Where do you practice?

[bari_sax_diva]

Okay, here's my poll question, and it has its roots in all those years I had to scrounge for a place to practice. Where do you do the "deed?"

By the way, if you answer "other," please give details--someone might need a new place to 'shed.

Cheers,
Leanne

[JimD]

I could have called it the music room, because it doubles as that, but its real function is the bedroom.

[Agent27]

Yeah, I practice in my bedroom too. My CD player is in here (Aebersold) as is my computer (Band in a Box) and my keyboard. When I'm off at school I use the practice rooms. I don't think playing in the dorms would go over well. I do however have an old Bundy II that I keep in my dorm room that I just finger excercises on but don't play.

[Helen]

I said music room, but what it actually is, is a 2 bedroom apartment in my house...The house is an up & down duplex. Most of the ground floor is taken up by this 2 bedroom apartment which I have turned into practice and office space. One bedroom and the living room is the rehearsal space, and where I teach. The other bedroom is a waiting area for parents...or whoever...complete with TV, futon, and exercise bike. Keeps everyone out of the main portion of my house, and in the summer, makes a nice retreat from the stiffling temps. :D

[Stencilman]

Funny that I read this as I practice sitting in my office at work. With little ones at home, I can't practice in the evening so I keep my little C-soprano at work and practice from 5:30am until 7:15 when people start to show up. I bring in the alto a couple of days a week.

I often practice during lunch, too, but very very softly. I've only had one or two people say "I've heard music but can't tell where its coming from". Now, everyone knows that its me and I've never had complaints.

At least 2 times a week, I go church where we have a very nice recording studio. There I practice and do some recording (working on my second CD, first was all keyboards and wind controller).

[gary]

Used to practice regularly in the church parish hall. After looking around for about a year, found a small apartment who's landlady is an opera singer and who had no problem renting to me, even after I requested that it be included in the contract that I was allowed to give private lessons in my apartment and that I am guaranteed up to five hours a day practice.I play and give lessons in the "living room" of my apartment.

[knighttrain]

In the basement - with the door closed.

[Lyle]

I live in the woods (Ozark) and the nearest neighbor is quarter mile. My house has what I call a hobby room. It is 24'X24'. That is where I have my weights (exercise) my keyboard, guitar, computer, oil paints, clarinet, and tenor sax. I can play as bad, loud, and long as I want. :D

[Tenorsaxer]

My room. I am moving soon though and will have 2 rooms. A bedroom and a computer/music room. WOOHOO!

[Wailin']

Apartment for the past couple years...neighbors on boths sides but never had a single complaint about noise...maybe the walls are soundproof.

[SopranoSue]

Lyle, your place sounds like heaven! My dream is a log home on 20+ acres in NH.

Right now, I practice either in my livingroom or bedroom...

[Lyle]

When I am working, and away from home I have practiced in motels, apartments etc. I always stopped playing by 8 PM. I have gotten some comments from those neighbors. Some were making requests for songs. On guy yelled, "shut up you stupid jerk." That sounded like the title of a country western song, one I did not know. 8)

[dpwadw]

A closet full of clothes is just about the next best thing to a real sound booth. I even record in there! My family barely notices I'm playing. It frees the soul to improvise with abandon! I honk away, fearless of the many altissimo blunders :oops: .

Just run an XLR cable to your recording gear in a neighboring room.
Voila! instant neutral recording. It will sound so neutral in fact that you'll want to add some reverb right away once you hear the track. That's a good thing. You can control effects alot easier than the surroundings.

Run some good headphones in there and you're ready to go :wink: .

[SopranoSue]

Lol, Lyle! :D

I've travelled a lot in the last 5 years, although I never played in the hotel rooms. Reminds me of the song: "Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug."

Dpwadw, I tried playing to the shirtsleeves in my closet, but everything in my house is hardwood floors, walls, etc., and I doubt that other than my shirtsleeves in the closet, there's barely more than 1/2 ounce of insulation in the whole building. After one particularly good practice session on a Saturday night, I was totally embarassed to get a clapping ovation from two separate neighbor's houses next door and the tenant upstairs... makes me not really want to practice -- self-conscious... :oops:

[Lyle]

Sue

A self conscious musician? A clapping ovation should encourage you to open the windows, or stand on a balcony and play loudly. I do not hesitate to practice in motels, hotels, apartments, or villas. Fact is, I have never had complaints. Requests, yes. Applause, once. It was the song that received the applause, not the performance. In Georgia I played Dixie. :)

[dpwadw]

SopranoSue,

I must admit that I'm blessed by living in a separate dwelling with well insulated walls. The only people I can frequently annoy are family members. I did get some requests from a neighbor across the street once.

