House hunting for musicians/band practice without disturbing the neighbors/Soundproofing

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WhiteShadow

WhiteShadow

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Yo what's up RT!

It's looking like in the next year I'm going to be leveling up my music career/hobby by moving closer to Nashville (or maybe TO Nashville). I'll be looking at buying a house most likely, and I'm completely ignorant of house hunting, and what to look for if I'm a musician who wants to be able to play music and rehearse with my band without worry of pissing off neighbors. All my life I've lived on my family's farm where I never had to worry about cranking up, but the downside is that I'm so far out in the sticks that I couldn't have a band, so it didn't matter anyway. But now I'm leaving the family farm and pursuing some new opportunities in music.

I guess the best question is - what do some of you who live in suburban/city neighborhoods with close neighbors do to be able to jam/rehearse without disturbing your neighbors? I'd rather not have to rent some cruddy storage unit or pay for rehearsal space. Would be great to just have everything at home. Should I look for a place with a good basement? Any tips would be appreciated!
 
Basement or a home where you aren't afraid of doing a room inside a room. Nice thing with a basement is that it can let sound escape into the house but the house walls should help keep that in. Especially if you build a room like I did in the basement.

double 5/8 drywall walls and ceiling
limiting holes and lights punched in ceiling by feeding electrical through and mounting to stud or other on the ceiling
sealing around door and using solid core door(s)
use double stud walls where you can as they decouple inside from outside wall
Stuff your joists and walls with insulation
Wrap outlets with puddy pads ( if you are building, not existing walls)

You want mass to control vibration


On the cheap? You def want to start with a place with a basement. Windows in the basement will be your main sound leak source. You need to build covers that fit snug to cover them and stuff those with safe n sound.
 
Buying a house in Nashville is going to be expensive. It’s an extremely popular city, meaning between 80 to 100 people have been moving there every single day since about 2017 with no signs of that slowing down anytime soon.

Find a good real estate agent and check out all the popular real estate websites for places. Use all the resources you can get.
 
I'd advise against living inside Davidson county. High taxes. starting with 9.25 percent sales tax.....that was 2006. Bad air, Nashville is in a valley. And bad water, the cumberland river stew. Not drinkable, at least in them days. Also it is one of the hottest areas I've ever' lived in the summer and I mean hotter than central Florida or central TX. Myself I'd look in a more rural area outside the city but knowing what kinda budget you have would help. I live outside Austin about 40 minutes and can easily enjoy the best of the night life while retreating to the country for those starry skies after the show is over. It's been a good way to live and I have space where I can have bonfires, shoot guns, do donuts, or crank a Twin at any hour I want. No noise ordinance is my soundproofing.

As for Nashville itself well.....there is a reason I live here, not there. Namely, more paying gigs, less competition. Rule number one of guitar playing in Nashville, every person you meet on the street can probably outplay you. Everyone plays guitar. The dude changing your oil will rock your world. Kids half your age. KIDS. It's a good scene but it's a place overrun with killer players and homeless people. But it does the chops good so if that's your goal, it's a good spot though mostly it's about corporate country and nobody gives two shakes about anything else there save for a few clubs catering to those other genres. All reasons I departed.

Lastly if you go through with it and are downtown frequently it will be important to develop good relationships with the non drug addicted homeless down there. Every city I go that has played out favorably for everyone involved. Good luck brother.
 
@VonBonfire makes a good point about living outside the main city. Also, I believe more large roadways converge in the Nashville area than any other place in the US, so there are a lot of places where you can live outside the city but still have an easy straight shot to it via interstates, particularly I-40 or I-65.

Don't be afraid to look outside the city is what I'm saying.
 
Great responses! Thank you!

I'm actually very familiar with Nashville, as I've grown up and lived about 1.5 hrs drive from there my whole life. But I've never lived in or bought property in Nashville. This is going to be at least a year in the making with me moving and getting established there. Just played a very successful gig there this past weekend with my new band and made some good connections. Just trying to get ahead of things and start doing my homework and planning now. Any good tips/advice much appreciated!
 
WhiteShadow said:
Great responses! Thank you!

I'm actually very familiar with Nashville, as I've grown up and lived about 1.5 hrs drive from there my whole life. But I've never lived in or bought property in Nashville. This is going to be at least a year in the making with me moving and getting established there. Just played a very successful gig there this past weekend with my new band and made some good connections. Just trying to get ahead of things and start doing my homework and planning now. Any good tips/advice much appreciated!
Click to expand...

I prefer basements myself. I've been to TN in the summer and damn, it can get brutally hot. You guys deserve a medal for dealing with that heat. LOL Basements are nice and cool in the summer. Having said that, what's the rainfall like and are there issues with floods in the areas you're considering? In the midwest, basements can turn into low rent swimming pools and so they often have a sump pump. A friend of mine had to gut their basement after the sump pump failed. Ater that, they had two new sump pumps installed.

Best wishes for your new adventure and your property search!
 
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Basements are bonus insulating walls for sure but you are going to be hard pressed to trap a live drum sound.

Maybe talk your drummer into an electronic kit?
 
