What are our rights playing the drums?

HappyMJ

You're not supposed to make any excessive noise at any time of the day that will cause a nuisance to your neighbours. There's no law against making any noise between 11pm and 7am...that's just a guideline. Sometimes we have to make noise between those hours which is unavoidable such as waking up from an alarm, having a shower, walking through the house, closing doors, scraping the ice off the car, starting the car and leaving it running. None of that is illegal.

If your neighbours can hear your son drumming even at midday they still have a right to complain to environmental health at the council who will investigate and ask you to stop. However, having been involved with the council's environmental health team re: a noise complaint that's about all they do. They just ask you to be considerate and negotiate with your neighbours. If you continue and they continue to complain they will take further action but it will mostly be mediation between yourselves and your neighbours. Your neighbours do not ever have to accept the noise that the drums create and if the eventually get a court order stopping your son from playing them at any time you must follow it as that order will have been issued by a court. Don't follow the court order and you risk fines. The drums could also be confiscated.

freezspirit

Get some silencing/practise drum pads, put a blanket inside bass drum it will dampen the noise.

examples:
http://www.gear4music.com/Drums/Practice-Pads-Kits
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/drum-practice-pads#pageName=category-page&N=500339&Nao=20&recsPerPage=20&v=g&Ns=pLH&profileCountryCode=GB&profileCurrencyCode=GBP
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_pg_2?rh=n%3A340837031%2Cn%3A%21340838031%2Cn%3A5496113031%2Cn%3A5496223031&page=2&sort=price-asc-rank&ie=UTF8&qid=1451150856
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/drums-percussion/ahead-drum-silencer-pack-with-cymbal-and-hi-hat-mutes
https://www.bax-shop.co.uk/back-to-school-drums/fazley-sdp-25-silent-drum-pads


In hindsight a digital drum kit would of been better as you could of used a set of headphones

Towser

They would have been better off buying an electric drum machine that can be worn with headphones.

ahh yes we have had those. Thought of that in advance. They just weren't the real thing.

We just had to buy the real thing as everytime we went to our local Messy Church he showed a real aptitude and was sooo happy even though they were out of bounds.

Now when he is having a meltdown I have two choices for him. Drums or trampoline.

I doubt there's much legally your neighbours can do provided the noise is day-time only.

of course we will be really considerate especially in the summer when the neighbours are monopolising the garden.

Running_Horse

Your neighbours monopolise your garden?

I find this discussion hard to believe; nobody is this unreasonable.

Pixie5740

I'm sure your children never make any sound whilst playing outside. Just like I'm sure your neighbours can't hear your autistic son having a meltdown through the wall.

Perhaps the drums have just the straw that broke the camel's back for your neighbours who already live in a semi-detached house next to a "musical" family. You could have made this easier for yourselves by purchasing electronic drums but decided to discount this sensible compromise because you just "had" to buy the real thing. If you can't get this noise issue sorted out then your neighbours can take this pretty far with the council. I had problems with noisy neighbours and my local council threatened them with an ASBO if there were any further complaints.

goodwithsaving

You seem to have thought about a lot of stuff 'in advance', except about your neighbours. Children running about in the garden in summer is just part of childhood, irritating as screaming and shouting is. Drumming late at night much more controllable. If you really want a child who can make as much noise as they would like, buy a detached house. The fact he is autistic bears no relevance, although I do sympathise with you being stuck between a rock and hard place.

TiredTrophy

Place the kit on a rubber mat in a non ajoining room to you neighbours wall. Close the window and the door. This will reduce the transfer of sound. Quite alot of sound moves through the structure of the building.
Limit practise to half an hour? And use muffling as other posters have suggested. When you see your neighbours go out, you can let him rip.

Consider ear protection for your son.

We had eight of us playing 14 different classical instruments. Our neighbours found piccolo the most offensive. Drums were more like the music they listened to themselves.
We were considered to be better then the previous owners who had a rock band.

moneyistooshorttomention

I'd agree that the fact your son is autistic and you are a "musical family" is totally irrelevant basically as what your responsibilities (as opposed to your rights) are.

It is rather incumbent on people who wish to be a noisy household (of any description) to have a detached house and generally protect the neighbourhood from their noise - and not on the neighbours to have to put up with the noise.

I am also wondering whether the insulated garage idea is a possibility. I know garages of themselves aren't a good idea - as I've had drum-playing neighbours doing so in a garage near me and I heard them loud and clear through my doubleglazed windows. But, if it is possible to insulate a garage properly - then that could be the way forward.

marksoton

I have a VERY loud stereo system that i used when living in a detached house. Now i'm in a flat i wouldn't dream of using it. Even at low levels the bass alone would pee everyone off. It'll be getting sold.

I'm sorry but your [STRIKE]excuses[/STRIKE] mitigation for this noise and nuisance hold no weight.

I bet if your neighbour behaved in a manner that induced your son into a meltdown you'd be none too pleased.

Boot on the other foot time me thinks...

Person_one

Towser wrote: »

ahh yes we have those. Thought of that in advance.

Thanks.

Then you don't have a problem.

Agree a time slot of 30-45 minutes three or four times a week with your neighbours when he can play without the pads.

Outside of those times, he has to have the pads on.