How do you change the pitch of a string?
Applying too much tension to a string tightly can raise it to the pitch of the next note, while loosening it can easily lower it the same amount. Increasing the tension raises the pitch. The length of a string is also important. When a string is supported at two points and plucked, it vibrates and produces sound.
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How to Practice Guitar Quietly (Tips for Acoustic and Electric) – Guitar Gear Finder
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How to Practice Electric Guitar Quietly
How to Practice Acoustic Guitar Quietly
Practice Guitar in a Quiet Area
Practice Guitar in Silence Without a Guitar
Cool trick to mute your acoustic guitar for late night playing Pt.2 – YouTube
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Is Acoustic Guitar Too Loud For An Apartment? (Answered)
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How Loud Are Acoustic Guitars
What Type Of Apartment Do You Live In
How To Make Your Acoustic Guitar Sound Quieter
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How to Practice Guitar Quietly (Tips for Acoustic and Electric) – Guitar Gear Finder
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- Summary of article content: Articles about How to Practice Guitar Quietly (Tips for Acoustic and Electric) – Guitar Gear Finder It is possible to significantly reduce the volume of your acoustic guitar by stuffing the soundhole with something … …
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How to Practice Electric Guitar Quietly
How to Practice Acoustic Guitar Quietly
Practice Guitar in a Quiet Area
Practice Guitar in Silence Without a Guitar
How can I make my acoustic much quieter? – Ultimate Guitar
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How to Practice the Guitar Quietly (Acoustic and Electric) – Pro Sound HQ
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How to Play the Acoustic Guitar Quietly
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8 Tips on How to Play and Practice Acoustic Guitar Quietly – Tone Topics
For all the players out there attempting to log some hours on your acoustic to jam, practice or improve your abbility. Unfortunately, a busy lifestyle leaves the only option of late night playing and practice sessions.
With that said, acoustics, late evenings and small living spaces (apartments and box rooms) do not usually mix.
In this post, I will offer you tips and hacks for muting and quietening your acoustic, giving you the freedom to play your acoustic at any place at any time.
Later in the post as a bonus! I will also explain why some unplugged acoustics are louder and quieter than others. So let’s dive right in…
The Main Question
What is the best way to quieten a noisy acoustic guitar?
Reducing the volume from an unplugged acoustic entails lessening the vibrations of the strings or alternatively, placing an object inside the body to absorb the sound to reduce it from circulating and resonating inside the body cutting down on the volume projection.
Now you have the short answer, here are the bulletproof and practical tips for lowering the volume of an acoustic guitar for quiet practicing. Tip number one goes like this….
1. Place a Soft Object Under the Strings
As mentioned above, the cheapest, easiest and most convenient way for lowering the pesky volume on your acoustic. Is placing a soft object under the strings close to the bridge of the acoustic.
This reduces the vibrations and thus removing volume from your acoustic! Best of all, these are household products lying around your home.
Common Items
Sock
Dish Cloth
Paper Towel
Sponge
This video explains perfectly how to lower the vibrations and frequencies from an acoustic using household items (watch below.)
I have witnessed a number of players adopt this method for blunting the tone and sustain for mixing things up tonally for recording purposes.
More interestingly, the objects material and ability to absorb sound and muffle the strings can also produce different tones.
How to Position
For example, a big fluffy sock will absorb more vibrations and sustain thus giving you a ‘warmer’ and ‘blunter’ tone.
Whereas, using an item that is paper-based will resonate more and produce a ‘snappier’ and ‘crisper’ tone than an item that is fluffy and absorbent.
The closer you place the object to the bridge will also affect tone and sustain, similar to where you position your hand for palm muting the same way it will affect the sound.
For example, place the object closer to the bridge the sound will become duller. Alternatively, position the object closer the soundhole the tone will become louder and crisper changing the acoustic properties.
This is proven and by far the best method for quietening an acoustic to avoid being the annoying person in the household. Give it a try!
2. Fill the Body with a Small Cushion
The bigger and more cushiony the object whether a cushion or not, the more it will lessen the vibrations swirling inside the body of the acoustic killing the sound from resonating.
This essentially mimics the same way how a drummer uses a cushion to deaden the sound of a bass drum.
As we all know, the main aspect that divides a pickup-less acoustic form a regular electric is the obvious soundhole.
