Rock Band: Rehearsal and Neighbors

As some learns to play guitar, the interest and need to practice with an actual band becomes apparent. However, a band doesn't have the option of just practicing with headphones like someone learning how to play electric guitar, so someone practicing from home needs to account for the reaction of their neighbors.

Depending on your living arrangements, there might be a fairly practical place to rehearse without disturbing your neighbors. Usually this will be a basement, even more so if it already soundproofed or the band is willing to put the money into soundproofing it.

Someone in an apartment is likely to not have any real practical place to practice without disturbing their neighbors, unless they are in the position of being able to soundproof a room.

One thing you should really do is check with your neighbors before you start to use your home as a rehearsal space. It may be quite possible you can allot a period of time where they won't mind you practicing and being loud enough to disturb them.

Chances are, if they are close enough to be disturbed by a band practicing, they probably have become as you learn to play guitar of this interest, so it probably won't be that surprising.

Then again if you have been learning how to play the electric guitar using headphones, they may not have noticed. It is best to do this before hand in case it turns out one of your neighbors works a night shift and needs to sleep during unusual hours.

Even with permission to practice from your neighbors, it is still a good idea to try to keep the volume down. Not only to avoid upsetting anyone significantly, but also to avoid hearing damage, as well. Unfortunately, the volume level will usually be set by drummers, and most have not developed the control to play at more limited volume levels or gone to the expense of purchasing a cheap electric kit for practice purposes.

If your drummer has an electric kit or has the control to play at lower volumes, then you are in really good shape in terms of volume control. If not, and it is unlikely for your drummer to do one or the other, try to just get the amps to a point they are audible, but don't blast them at full tilt.

Even if your actual recording and performance tone is reached in that manner, it usually is not necessary in practice, unless you are performing a full show rehearsal to make sure all the effects and settings cues are performed correctly.

The two best ways to ensure a good experience of using your home as a rehearsal space is to ensure that your neighbors are aware that you are going to use it as such, and possibly set certain time ranges where you can do it as you learn to play guitar with the band.

In addition, just like with learning how to play electric guitar practice at a volume level where you can reasonably hear yourself playing, not with the amp all the settings at 10, when it isn't needed.