Enjoy the Ukulele Even More! Ukuleles Can Cause Noise Complaints from Your Neighbors?!

Hello, Conservario here.
Do these concerns ever come to mind when you are happily playing the ukulele at home?
“I wonder if my neighbors think I'm making too much noise when I practice...”
How loud is the sound of my ukulele to the neighbors? Is there any way to deal with it? Here are some tips.

■ Neighbors make noise complaints on ukuleles?!

Said from a discussion.
“If you've never received a noise complaint for the sound of your TV or the music you play on your speakers or phone, it's almost safe to practice your ukulele.”
Actually, the most common noise complaints are children's footsteps, talking, and household noises.
This information is readily available if you do your research.
Of course, there are very few people who practice musical instruments in the first place, so comparing it to footsteps is not the same. But what we want to tell you here is that “footsteps are not the same as footsteps.
However, what I would like to emphasize here is that vibrations are more easily transmitted than volume.
When you play a bass guitar through an amplifier, the vibration is so strong that it shakes the whole building.
Bass sounds are less painful to the ear than treble sounds, but they have a much higher power and travel farther.
So there are immediate complaints (according to my acquaintance).
How does the ukulele compare?
It’s not connected to an amplifier, and your hands and body suppress the vibration, so it should be almost inaudible to everyone around you.

The person playing louder with the ukulele close by, but that is not the same as what is heard around you.
It is definitely more audible and conveyed if you have your phone on maximum volume and music playing.
So you don't have to be super nervous about it.
However, please be mindful of your manners and refrain from practicing in the middle of the night.
That said, there are those who are still concerned about the noise level.
For those people, there is a great tool. There is a rubber lid that fits over the hole of a ukulele.
The process of ukulele sound production is (1) strings vibrate, (2) body resonates, and (3) sound comes out from the hole.
Therefore, if you plug the holes, the sound will be muffled considerably.
The sound volume will not be reduced to zero, but it will be reduced to a level where you can practice without worrying about the volume.
Many people practice strokes by playing softly or with small movements because the volume will inevitably come out.

The ingenuity and attitude are wonderful, but the problem is that this way of playing becomes a habit.
No matter how bright the song is or how fast the tempo is, you will become a person who can only play that way.
I have taught ukulele players and guitar players who have developed a habit of this way of playing, and it is easy to tell by the sound and movement.
I have tried to get them out of this habit, but it is very difficult...
Strokes are a skill that needs to be practiced with a certain speed and volume.
If you have a habit of playing only small, light, and gentle strokes, please be careful and change the way you play now.
There are ways to cover the sound hole, but there are also tools to reduce the vibration of the strings themselves.

GRAND GUITAR / Silencer

This is a tool that reduces vibration by clamping onto the strings. It works much better than a sound hole lid.
It is great for practicing strokes. However, there is one problem with this tool. It kills the vibration too much.
You may hear someone say, “If it's quieter than the lid, then this is fine!” But this is a big problem depending on the genre of music you play.
For example, when you play solo ukulele.
When you play solo ukulele, for example, you can't bring out the main melody or chord at all.
It's not that the sound disappears in an instant, but the sound disappears much faster than when I don't use any other tools.
Naturally, it cannot be used for practicing long tones.
If you play continuously like strokes, there is no problem, but it’s better to remove it when practicing extended tones.
People who leave this tool on also have their own unique way of playing.
This way of playing stays at a very loud volume no matter what you play.
The sound will decrease on its own, so players will always play as hard as they can.
Since the sound also doesn't grow, you have to keep moving your right hand.
If you are overly concerned about volume, minding your manners is great, but don’t let it become a habit in your playing.
Please think carefully about when to use your tools and when not to use them.

■ Summary

I have talked about how the ukulele sounds and the accessories used to muffle the sound. I personally believe that those who can pay attention to noise and other factors will ultimately grow the most.
The ukulele is an instrument that is played by a much larger percentage of individuals than the guitar. There are very few ukulele players who have played in a band.
Therefore, it tends to be self-indulgent. Many ukulele players play as much as they like in terms of rhythm and volume.
So, it is actually quite rare for those who choose to play the ukulele and care about their surroundings!
This is something to be very proud of.
It is up to the reader to choose what kind of instrument to use, whether it is a lid or a damper.
However, the ukulele is originally in its normal state with nothing attached to it.
Please make sure that there is no difference in the way you play the ukulele when you play it with or without any accessories.
Thank you for reading to the end.

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