The soundhole acts as the doorway for vibrations from the string to swirl around inside the body of the guitar which resonates inside to create the projection of sound.
This allows an unamplified acoustic guitar to be loud enough without requiring any external amplification source such as a preamp or pickup.
Soften the Projection
For a late night guitarist wanting to practice in peace without disturbing anyone, adding a bulky but soft item within the body of the acoustic will essentially function as a dampener.
There are a number of products to use but personally, I would go with a small and flexible cushion. A flexible cushion will be required to get past the strings if it already strung.
Alternatively, you could use a ton of paper towels or some form of cloth that you can easily fish out when you have finished playing.
There is no specific product to use here, I would just go with what works and what you have lying around your home. As long as it is cushiony, soft and absorbent then whatever works for you.
Combine this with tip number 1 and now have yourself a very quiet acoustic perfect for late night playing and practicing.
3. Use a Feedback Buster
A feedback buster is primarily used for reducing the feedback from an electro-acoustic plugged into a loud acoustic amp or PA system. A feedback buster is a circular rubbery material that covers the soundhole for removing feedback in a live setting.
Although we are discussing unplugged here, however, it is known to add a muffling effect to your acoustic for removing some volume when unplugged. This video explains all…
Granted, a feedback buster may not be as effective as dampening the strings with a soft object mentioned above. However, it can contribute to removing the vibrations and air away from the soundhole.
Some players have also argued the case that a feedback buster can also change the dynamics and tone of your acoustic when unplugged.
Either way, having a feedback buster will be an inexpensive item for taming and removing any feedback if you happen to be a frequent live acoustic guitarist.
This simple addition which is considered by some players as an essential addition for performing live acoustic sets.
4. Practice Palm Muting
Instead of using a soft object to dampen the strings mentioned in the previous points, simply practice your palm muting to improving your rhythm and strumming technique.
Palm muting also doubles up by quietening your acoustic by dampening the strings so you cannot disturb people around you.
Palm muting is simply using the side of your hand, rest your palm on the strings to affect the tone by dampening the sound.
The trick is to not rest the strings too hard but just enough to allow enough sustain when they are strummed or plucked.
Palm Muting Techniques
This can create different tones and effects with your guitar opening up a whole new world of sounds if you are a beginner.
Even better is that you can practice palm muting late at night as it will not be as loud when letting the strings fully vibrate.
When it comes to playing rhythm guitar, a common mistake by beginners is strumming with the elbow instead of the wrist, doing this increases the distance of the strumming arm.
Fear not, I explain this point more in-depth in my post ‘How to increase strumming Speed on Acoustic Guitar’ which you should check out!
5. Use Lighter Strings
A lighter set of strings on your acoustic means having less string to vibrate when strummed or plucked.
Meaning lighter gauged strings have less output thus lowering the volume compared to a heavier gauged set of strings. Keep in mind, the material and thickness of the string will affect playability and tone.
An acoustic with lighter strings will improve playability as they are easier to bend and feel less bulky on the fingertips which are useful for all beginners out there.
Beginners with soft fingertips should avoid heavy gauged strings until they have ‘firmed up’, and used to the fretting pressure required without it hurting. Acoustic string gauges are known as…
Extra light: .010
Custom light: .011
Light: .012
Medium: .013
Heavy: .014
Lighter strings are also known for sounding brighter and more ‘piercing’ depending if you want that tone is down to you as the player. The tradeoff, however, is that lighter strings do not sound as ‘fuller’ than a mid to heavy gauged strings.
If you are the usual player that reaches for a heavy gauged set of strings, drop in a light set to feel and hear the difference for yourself. You will have a quieter acoustic for late night playing and improve the playability.
As always, I recommend experimenting with your gear as much as possible so you can stumble on that winning formula that suits your sound and style.
6. Silent Acoustic Guitar
There are a few products floating around such as the Yamaha silent acoustic guitar. Obviously, this guitar is not exactly fully ‘silent’. However, in my eyes, it is more of a versatile electro-acoustic that you can travel with.
This guitar is super portable and the pickups sound very natural and represent the true sound of a rich acoustic. Use it plugged or unplugged, either way, it will sound great whatever you choose.
However, the only downside is the price! Although the silent acoustic guitar is versatile, portable and does sound good for a naked acoustic. I am not going to sit here and recommend a $500+ guitar just for quiet practicing.