Kapo_Polenton said:
Basement or a home where you aren't afraid of doing a room inside a room. Nice thing with a basement is that it can let sound escape into the house but the house walls should help keep that in. Especially if you build a room like I did in the basement.

double 5/8 drywall walls and ceiling
limiting holes and lights punched in ceiling by feeding electrical through and mounting to stud or other on the ceiling
sealing around door and using solid core door(s)
use double stud walls where you can as they decouple inside from outside wall
Stuff your joists and walls with insulation
Wrap outlets with puddy pads ( if you are building, not existing walls)

You want mass to control vibration


On the cheap? You def want to start with a place with a basement. Windows in the basement will be your main sound leak source. You need to build covers that fit snug to cover them and stuff those with safe n sound.
Click to expand...
This man knows what he is talking about ^^^


Also, check out this video



And look into this site for cheaper options:
https://vocalboothtogo.com/
 
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I don't wanna reign on anyone's parade but E kits suck ballz. If you are a drummer, unless you are buying some 5k kit,the feel blows. hi hat is terrible, your bass foot changes and the cymbals are just lifeless. The real deal just feels right.
 
Kapo_Polenton said:
Basement or a home where you aren't afraid of doing a room inside a room. Nice thing with a basement is that it can let sound escape into the house but the house walls should help keep that in. Especially if you build a room like I did in the basement.

double 5/8 drywall walls and ceiling
limiting holes and lights punched in ceiling by feeding electrical through and mounting to stud or other on the ceiling
sealing around door and using solid core door(s)
use double stud walls where you can as they decouple inside from outside wall
Stuff your joists and walls with insulation
Wrap outlets with puddy pads ( if you are building, not existing walls)

You want mass to control vibration


On the cheap? You def want to start with a place with a basement. Windows in the basement will be your main sound leak source. You need to build covers that fit snug to cover them and stuff those with safe n sound.
Click to expand...

This is pretty much what I did for a room in my house. Didn't have the room to double stud it so I get sound leak but can play up to around 90db before disturbing my son in his room directly above me. My ceilings are on resilient channel whisper clips which helps.

i also like that you didn't include green glue, that stuff is expensive and admittedly I don't know how much it actually helps in the real world. Not based upon perfect environments they use to test products. A double stud wall will go much further.

Wife is wanting to move from southwest FL to Brentwood/Franklin area in TN. It's just as expensive and just as hot but I like the idea of being around a lot more musicians and having a bigger backyard...also a basement. We have no basements here so storage is difficult.
 
I’ll be another one to say basement and room inside a room. I’ve got a practice space in my basement, neighbors house is about 13 feet from mine and they can’t hear it (drums, bass, guitar). Although we never played past 8 PM just to be safe. My basement is 4 or 5 feet below grade, we framed in new walls leaving a gap of a few inches between the new walls and existing exterior walls. Walls are typical 2x4 construction with insulation and sheet rock, then we added a layer of sound board then a layer of office cubical walls a buddy gave me. Outside the house you can’t hear it til your just a few feet from the house and it just sounds like someone is bumpin the stereo. It can still be kind of loud inside the house but the level is dramatically reduced.
 
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If I were moving to the Nashville area for a Music career I would live northeast of town like Hendersonville area. South (Franklin area is now too expensive). Cheaper and close enough to do what you want. I live two hours northwest and it’s hot as hell right now. We play tonight on the lake so I’ll be doused in cornstarch as I swelter.
 
Kapo_Polenton said:
I don't wanna reign on anyone's parade but E kits suck ballz. If you are a drummer, unless you are buying some 5k kit,the feel blows. hi hat is terrible, your bass foot changes and the cymbals are just lifeless. The real deal just feels right.
Click to expand...
old dogs, new tricks,...

Never said I was a drummer, nor do I pretend to be one or want to be one. Anyway...

Let me know when you're shipping that $5K electronic drum kit to me, I want to be sure you have the right address. :D
 
PiggySmallz said:
This is pretty much what I did for a room in my house. Didn't have the room to double stud it so I get sound leak but can play up to around 90db before disturbing my son in his room directly above me. My ceilings are on resilient channel whisper clips which helps.

i also like that you didn't include green glue, that stuff is expensive and admittedly I don't know how much it actually helps in the real world. Not based upon perfect environments they use to test products. A double stud wall will go much further.

Wife is wanting to move from southwest FL to Brentwood/Franklin area in TN. It's just as expensive and just as hot but I like the idea of being around a lot more musicians and having a bigger backyard...also a basement. We have no basements here so storage is difficult.
Click to expand...

Yes! I forgot resilient channel. My "studio" room (den) is Sonopan ( canadian product, marketed as sound board), resilient channel, 2 layers of 5/8 and only two holes in the ceiling enough to pass electrical through. I've got Two ducts but I used flexi duct and ran them too long in order to create turns and double back which cuts db ( in theory). Everything has to be sealed around the edges. ( around ducts, around the holes for electrical) Essentially sound is like water. Then it is also vibration. Two very hard things to control where penetration is concerned.

I researched the hell out of the project before starting and if I were to start today, I'd do it differently but budgets are real. Am I recording Taylor Swift down here? No. I'm recording dad rock and I never finish a song so..this should do. I really just want to crank amps a bit and play acoustic drums.
 
rsm said:
old dogs, new tricks,...

Never said I was a drummer, nor do I pretend to be one or want to be one. Anyway...

Let me know when you're shipping that $5K electronic drum kit to me, I want to be sure you have the right address. :D
Click to expand...

Then it might do you fine.. I just felt for me, the intricacies of the hi hat just weren't translating for me. Also at the cost of some of these good modules or hi hats.. I'd sooner buy a kick ass maple kit on the used market.
 
Kapo_Polenton said:
Then it might do you fine.. I just felt for me, the intricacies of the hi hat just weren't translating for me. Also at the cost of some of these good modules or hi hats.. I'd sooner buy a kick ass maple kit on the used market.
Click to expand...

Different gear for different needs...

Cheers! :thumbsup:
 
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