Also I have a carpeted closet. You might consider buying a swatch of thick piled stuff to dampen the wood floor. Attach thick foam to the walls etc. Anything to avoid losing your chops. Good luck and don't be discouraged!

[OnyxSax]

My house is like Lyle's. I have my own "play" room with my keyboards, my computer, my slot car set, my weights, a video game console and my saxophones. I can't believe the Mrs. let me get away with appropriating this room to myself. Things might change when the baby arrives, though.

I waited a LONG time to be able to run my saxes full bore and not have to worry about anyone complaining except one of my dachshunds when I hit altissimo notes. It makes signing that mortgage check that much more bearable.

[DirkW]

With 7 kids, I don't get a play room.

When I practice alone, it's in my tile bathroom. I like the built-in reverb. When I play full voice, you can easily hear me two doors down. But, no complaints so far.

I have three kids playing wind instruments plus my wife and two kids on keyboards only. The wind instruments are practiced in their bedrooms. If four or more are practicing together, we practice in the living room by the piano. Since the boys on trumpet and sax like play loud (like their dad), only one wind instrument is allowed to practice at a time, unless practicing as an ensemble. We have family concerts twice a year, with primarily family in attendance.

I DO NOT want to take the act on the road. I'm encouraging them to have fun when they play and to find an occupation they enjoy that will pay them a livable wage without constant travel.

[SopranoSue]

Lyle: Self-consious? Yes. Unfortunately, I'm not even close to the leagues that you all are in. I'm not a true musician in that I play to let people enjoy. I'm not a performer and never will be -- I play for myself. Therefore, I have a tendency to be too critical of myself. Depends on the frame of mind that I'm in , but some days I have GREAT sessions, and other days, well, we won't mention, and we hope that other people don't hear. Let's attribute it to a bad reed day... :wink:

dpwadw: Life is defintely for the journey. I used to have 11.5 acres in which I *could* practice, but life changes and now I'm in basically a 2-story house in a neighborhood of the same who can hear a dog howl from four blocks away. A little daunting at most...

DirkW: 7 kids? Heck, I wouldn't hesitate to play. Can't make enough noise to oust 7 kids... :lol:

[Lyle]

DirkW

Your arrangement sounds great! I would give up my large room and isolation to have 6 musicians in the house, or maybe nearby would be better :lol:

Enjoy every moment :)

[DirkW]

When the baby is sleeping, my wife requests we play "Far, Far Away"

[Bill Mecca]

I'm in the garage, 4 years in the new house and I still haven't gotten the lower level remodeled into a bedroom, family room and music room. Before that I was in a detached garage with a dirt floor and a kerosene lamp (serioulsy!)

soon the downstairs will be complete as the kids need more room.

[jazzbluescat]

Other.
I wish I had some juicy intriguing details to enthrall y'all with; but, fact of the matter is, I just have a whole house to myself, with the nearest neighbor a coupla hundred yards away. I can toot anytime, and in any room that I want. I feel so privileged, it's embarrassing. :oops:

[Bill Mecca]

We'll be right over! :wink:

[averageschmoe]

a 6x10 cell with metal walls and a heavy steel door... there's a long underground row of about sixty of the things, all of them poorly ventilated with glaring neon lights. i can take about three hours before i begin to go insane, i've done six but the last two i was sure that my tenor case was a demon hell-bent on eating my soul. it's better if i take it on smaller doeses multiple times a day.

[saxygirl]

My bedroom, and my mum is looking into getting it soundproofed!

[jazzbluescat]

averageschmoe,
Don't mean to pry; but, are you incarcerated? :shock:

billmecca.com,
Come on over! Just let me know when you're coming so I can put the dog up.

[averageschmoe]

nah, just school... the practice rooms are dismal at best, but they're cheap ($25 a semester for two keys, usually shared with a few other people). and every time i have to move my stuff out and return my keys i start to miss my little slice of miserable hell.