You can use your hard earned money on something really important like…a different guitar! Which brings me over to the next tip…
7. Use an Unplugged Electric Guitar
I know the title of this post says ‘acoustic guitar’ which can be a bit of a contradictory point.
However, chances of being a guitar player, the probability of owning other guitars in your possession are high, hopefully, an electric guitar in this case!
If so, using an unplugged electric guitar is far quieter than a gagged and muffled acoustic. So instead of reaching for an acoustic, let it have an early night off and grab the electric instead for the night shift.
An unplugged electric is certainly the quieter and therefore best option to avoid waking up anyone in close proximity.
Best of all, you can play with the shackles off now as you may be conscious without being too eager with your strokes causing an unnecessary spike in volume with the acoustic.
Even better, got an amplifier or a digital FX board with a headphone input?
Now you can plug in and hear yourself more closely without disturbing anyone. Grab a clean tone or amp simulator effect or external acoustic simulator pedal.
I agree, using the electric is somewhat cheating and not the same as using an acoustic.
However, the tradeoff is that now you can simply play till your heart’s content and know for sure you will not be disturbing anyone.
8. Play Somewhere Quiet
“If a tree falls in the woods but none is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” Granted, the answer is ‘duh’ yeah!
But obviously, no one is there to hear it. This analogy can in some way be applied to the point I’m making for keeping angry housemates, family, and neighbors at bay.
To ensure your acoustic is as ‘quiet’ as it can be! Using the analogy mentioned, simply provide enough distance between yourself and your house members.
This can be in the form of distance so go and play in a spare room, rehearsal room, outside, in the car (if you must!)
Even schedule a jam night with your guitar buddy at their place for an acoustic jam session (with no volume restrictions allowed) It all depends what you can do and what you have available to yourself.
Obviously, if there is nothing you can do to create distance such as living in close proximity with others in an apartment Just simply resort to the tips I have mentioned above.
What Determines the Loudness of an Acoustic Guitar?
So why are some acoustics louder, and some quieter than others based on unplugged pure ‘acoustic’ sound?
The answer is there are many elements when it comes to construction and material contributing to the overall volume of an unplugged acoustic guitar.
Body Size
The first being the size of the body. Typically, the more air that is moved in and out of the soundhole, the more potential for volume.
Therefore the big bulky dreadnoughts and jumbo acoustics generally have more volume than smaller cambered acoustics.
Keep in mind, this is not always the case, as build quality, resonance and hardness of the wood are other contributing factors to volume potential, bringing me on to the next point…
Wood Material & Construction
There are many types of woods built for the construction of an acoustic. rosewood, mahogany, ebony, maple, spruce, cedar, walnut etc.
Each varies in thickness and density which plays a huge role the resonant tones and frequencies from an acoustic. For example, some woods sound darker, richer, brighter, louder etc.
The top wood of the guitar also plays a big role in transferring the vibrating from the string to the body of the acoustic.
The denser the wood, the better it can pass vibrations through the guitar improving its resonance and ability to sustain.
This post is already long enough so here’s a great read on different acoustic woods and how they affect tone here!
The Height of the Action
The action is known as the height and distance the strings are to the frets which lay across the fingerboard.
Generally, the lower the action, the easier the acoustic is to play as less fretting pressure is required to fret notes. However, the height also has an effect on the acoustics volume.
For example, acoustics with higher actions are known to be louder than acoustics with lower actions. Because there is more space for the strings to move and vibrate along the fretboard.
Heaviness Strings
As previously discussed, heavier gauged strings are thicker and therefore have more mass for a bigger potential for transferring louder vibrations. The amount of tension the string is under will affect the amount of volume that is produced.
Lastly, the material of the string is also a contributing factor. For example, ‘steel’ and ‘silk’ strings are quieter and more mellow than the brighter and the usual metallic sound of bronze, phosphor bronze and brass strings.
Technique and Touch
The amount of force you pluck and strum the strings is also a big factor to how much volume you can essentially bring out from your guitar.
Depending if you have a heavier touch than a lighter and more gentle touch from other players.
The heaviness of the pick and angle you attack the strings affects the amount of volume your acoustic produces. Lighter picks geared towards strumming are known to be brighter.
Whereas heavier picks can squeeze more volume when they are adopting for heavy single-note plucking.
