You probably won’t ever be able to make your practice room completely soundproof, but quite a bit can be done to minimize the amount of noise that escapes that room. With a few simple upgrades and some soundproofing materials, you can make sure that your family members and neighbors aren’t going to dread your practice sessions.
Seal Up the Openings
Sound is transferred through vibrations in the air, and those vibrations are going to escape the room if there are any openings. One of the most effective ways to limit how much noise leaves a room is to seal up all of the cracks and pinholes. Putting caulk and weatherstripping around all of the doors and windows is a great place to start, and that project should take no more than a few hours.
Install Acoustic Panels
Installing acoustic panelling is another simple and inexpensive way to soundproof a room. Those panels have been specifically designed to capture and muffle sound waves, and they can easily be installed with a few basic tools. At the very least, you should cover any shared walls that are completely bare. Bare walls tend to be very porous, and that can lead to an incredible amount of noise transfer if you don’t put up acoustic panels.
Lift Any Items That Vibrate
Even if you do everything in your power to soundproof your practice room, you might still end up struggling with vibrations. Dealing with those vibrations is going to be especially important if you live in an apartment or any other type of shared living space. To eradicate unwanted vibrations, you need to lift items such as speakers and percussion instruments off the ground. Setting those items on rubber floor mats will greatly reduce vibrations in the room.
Cover the Windows
Most of the noise is probably going to escape through the windows, and that is why they must be covered with multiple layers of material. The easiest way to soundproof a window is to put up a thick drape. Some companies sell sound deadening film for windows as well, and those products are a great option for single-glazed glass. You can also cover the windows entirely with acoustic panels or foam.
Every room is slightly different, and that means you will need to do some experimentation with all of these soundproofing techniques. If you don’t want to purchase a sound level meter, then you might want to download a sound level app that will help you track your progress throughout this project.