[bari_sax_diva]

Hey Schmoe... would that be Long Beach State? If so, how's the program there? I'm in the San Fernando Valley, but usually haunt the comm. college groups (damn day jobs!).

-Leanne

[averageschmoe]

leanne, the program is getting better every year! the wind symphony is going to england and wales within a few days, playing some pretty good venues. sax ensemble is back on its way to the quality we had in 99/2000. leo is still amazing. neal finn is getting the jazz program back on its feet, from what i hear they played fantastically in reno... jeff reynolds has done a lot for our recruiting.

[woodwindmaster06]

I practice anywhere, in my room, in the basement in the music room anywhere different at everyday

[WG]

I said other, but it's actually my basement. I don't have the audacity to refer to it as a "music room" because of the washer and dryer in the corner. But, it does have a huge stereo for playing those Aebersold play-a-longs :D

[larry]

I said "music room" cause that's where 85% of my practicing takes place BUT, I've been known to practice in my car in the parking lot of my son's Karate studio (while he's in class), in an unused lab here at work, and in the park on sunny days.

My teacher can tell when I don't practice and fear of humiliathon is a great incentive!

-LG

[samsax]

I have a spot in my basement where I practice. It dosen't bother the neighbors.

[Rick]

The acoustics for practicing in the bathroom a great

[Bartleby]

On the beach, when the UK weather permits. Down there the only serious complaints come from seagulls.

[-TH]

I practice in a bomb shelter! :guns:

The outside world doesn't bother me there. I feel safe and I can fully concentrate on jazz! :D

Tuomas

[steve]

I can't top a bomb shelter, but how about a coal bin? Really! Our house was built in 1907....and for the benefit of you young whippersnappers, old homes often were heated with coal burning furnaces. The coal would be delivered to an area in the basement through an opening in the basement wall and down a chute from a dump truckor coal wagon. Anyway, our old bin now functions as a sub-basement woodshop/practice room. Nice thick walls....which the neighbors appreciate.

[michaelbaird]

I practice in my living room with my stereo unless I'm working on distorting my tone or inflections. Then I prefer a live room like the bathroom where the sound bounces back better.

[Sigmund451]

So in what type of room does one get a clearer idea of what others are hearing from a distance when you play? The bathroom is fun, some rooms in my house I sould horrible....my main music/computer room has nasty tone eating acoustics (very small and full of carpet and stuff).

[michaelbaird]

That is the eternal secret everyone wishes to know. I would tell you if I knew. Record yourself the next time you play, that will give you some idea. I know from playing the oboe, the more vibrant your sound is up close, the better you sound out in the hall.

[Birdman]

I practice in the basement with the door shut and locked!

[Chicken 'Lil]

I have a practice space away from my house so I can get away. Far, far away and work.

[Cannonball & CmelGuy]

I love to practice on the toilet in the figurative sense. Bathroom tiles make for good acoustics. Also, see weird places to practice thread.

[Dog Pants]

I've practiced my KING Curtis licks whilst sitting on the dunny. My Junior Walker licks whilst wheeling the pram. My "Cleanhead" licks whilst sitting in the barber chair. There's really no end to my lame jokes is there? :D

[littlemanbighorn]

I need more options. I practice clarinet and bass clarinet in my practice room. If my girlfriend is practicing piano, I practice them in our bedroom.
When I practice saxophone it's out in the garage of the house next door (which is a rehearsal space shared by a few bands.

[jmartin]

I have this small room in the back of my basement. I've set it up with my guitars, horns, keyboard, computer, mixer, etc and created a nice little practice area / home recording area. The cool thing is the room is actually cut into the side of a hill and therefore is surrounded on three four (floor and 3 walls) sides by earth. I can play just about as loud as I like and no one complains. :)

[Giganova]

The most obvious choice is missing from the poll: in the living room.

[Giganova]

I love to practice on the toilet ...
I will never buy a horn from you! :shock: ;)

[Jazz House]

I practice in the living room. I sit on the piano stool and put my music on the piano. I frequently stand up and fool around playing all sorts of funny notes on the sax too. :)

[tomsch]

I practice in my master bedroom where I leave my tenor set up on the stand throughout the week. That way it's easy to pick up and play. The bedroom is also away from the rest of the family, which helps!