Depending on subtle frequencies and nuances, these differences give each guitar player their own unique sound and playing style.
Related Questions
Can you install locking tuners on acoustic guitars?
Locking tuners can be installed on acoustic guitars for improving tuning stability. As they function to prevent strings from slipping at the tuning peg. However, locking tuners can add additional weight to the headstock than traditional tuners.
Can you use an electric guitar amp for acoustic?
If the guitar is an ‘electric acoustic’ including a built-in preamp and pickup. However, for a natural and transparent sound. Acoustic guitars are not designed for regular electric guitar amps as they ‘ color’ the tone which will not represent the acoustic guitars natural clean sound.
How to Practice Guitar Quietly (Tips for Acoustic and Electric)
Regular practice is the best way to improve at guitar. Being able to practice quietly will allow you to get more practice time in.
In this guide, I’ll explain how to practice guitar quietly whether you play acoustic or electric guitar.
There are a few ways you can practice guitar quietly. If you want to practice electric guitar quietly, you can use headphones with your amp or pedals. If you want to practice acoustic guitar quietly, you can mute or muffle it to make sure you don’t disturb others.
After you read this guide, find out how you can practice guitar without using a guitar in this guide. If you want to make sure you don’t disturb others, then read that guide for ways to practice in complete silence.
How to Practice Electric Guitar Quietly
If you play electric guitar, it is easy to practice it quietly. There are a few options and each one works really well.
Practice Electric Guitar With Headphones
The easiest way to practice electric guitar quietly is to play with headphones. You can practice electric guitar in complete silence by plugging headphones into your amp or multi-effects pedal.
How you use headphones with your electric guitar depends on what type of amp and pedals you use.
Most modern guitar amps will have a headphones output jack. Check the front, top, and back of your amp for a jack labeled headphones.
The below photo shows the headphones output jack on the front of a Line 6 amp:
Other amps may use larger 1/4 inch output jacks like the below photo:
With these amps (or multi-effects pedals) you simply need to use an adapter like the one below to connect your headphones.
Find out all about using headphones with an electric guitar in this guide.
The guide covers the best headphone options and how to get started.
Practice Electric Guitar Without an Amp
Sometimes you won’t have an amp with you. For example, if you will be traveling, you might want to take your guitar with you to practice while in your hotel room.
You can practice electric guitar quietly without an amp using a few different options.
The first option is to use a battery-powered portable mini-amp as explained in this guide.
These mini amps can be used with headphones or earbuds or turned down to a low volume that won’t disturb others.
Find out about mini guitar amps in this guide. The guide covers the best options and what to avoid.
Another option is to use a modern multi-effects pedal.
Most modern multi-effects pedals have fantastic inbuilt amp simulations that will sound just as good as playing with an actual amp.
You simply plug your headphones directly into the pedal and you’re good to go.
Check out this guide comparing different Line 6 multi-effects pedals for an idea of what to look for.
The final option to consider is a mini amp-sim device that plugs directly in your guitar.
The VOX AmPlug is a very popular device you can use to play your electric guitar quietly anywhere.
Find out about the VOX AmPlug 2 in this review.
How to Practice Acoustic Guitar Quietly
If you want to practice acoustic guitar without disturbing others, you have a few options.
Dampen Your Acoustic Guitar With a T-Shirt
It is possible to significantly reduce the volume of your acoustic guitar by stuffing the soundhole with something to absorb the sound.
The way to do this is to stuff a T-shirt or two into the soundhole. The material will help dampen the sound and reduce the volume.
The downside of this method is that it’s a pain to get the T-shirts in and out of your guitar every time you want to practice guitar quietly.
I don’t recommend using socks as they are hard to fish out of your guitar compared to larger pieces of clothing.
Use an Acoustic Guitar Feedback Dampener
Placing a feedback dampener over the soundhole can help reduce the overall volume of your acoustic guitar.
This is a very cheap and easy option and is a very useful tool if you ever plan on performing live in the future.
Check out this feedback dampener to learn more.
What’s more important, the feedback dampener will significantly reduce the bass frequencies, which is what normally travels through walls and annoys other people.
So using a feedback dampener might reduce the volume just enough that it doesn’t disturb other people. You’ll still be able to clearly hear what you play, but it might be just enough to not annoy other people.
