So, your child has finally gotten what they’ve always wanted: a drum set! And you’ve finally convinced them to take drum lessons for kids! Congratulations! It’s a win-win situation, and everyone seems happy. Until the drum practice starts. Oh no. You thought that drum lessons for kids were a brilliant idea to help transform your budding musician into the next Ringo Starr. Even with noise-canceling headphones and designated practice times, the noise can still be too much. And, you want to do everything you can to encourage your child to practice his or her heart out. Your child doesn’t have to give up their newfound passion, and you can put down the Tylenol.
Soundproofing a room in your house can be a great option for parents who are serious about their child’s musical future or for those parents who just need a little bit of sanity back. Luckily, we’re music experts, so we’ve got some helpful tips from our drum teachers to soundproof your home to make drum practice a little easier on everybody.
1. Know Your Options
First and foremost- understand your goals. At least one of your goals should be to create a space that minimizes the reverberation that allows your child to hear their instrument without all the ambient noise. In order to do this, you’ll need to cut down on the number of surfaces that could serve as a way for sound waves to bounce around the room, generating more noise.
When it comes to floors, if you’ve already got carpet, that’s great. If you have hardwood or laminate floors, you’ll need to put rugs down in the room to absorb the sound. Now, to tackle the walls and/or ceiling, you have a variety of options:
- Soundboard – these panels are layered with vinyl, foam, and plasterboard, and you could place them over existing drywall
- Latex wall liners – you can attach latex to your walls or ceiling to create a surface that will cancel a soundwave once it hits the surface.
- Acoustic Foam – particularly good for stringed instruments, these are lightweight panels and are highly customizable. They’re also highly effective at absorbing high and mid-range frequencies.
- Acoustic Panels – traditionally made of foam, wool, or fiberglass, these can be placed along the wall or ceiling to reduce reflection and absorb sound.
- Acoustic Blankets – these are similar to large, moving blankets. They can be hung to absorb sound and are easy to install and move.
2. Stick to a Budget
Knowing exactly what you need will help you stick to a reasonable budget. Remember- this is about encouraging your child to practice, practice, practice. You want them to feel free to explore their instrument as much as they please. This project can be expensive, so it’s good to keep in mind that it is an investment in your family’s hobbies and goals. Talk to your local music store to see if they recommend any companies. They might even be willing to pass along a wholesale discount to you! Acoustic wall panels are a good, less expensive option.
3. Less is More
The good news is that even though your child is taking drum lessons for kids, you don’t need to be determined to eliminate all of the sounds they are producing. Even if you reduce the volume of noise coming from your child’s practice room by 10 decibels, your ears will perceive the reduction as 50% less noisy.
You can download a decibel meter app and measure the sound level of the room during practice and as you begin adding soundproofing measures. You can also place rubber or foam in a doorway or underneath the door to keep the sound inside. This can also work for windows.
4. Set Your Expectations
One of the best things you can do when embarking on this soundproofing project is to set reasonable expectations. Like we previously mentioned, your goal likely isn’t to eliminate every sound coming from your family’s practice room. And, you’re likely not starting from scratch, so you’ve got to work around an existing room that is likely serving multiple purposes.
The best way to encourage your child to keep practicing is to create an adequate practice space for them. If you’re serious about your drum lessons for kids, creating a soundproof room is a great way to encourage your child to keep on playing.
If you want to enroll your child from drum lessons, contact Lessons In Your Home today to sign up! Our teachers come right to your home for every lesson, plus we offer virtual music lessons, too. Our online music lessons are taught by local music teachers with live lessons tailored to your child!