[Mactenor]

I practice in my basement/music area, concrete floor. Practicing in an area that is carpeted deadens the tone.

[sax-ony]

I practise in a former commercial recording studio which just happened to be in my back garden when I bought the house. Really - a thousand square feet of old stone barn with full heat and electrics, divided into studio, practice room, drum room and control room, with hardwood floors and strategically placed acoustic surfaces. All the equipment had been taken out, and I've converted some of it to office space, but I still use the sound-proof practice room for its original purpose. (Not that anyone would want to record me!)

[dhopson]

Travelling with the job usually means apartment life. The one I have now is pretty well built and the sound doesn't carry if i stay soft. I play everything but the bari at home. But there are those times when you just have to let loose.

I've practiced in parking garages, parks and parking lots around office bldgs. I used to commute home on weekends from greenville, SC to Birmingham. Lots of open interstate and late hours. I attempted to play my sop while pretending to drive. It didn't work out very well. Switched to harp for trips. :D

[DXCamp]

I like to solo practice outdoors on the rooftop patio where I live, preferably at dusk and continuing until after sundown. I also attend a workshop getting some experience with swing and other dance styles such as tango and jazz waltzes in an American Legion dancehall. The workshop is indoors, of course, but is a very nice room. 8-) The workshop is not practice, of course, but is a good workout! I typically differentiate between practice and rehearsal/performance, though.

[Swampcabbage]

Bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining room, various rehearsal spaces and back rooms and basements in some of the nastiest bars you'd ever want to be in.

[bandmommy]

I usually practice in my bedroom or one of the practice rooms at the Middle School where I do lessons during the cold months. Upstairs in the barn in the summer.

[Billt4mn]

Basement, where I've got stands set up and books, accessories and charts stored.

[Jonathan C.]

Right now its in my Bedroom. I have a nice little pratice area set up. I usually do my praticing until my family get home. Since my room is right over the master.

What I will do next year (I have no idea), in a few years when I have my truely own place, I have no idea. I would like to have a basement of sorts that would be my pratice area, but its hard to tell.

[estagro]

In my dinning/living room. That's where the piano is.... and no one uses it in the house, so I get it all to myself

[ChuBerry47]

Basement, or if the temperature is right, I sometimes play on the porch. :D

[magical pig]

Man, as some of you know I moved from France to Louisiana last September. I used to practice in a nice attic that was basically just wood all over the place with just one concrete wall. Since I got into my new house (which is a nice quiet place, with a garden full of green and squirrels and all you would expect from a semi-isolated suburban house in Louisiana) I've been practicing in a room with mostly soft deadening material in it... I didn't realize just how bad the room was for the sound of a saxophone.

Tonight, being on the verge of losing it because of sound frustration I went into the bathroom and locked myself in in the dark. I wanted to be bathed in complete darkness and this room being the only one with no window it was perfect for that purpose. Now guess what HOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLYYY ****!!!! "WHAM!", "POW!", "CRUNCH", "BLAST"... Is it me playing? Yes it is... What's happened to me? Is it holy revelation, have I found Him? No for sure... Big sound from low Bb to high (fill in the note), fat sound, great dark core, ring, presence and projection. I stopped when my ears started bleeding from the volume. I'm so happy I might even open a bottle of Champagne and get drunk tonite!

I guess if I need to remember two things from this experience :

1)never practice ALWAYS in the same room (even if it sound very good because you will have to play in places with deplorable acoustics)

2)NEVER trust your recording equipment to judge your sound. Mine have put me in a downward spiral of self-depreciation. I just realized it was not founded on an objective source (recording equipment)

That's it,
Victor.

[Alexk]

Where do you do the "deed?"
The "deed" is done in the bedr..............................hang on, hang on, that's not really the question is it?:? ;)

In the music room! Since moving house, we have scored a 4 bedroom place, so I got to set up a room to practice in. Has the piano in it and doubles as an office as well. It's great.

[SaxmanRhys]

Mainly practice in my music room, but occasional i'll jam at the park, or on the front lawn?

[oneply]

I'm in the basement er music room :) I've specifically asked my neighbour and she has not heard me play.

Since the basement was unfinished when we moved in, I get to finish it :) not necessarily a bad thing as I'm adding sound insulation like mad :D