Use an Acoustic Guitar Silencer
A more effective option than a feedback dampener is to wedge something under the strings to almost completely mute them.
You can wedge a piece of foam, rolled-up towels, or buy a rubber silencer as shown above.
Think of this as an extreme version of palm-muting. You’re able to control how much you mute your guitar by how much foam you use and how close you position it to the bridge.
The advantage of this method is that it completely reduces the volume.
The disadvantage is that you may have trouble hearing what you’re practicing.
Buy a Silent Travel Guitar
The best option to practice acoustic guitar silently is to use a silent travel guitar.
Buying a travel guitar is a good option for people who travel regularly, but if you only want to practice at home quietly, its an expensive option.
The above photo shows a typical travel acoustic guitar. Without the hollow body of a normal acoustic guitar, it is as quiet as an unplugged electric guitar.
There are nylon string, steel-string, and electric guitar options available to suit your playing style.
These guitars allow you to play as quietly as possible, but you will want to plug in headphones for the best experience.
Find out more about travel guitars in this guide.
Use Palm Muting
If you want to squeeze a quick practice session in, but don’t have time to sort out a quiet area to practice in, your last option is to adjust your technique to play quieter.
Using heavy palm muting can be enough to reduce your guitar’s volume that it won’t disturb others. Slide your palm further away from the bridge compared to what you would normally use and you’ll almost completely mute your guitar.
While using heavy palm muting, you won’t be able to practice strumming patterns, but you’ll still be able to focus on fretting hand practice (eg: chords, scales, songs).
When done properly, palm muting can turn your loud acoustic guitar almost completely silent.
Practice Guitar in a Quiet Area
A big part of how quiet you can play depends on the area you play in. Playing in a tile or hardwood floored room will always be louder than in a bedroom with carpet.
If you’re worried about disturbing others while practicing guitar, look to play in an area that will absorb your sound.
One of my students told me that when she wants to practice guitar late at night, she sits on her bedroom floor and faces her bed so the sound waves go straight into her bed to absorb the sound.
Think of how a recording studio will have a padded booth to record vocals and how that absorbs the sound.
While you may not want to add padding to your walls to absorb the sound of your guitar, you can make good use of wardrobes, linen closets, or any small room you can use.
Also, keep in mind the proximity of your practice area from other people. The more walls and distance between you and other people, the lower your guitar’s volume will be.
Find out more about setting up an ideal practice area in this guide.
Practice Guitar in Silence Without a Guitar
There’s another way you can get some good practice without producing any sound.
There are so many different things you can practice that don’t involve picking up your guitar and all of them will help you become a better guitarist.
Here are some examples of what you can practice in complete silence:
All of these things are important, so if you want to put some practice time in without disturbing others, they’re the perfect things to work on.
Find out more about practicing guitar without a guitar in this guide.
Is Acoustic Guitar Too Loud For An Apartment? (Answered)
Acoustic guitars can be pretty loud, and If you live in an apartment you might have heard a guitar being played in another room, maybe down the hallway or through the walls.
For people who love hearing music this might be fine during the daytime, but for someone needing a quiet place to concentrate or sleep it could become a problem, particularly at night.
Chances are you appreciate your neighbors respecting your need for peace and quiet, so it makes sense to consider their needs in return.
Acoustic guitars can be played loudly or softly. If you strum hard the sound can travel through apartment walls, and could be too loud for your neighbors during late nights or early mornings. If your apartment has a high Sound Transmission Class(STC) Rating (60+) your guitar should be only faintly heard in other rooms.
Let’s take a look at how loud acoustic guitars are, how far the sound will travel in an apartment building, and ways to play your guitar that don’t blast your neighbors and roomies with your favorite power chords!
How Loud Are Acoustic Guitars?
Acoustic guitars can be very loud, especially if they are a large dreadnought or jumbo guitar, and even heavier gauge (thicker) strings can make them louder.
Some of the world’s loudest guitars can reach around 100dB – which is as loud as a lawnmower, motorcycle, or snowmobile!
Most acoustic guitars played normally would be more around 70-80dB, equivalent to the sound made by a garbage disposal, hairdryer, or an alarm clock – still pretty loud.
Playing softly might be more around 55-65dB, which is similar to normal conversation volume.
What Type Of Apartment Do You Live In?
One thing to keep in mind is how old the apartments are that you live in, and how easily sound travels from one room to another.
