How to Practice Your Voice Without Irritating the Neighbors - UPDATED 2021
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I
received a very practical question in my email ... Julia in Albuquerque
asks,
I live in an apartment
complex and like to practice at night. What should I do about the noise?
Singers
sometimes need to do vocal warmups and practice songs in hotel rooms, houses
shared by others or on postage stamp lots, artist dressing rooms, public
bathrooms, between-set-alleys, band buses, a back corner of the venue itself.
How can you do this without annoying neighbors or giving away the sound of your
not-yet-warmed-up-voice? Here are some suggestions:
Quietest solution:
Silence! Mime or lip-sync your songs. Use your facial and body language, flex your pelvic floor power, do everything but make a sound. Use silent vocal exercises like lip or tongue trills - try the "Mental Body/Voice Connection Routine" which is in my 6-disc Power, Path & Performance vocal training course. Tell you what; I'll just give it to you as a signup bonus right now! (If you don't see this signup box below, go to the blogpost site online)
Cheapest audible solution:
Consider getting a pair of HearFones.
These gadgets are like having a PA system that requires no electricity or
batteries. Wearing them will also have the added benefit of keeping you from
using too much air pressure. You won't push your voice loudly because it will sound like yelling at yourself! So you'll most probably be prompted to use better techniques for opening your throat and balancing breath support and control. A win-win for you AND your neighbors!
Good will/kindness solution:
Try garnering a little good will by contacting and alerting neighbors about
when you intend to practice, being willing to work around times they especially
need quiet (working night shift and need to sleep, baby's napping, etc). If you're singing with your instrument or your band is joining you for rehearsal, try using quiet practice gear and maybe some headphones. Your
neighbors (and family) could become supportive friend-fans and organic show promotors!
Location solutions:
- For an apartment, hotel room or space you don't own, you can try warming up and singing in the shower! You can also try vocalizing into a pillow or window curtains. However, don't practice in 'guarded stance'. A hunched over, too-careful posture and numb delivery could lead you into bad vocal technique, causing you to tighten up instead of loosen up!
- You can always practice in your car... but if you practice correctly you must be mindful of how you are singing. SO.... don't tailgate, stay away from other cars, or better yet... park and sing! Oh and don't let your posture slump.
- For your home, you might consider dedicating a space for playing/listening to/practicing music. In my home, my music room is located over my garage, and there is carpet on the floor. It really is a great situation for me and my students. So is, of course, the fact that I'm mostly working online with lessons, background vocals and production right now.
High end solutions
If you want to go the whole distance (and have the funds to do so);
- Get some soundproofing or sound absorption materials for the room. While there are cheap ways to do this, don't line walls with flammable material.
- Construct a vocal booth
- Buy a vocal booth already made.
- Professionally
design/build a soundproof room from scratch... or better yet, have an acoustical engineer or expert in architectural acoustics design it and
build it for you.
OK you... now go practice! Got neighbors? Where there's a will there's a quiet way:)
Labels: hearfones, irritating neighbors, Judy Rodman, music rehearsal, practice your voice, soundproofing, vocal booth, vocal exercises, vocal warmup
posted by Judy Rodman
@
7:00 PM
9 Comments :
At April 28, 2014 at 8:36 AM ,
Julia Bowen said...
Thank you, Judy!!! As always, great suggestions!! You have made such a difference in my vocal career : )
At April 29, 2014 at 10:44 AM ,
Judy Rodman said...
You are most welcome, Julia... thx for the great question!
At July 17, 2015 at 1:08 PM ,
Kath Morgan said...
Shower is the best place to practice my voice! My voice always sounds good whenever I'm inside. lol Thanks for some other suggestions, still!
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At December 5, 2015 at 10:43 PM ,
Anonymous said...
I'm going to suggest getting a dynamic mic with a good amp for the beginner. You won't get the world's most amazing tone and quality but I'd also say the odds are that when you're starting out, you won't need it. I kept getting condenser mics because people swore by them and I was never able to get enough recorded to justify a booth, which on my income would have to go on a credit card. If you're really bootstrapping it, get an SM58 with an XLR-USB amp for around $200. There are cheaper options but that's the quality to price breakpoint. Lower quality probably isn't good enough.
You'll be able to use the SM58 at live gigs later but, starting out, it will get you a presence on Youtube or for simple projects. Right now, my neighbors' TV is blaring, their dogs are barking, and the mic doesn't pick it up. It doesn't pick up anything noticable past around 6-12 inches -- loud noises at 24 inches -- and the very small amount of noise it does pick up is removed without severely damaging the sound quality.
Now, is that a proper studio setup? No. But I'll use the mic when I get one. SM58s can be dropped from buildings and still work and pros continue to use them at live appearances. (You'll also want an SM57 for instruments.) Some pros use them in studios.
But the expenses of a quality booth become an excuse not to make stuff, whether it's speeches, music, or voiceover. And if you aren't producing anything, you won't be able to justify the bigger expenses later. That is what leads people to wake up one day at 30, 35, or 40 and give up. The people who advise you to go in big initially had the money to do it and are part of a select group that made it.
Think about it: you only ask the successful people for advice. I would imagine that the majority of people who bought a WhisperRoom blew the money or eventually spent enough on upgrades to be run a negative. But you only hear from the successful people because that's who people seek advice from.
I'd say get a solid dynamic mic like the SM58 and start making stuff now. Rent a booth for an album or run a Kickstarter that folds the booth into your budget. It's easier to get other people to help diffray the risk of a large purchase if you have functional samples.
At December 6, 2015 at 1:50 PM ,
Judy Rodman said...
Whoever you are, Anonymous, bless you for your contribution here. Great advice, and you're right, even on the cheapest budget, where there's a will, there's a way! I, myself practice and teach singers mic technique on SM58 and Sennheiser 835s in my music room These economical mics are not just for beginners. Thanks again and please keep in touch!
At March 5, 2016 at 6:58 AM ,
India barnes said...
would vocalising in a pillow help me? I have a lot of people in my house with no shed or garage for privacy.
At March 5, 2016 at 2:43 PM ,
Judy Rodman said...
India... wow that's a novel solution! You could actually try that, but do hold the pillow a few inches away from your face! You could also try going into a closet or bathroom to practice.
At June 22, 2021 at 12:58 PM ,
Unknown said...
This is awesome, Judy, and so insightful! I really like the levels that you provided-- Cheapest to "High-end" solutions. Brilliant!
At June 22, 2021 at 4:32 PM ,
Judy Rodman said...
Thank you - so happy you enjoyed it!
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