<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Andre from the Netherlands mentioned a setup someone had in their apartment that was quite effective if rather difficult to implement.<div><br></div><div>It is possible to control sound. It can be difficult.</div><div><br></div><div>Sincerely,</div><div>Andrew Anderson</div><div><br><div><div><div>On Oct 28, 2008, at 6:04 PM, Jurgen Goering wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite">Wim wrote: <br>"<span style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 11pt; ">Seriously, there is nothing that can be done to reduce sound, especially with a grand piano...."<br><br></span>No one ever got far with such a defeatist attitude. Of course there are numerous measures that can help to reduce sound, and if they are not in your book, maybe they should be... Not all measures will be applicable to every situation, but by picking the ones that are feasible, you can mitigate a lot of problems. Here are a few spontaneous ideas: You can:<br><br>- change the room acoustics<br>- change the way the piano interacts with the room environment<br>- change the way the piano sounds<br>- take "social" measures<br><br>Room acoustics can be changed by doing something about the decorating. Upholstered furniture, window coverings and even pictures on walls can help to reduce reverberation and cut down on volume. Carpet on the floor or even an area rug under a grand will make a difference.<br><br>Moving the piano to a different position in the room can help. If it is an upright, place it against a different wall, especially if it was standing against the wall adjoining a different apartment. Perhaps the piano can even be moved into a different room so it is not above someone's bedroom. Foam in between the rim braces actually does cut down on the sound output. As does a lid cover, the heavier the better. Isolate the piano acoustically from the floor with special caster cups, as has been mentioned. A practice mute strip can be installed in a grand - I have seen it.<br><br>The piano can also be voiced down to reduce its power, without turning the tone to mush<br><br>Finally, it is a good idea to be talking to the neighbors and complainants. Let them know you take their issues seriously. Find a compromise with practice or playing times. Play scales and exercises when they are not at home as to not drive them crazy, and play your "real" pieces at hours when they may be able to hear you. Let them know you have taken measures and steps to reduce the impact of your playing. If push comes to shove, it is always beneficial if you can demonstrate that you have shown good will by investing in measures to reduce the impact of your playing on others.<span style="font-family: Courier; font-size: 11pt; "><br></span><br><br>I hope this is a bit of food for thought. Feel free to pick it o=up in the next edition of your book... for a small royalty, of course :^)<br><span style="font-size: 11pt; "><br>Jurgen Goering<br><br></span></blockquote></div><br></div></div></body></html>