Some apartment blocks have tiled hallways or concrete stairwells that cause sound to travel easily around the building, where others have carpet that helps reduces noise.
Can You Easily Hear Noise From Other Apartments?
There is something called the Sound Transmission Class (STC) Rating, which rates buildings on their effective soundproofing.
You may be able to find out the STC rating for your building, and this helps give an idea of how loud you can play your guitar before it disturbs others.
Ideally your apartment would have a rating of 50 or more, check out the cart below to get an idea of what this STC number actually means:
STC What Can Be Heard 40 Loud speech (around 70-75dB) can be heard, but not understood. 45 The threshold at which privacy begins. 50 Loud sounds can be heard, but are very faint. 60+ At this level, good soundproofing begins. Neighbors generally are not disturbed by very loud speech from inside.
The noise you hear daily from other apartments will help guide you, and if you can hear someone’s loud TV, then chances are they will also hear your loud guitar!
Most apartments list ‘quiet hours’ and it’s best to play more quietly during those times when there is less external noise.
Generally laws state that you can legally make noise from 7am to 10pm weekdays, and from 8-9am on weekends, but if you want to live in harmony with your neighbors you might want to take extra precautions.
Do Your Neighbors Mind? …Ask Them!
If people near you work nightshift and need to sleep during the day, it’s good to know about it, and if the tables were turned you would appreciate them respecting you in the same way.
Sometimes even if neighbors can hear your guitar it’s not loud enough to annoy them, and some music lovers really like hearing music – so just ask and it will help you work out how loud is too loud.
Keep in mind that in the middle of the day there is much more external noise than during the night, so you can probably play quite loudly in the daytime without causing too much stress to your neighbors.
How To Make Your Acoustic Guitar Sound Quieter
There are a few ways you can make your guitar sound quieter when playing in your apartment, and this can be the way you play (the techniques you use), or objects that help dampen the sound of the guitar.
Soft Strumming
By gently strumming your guitar with the fleshy part of your thumb, the sound will be much quieter.
With a little practice you will learn to control the volume to a level where you might not hear the sound through a closed door.
Finger Picking And Palm Muting
You can play softly by using the soft part of your fingers to pick the strings, and it will be much quieter than using your fingernails.
A more advanced technique is to gently rest the pinky-side of you palm gently on the strings while you strum, which will mute the strings.
This can be a little tricky, as too much pressure stops the strings vibrating at all, so you will need to practice to find out what works best for you.
Where You Strike The Strings
You can change the tone of the sound according to where you pick or strum the stings.
You will get a sharper tone near the bridge and a softer more mellow tone closer to the fretboard.
Strumming or fingerpicking at the edge of the soundhole near the fretboard will give you a softer sound.
What Strings You Use
Old strings may sound more dull than new strings, and often give the perception of not being as loud as new strings.
You can also use lighter gauge strings, as they do not transfer so much vibration into the guitars body, and so will sound a little quieter.
Keep in mind that you may need to adjust a guitars truss rod in the neck if you decide to change the gauge of the strings to a lighter set.
Devices And Objects To Mute Guitars
Acoustic guitars can be made quieter by stopping the body from vibrating freely.
If you don’t want to spend any money, you can get some soft foam or some old clothing and stuff it inside your guitar to make it quieter.
You don’t need to fill the whole guitar body, so just experiment to find what works best. You can just slacken the strings without removing them, which gives you enough room to get the damping materials in through the soundhole.
In music shops you can buy a silicone rubber disc that fits in the soundhole, known as a soundhole cover.
They are more designed to stop feedback when playing with an amplifier, but also work well to make acoustic guitars quieter.
You can also buy a foam rubber string damper that sits under the strings near the bridge to stop excessive string vibration.
Time To Play!
Giving an answer for if acoustic guitars are too loud for apartments is not always straight-forward. There can be many variables such as how loud you play, how well your apartments are soundproofed, and what the needs of nearby tenants are.
You can play loud by strumming hard and using a pick, or play softly using the fleshy soft parts of your fingers and thumb.
Acoustic guitars can be made a little quieter with damping materials in the body or on the strings, or by the techniques you use to play them.
You should now have some ideas on how loud is too loud to play your guitar in your apartment, and how to tame it down when needed.
Sources
https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/neighbors-noise-faq.html
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