Playing the electric guitar can be a bit loud if you have a big amp on the max settings. The last thing you want to do is bother your apartment neighbors or get complaints from the front office. However, there are plenty of ways to play your instrument without having to disturb the people living around you.
To practice electric guitar in an apartment, practice it in a room without shared walls, keep the amp off the floor, and plug a pair of headphones into the output jack. You can also put a thick rug and soundproofing foam around the room to prevent the sounds from getting through the walls.
In this article, you’ll learn all about how to practice the electric guitar in an apartment. You’ll also find a few ways to know the right place and time to play the instrument.
Related: guitar amp not working but a light is on? how to fix it, guitar amp cutting out, and best guitar VSTs. For the full overview, see our guide to how guitar amp modelers work.
Quiet practice is a great time to work on guitar scales for beginners, since scales sound fine unplugged.
Practice in the Right Room
Practicing in the right room of your apartment can make a world of difference. Not only will you be able to play your electric guitar a little louder, but you also won’t have to worry about your neighbors feeling the vibrations of the amp.
This setup could make a huge difference:
- Consider keeping your practice room near a corner of the house if you live on the edge of the building. This will minimize the noise crossing through shared walls and floors. The vibrations will dissipate into the walls facing the street rather than going into your neighbor’s home.
- Keep all of the windows closed in the room to prevent sounds from getting out. Opening the windows will drastically increase the sound of your electric guitar and the amplifier. If it’s too loud, the sound will go right out of your window and into the neighbor’s windows (or several nearby apartments).
- Always practice your electric guitar away from shared walls. We suggest keeping the amplifier away from the wall as a courtesy. The vibrations and noise will be too much for most neighbors, regardless of the time of day. You can play the instrument by the wall, but make sure the speakers are as centered as possible.
- Don’t play in a room that echoes too much (if you do, consider putting furniture and other items in the room). Bathrooms, hallways, and rooms without a lot of items echo more than usual. You can naturally reduce the sounds and vibrations by hanging wall art, putting chairs in a room, and putting a few pillows near the walls.
- Think about the rooms where your neighbors are likely to be. For example, your bedroom is likely over or under their bedroom. If you’re playing earlier or later in the day, you might want to consider moving to the living room or kitchen, where people are more likely to be active, awake, and less concerned about your music.
Keep Your Amplifier Off the Floor
Amps produce a whole lot of noise and vibrations. They’re the loudest part of playing an electric guitar. Lefty Fretz recommends keeping your amp off the floor to prevent those vibrations from getting into your neighbor’s apartment. Even if you live on the lower story, the vibrations can travel up the walls and into nearby rooms.
Another option is to prop your amp on a few books, a pillow, or a coffee table. These items aren’t as effective as a layer of soundproofing foam, but they can help reduce the vibrations. Furthermore, they’re inexpensive, and you likely already have one or more of them in your apartment. You could also place the amp on an office desk or chair.
Play With Headphones in the Output Jack
Consider these methods of playing with headphones:
- Plug your headphones directly into the guitar’s mini-amp. If you have a mini-amp, plug it into the electric guitar, then plug your headphones into the 3.5mm jack. Some mini-amps have inputs for headphones, making them perfect for those who want to practice their electric guitars in an apartment.
- Connect your headphones to an audio interface. Audio interfaces serve as middlemen for electric guitars that connect to computers and headphones. Plug your guitar into the audio interface, then plug your favorite pair of headphones into the AI’s headset jack. Make sure you know which kind of jack the AI works with.
- Use the headphones with your amplifier. Much like audio interfaces, you can plug your headphones into an amp. Look for the amp’s headphone input, then find a headset with the corresponding jack. You can adjust all of the sound elements coming through the headphones with the amp.
- Attach the headphones to a laptop or desktop computer. Plug your guitar into the computer with a USB cable or an audio interface, then plug your headphones into the computer. You may or may not have to use a digital audio workstation, depending on your computer’s updated software and operating system.
Playing with headphones will let you hear all of the details of your music without disturbing the neighbors. Remember to choose high-quality headphones if you want to get the most out of your electric guitar. You can also use an audio interface with multiple inputs if you want to sing with your music recordings. The easiest way to do it is a plug-in headphone amp for guitar.
The OneOdio Wired Over-Ear Headphones plug into your guitar, amplifier, or audio interface. They have soft cushions for comfort paired with crystal-clear audio. These headphones come with multiple jacks to fit almost any input you’ll come across. They also have an in-line microphone with play, pause, and selection features.
Don’t Practice Too Close to Shared Walls
All apartment buildings have shared walls. Whether you share walls with neighbors on three sides or one side, you’re bound to be connected to other occupants. Furthermore, you might have neighbors above or below you (or both). Be mindful of where you play the electric guitar, and consider keeping the amplifier away from those walls.
If you live in a studio apartment and you can’t play in a room without shared walls, follow some of the sound insulation tips below. You’ll learn about using furniture, rugs, soundproofing foam, and other items to your advantage. Proper placement of furniture and decorations is often more than enough to reduce the audio coming from your electric guitar.
Quick Note: If you’re worried about annoying your neighbor with your acoustic guitar, inform them what times you usually practice. They’re less likely to be frustrated or file a complaint if you’re courteous and approachable. You could also ask them to come to you with any concerns rather than going to the front office.
Get a Thick Rug in Your Practicing Room
Consider these specifications to choose the perfect rug for your electric guitar room:
- Make sure the rug is thick enough to prevent as much noise as possible. The t