HOAs and trumpet practice.

[ghelbig]

Does anyone have experience with Home Owner Associations and trumpet practice?

The agreement mentions nusance noise without defining it.

I know that they can't prevent you from putting up an antenna - is there anything similar for un-amplified music instruments?

TIA,
Gary.

If there's an existing thread: link please?

[VintageFTW]

It really depends on the type of neighborhood you live in and how you get along with your neighbors. If you live in a neighborhood like mine the houses are somewhat spread out as that we live on a ridge. This means that sound doesn't really travel, so it isn't an issue. Our neighbors also really don't care and in fact one couple at the end of the street say that they enjoy it when I play outside.
If your neighborhood is more along the line of cookie-cutter / row houses, then I'd say it really depends on if your neighbors are ok with it.
_________________
1880's Thompson & Odell Boston
1880's L&H "Henry Gunckel" Sole Agent Cornet
1903 L&H "Improved Own Make"
Early 1900's Marceau Cornet *B&F Stencil
1922 Holton-Clarke Cornet
1954 Elkhart built by Buescher 37b
...And many more

[oxleyk]

What kind of house is it? Condo? Townhouse? Detached?

[ghelbig]

[VintageFTW]

If that's your situation then just ask your neighbor across the garage if they mind! As long as you aren't belting out lead charts at midnight, odds are that they won't even be able to hear you.
_________________
1880's Thompson & Odell Boston
1880's L&H "Henry Gunckel" Sole Agent Cornet
1903 L&H "Improved Own Make"
Early 1900's Marceau Cornet *B&F Stencil
1922 Holton-Clarke Cornet
1954 Elkhart built by Buescher 37b
...And many more

[snichols]

Personally, I would simply operate under the mindset that unamplified musical instrument practice is not "nuisance noise". I think most people would define that as excessively loud stereos, TVs, perhaps loud amplified instruments (like a garage rock band), car horns, dogs barking excessively (hours on end or at night), and usually things like this only apply during certain hours. Especially, if you own the house, you could just tell them to buzz off.

[khedger]

I've lived in apts all of my adult life. Much of my life I've practiced every day including playing along with Aebersold records. I always make it a point to never practice before noonish or after 9 PM. I've never had a problem with a neighbor over noise. I've had a couple of instances where someone was sick or something, but I usually just stopped playing or put a practice mute in until things cleared up. Also, I've NEVER called the police on anybody for noise from a party or anything. (that can be good ammo in a confrantation about your practicing.) Here's what I would do:

- just practice and see if anyone has a problem with it. Do it during reasonable hours and try to isolate your noise as much as possible.

- if you hear nothing, make yourself conspicuous to your neighbor. Give the a chance to see you and say something if they want to (in case they're just being shy. Better to talk about it one on one than have them just go to the HOA. If they have a problem perhaps a particular time would work better? You can try to isolate yourself more then check with them? These things can usually be worked out between reasonable people (I know that's a stretch sometimes.)

[Andy Del]

As this is an international forum, the best bet is get familiar with local laws, by-laws and policies of the building you live in, etc. etc.

I know the times for noise restrictions where I live locally, and I go by them. I won't teach or practice past 7pm without a practice mute, and nothing early. Living opposite a large park helps, sometimes. But good relations with the neighbours, living times and stuff like that maens for zero issues for me.

When I was studying and still living with parents, I had a neighbour behind start to complain. A lot. Apparently his wife and kids wold get all nervy because HE went nuts if he could hear me play. And he was a cop... Got a little tricky as he wouldn't listen to reason, or accept local laws. But just remember, never take on a trumpet player! I knew a senior cop... the last time he called I gave him a message, 'please phone chief inspector Wxxxxxx, in the morning on this number.'

Never heard another thing, and he accepted the transfer to a small country town.

cheers

Andy
_________________
so many horns, so few good notes...

[ghelbig]

[kehaulani]

It was groovy in Germany. It was guaranteed by law that, if you were a professional, you were guaranteed several hours of practice a day.

Lived in tight quarters most of my life without a problem.
_________________
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." Bird

Yamaha 8310Z Bobby Shew trumpet
Benge 3X Trumpet
Benge 3X Cornet
Adams F-1 Flghn

[snichols]

Part of it depends on your specific townhouse as well. For example, my current townhouse has thick walls and my neighbor says she can't even hear me when I'm practicing in the bottom level (finished basement that's not closed off to the stairwell or foyer). The only things I can really hear from my neighbors are when kids are thumping up and down the stairs or when the guy on the other side is playing really loud music (bass/subwoofer).

You can also do a few things to dampen the sound in your place, like adding a big rug if it's a hard floor, and maybe some big, unframed canvas pieces of art on the walls. I know TJ Maxx and HomeGoods usually have artwork like that for pretty cheap. Just maximize the soft surfaces and minimize the hard surfaces.

[khedger]

[Robert P]

[Grits Burgh]

Examples of not nuisance noise:
Arturo Sandoval
Wynton Marsalis
Roy Hargrove

Examples of nuisance noise:
Me
This guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54sT9_KZScU

Warm regards,
Grits
_________________
Bach Stradivarius 37 (1971)
Schilke HC 1
Getzen 3810 C Cornet
King Master Bb Cornet (1945)
B&S 3145 Challenger I Series Flugelhorn
Life is short; buy every horn you want and die happy.

[mm55]

I've been renting this place for more than ten years. When I first moved in, the landlord said he had mentioned to one of the neighbors that a trumpet player was moving in, and the neighbor was upset about that. The landlord asked me if I'd agree not to play with the windows open, and he offered me a free air conditioner (for the summer, so I could keep the windows closed), and a rent concession as well. I agreed, and I've kept to the agreement; even my neighbors in the other half of the duplex (common wall in our kitchens) had no idea I played the trumpet until I told them.

So one day, I heard a trumpet in the neighborhood. I went for a walk to investigate. I walked past the complaining neighbor's house, and the sound was coming from the next house; his next-door neighbor. As I walked by on the sidewalk, all the windows and the front door were open, and I could see into the front room. The family father was sitting on the couch, playing a cornet, very loudly, and not very well. I learned later that his son had just joined the fourth-grade band, and dad was re-living his youth, by playing very loud and very bad. I recognized some material from Rubank, and then some Herb Alpert. He kept it up throughout the fall, until cold weather closed everyone's windows.

I never said a word, except to my landlord, and we laughed about it over a few beers. I never brought it up with my neighbors, and they still haven't heard me practicing or jamming. Managing expectations and neighborhood dynamics can be very valuable. The only thing I've broadcast across the neighborhood is "Taps" at 3pm on Memorial Day most years, and I've not heard any complaints. Sometimes I walk up the road to the cemetery on Memorial Day instead of sounding taps in the neighborhood.
_________________
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'42 Selmer US
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'12 Eastman ETR-540S (D/Eb)
'10 Carol CPT-300LR pkt
'89 Yamaha YCR2330S crnt
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[ghelbig]