I try to practise regularly on each instrument (horn, clarinet and piano) but its really irritating and sometimes embarrassing when a brother or sister lurks outside my bedroom or a parent is 'pretending' not to listen in. I know that when i practice any of my instruments anyone in the house can hear me. None of my family really understand the whole 'music' thing and have the crazy idea that practising involves playing a piece perfectly and all u musicians will know that you learn from mistakes etc...

So what can i do or where can i go to practice without anyone being there or listening?

I don't know how you can practice without anyone listening in, in this situation. I basically have to practice when no one else is home because they hate the noise (Saxophone).

there is no other way other than get used of it.

1. Explain to your parents exactly what practice entails.
2. Invite them to listen to you practice each instrument and explain why it doesn't sound perfect, and how you are trying to mend it.
3. Invite them to a performance, school concert or similar, preferably where you are performing a solo.
4. If all else fails, go talk to your local church. Often they will let you use it for practice for a few hours each day when there are no services, their "off-peak" times if you like. Often these times are during the day, but for school holidays that means you can take a couple of instruments down and have an amazing acoustic to work in. Often a piano will already be there, if not, learn organ

If you want soundproofing help, I can advise!

I'm the same.. my family normally thinks of some sarcy comment to come out with- and my sister tells me when I have lessons my mum is always making comments in the other room ;/ It really bashes your confidence.

My family are used to hearing and I think in some ways switch off.
Though when I was listening to a recording (not me) of one of my pieces my husband remarked 'Don't you know that yet?

When my goddaughter was learning piano (well, she was going to lessons..) her mum used to say how nice it sounded when she practised.. My observation on that was if she was really pracitsing it would be annoying and repetitive, not nice...

Can you practice anywhere at school (if you're at school) maybe at break times or after school?? Maybe for horn and clarinet you could use an empty classroom?? (If it doesn't disturb the teachers!!)
Anna

I prefer practising at home rather than at uni or anywhere else.

A couple of screamed "It was going well until I noticed you were there" sorted my parents out!!!

I know how you feel.
Im embarased to pracitse singing in the house because my parents always jokingly complain that they have heard the same song too many times, although i think there may be some truth in that! They always get annoyed when i sing what they call high aswell but im a sopranno what can i do i need to practise my very high notes becuase i dont want to loose them or to get worse at them! I sympathise!
I would just encourage your parents to go out for walks around the area, this leaves you to yourself if you get rid of your siblings (if you have any). You are free to practise without holding back and without feeling discouraged!
Eve xo

My husband comes in and tries to start a conversation in the middle of really tricky bits, or expects me to drop everything to sort out things when the computer doesn't do what he wants.
Well, I'm 'just messing about on the piano' aren't I?

My sister does that and then wonders why I get in a stress with her!


(this is the girl that hides my instruments to stop me practising them)

I've gotten used to playing piano with parents around, as the piano is in my living room and with guitar i'm in my room anyway so i just pretend no one can hear. One problem i have is practising arual stuff like singing. I can't bear singing in front of people (this is starting to become a problem because i get embarrassed singing in front of my teacher... ) I have to do it when no ones around. Result is i practise less.

My parents like to hang around, thinking it's convincing that the bathroom just had to be cleaned or that the landing needed to be hoovered even though they pay cleaners to do that!!

It drives me mad, and they try to comment on "how well THEY THOUGHT my practise went." or "how I seemed to play rather a lot of slow long notes" (i.e. I was working on my tone or something!!) They know very little about music and I know they are doing the "encouraging parents" bit but I'd really rather they just pretended they hadn't heard anything in the first place!!

To make matters worse, it makes me paranoid to practise my harder/newer pieces, incase they think I'm rubbish or whatever!! Then I don't play them until everyone is out, or before orchestra rehearsals if I'm first there. Then I don't improve as quickly as I'd like, and this makes me want to play them even less, because I still sound rubbish!!! ARRRRGH!!

Lol, glad I'm not the only one who found parents don't understand practise!!

xoxox

I am learning to ignore any comments from parents especially when they come in during practice, because they are usually right (being music teachers) but it's time they learnt to leave me alone! I sometimes get in 4 hours during the school day so then I don't need to do any at home. But when they say "that sounds nice" it annoys me more than if they said "sounding a bit rubbish today" because they always say nice stuff on the days they shouldn't.........

i have the same problem. i can't even get the right note sometimes because i feel like my parents are listening when they said they wasn't. what i try to do (it might be the only way that i have) is ignore them and pretend that they're not here.

This thread reminds me of my schooldays music when all I had available to learn was the trombone! I was too late to get something more portable and had to carry the 'bone back and forwards for home practise. Really wanted to learn piano... not until I was much older.

Anyway. After lumping the 'bone home on bus and a 2 mile walk, any practice was met with 'do you really have to play that thing'. Most depressing and didn't last to long.

I should have been more mature and resilient. Just get on with practising and accept that others will make these comments anyway. Even if you are good, they still might condemn your choice of music. You cannot win unless you persevere and prove to yourself and others that you can do it.

Keep going. I wish I had.

Richard
Hong Kong

We have the computer room next to my room, and I hate it whenever anyone is on the computer because the wall which joins the two is really thin, so you can hear everything...I hate people listening to me.

I hav been put off practicing for a long time now but now i am beginning to practice again. I used to get really shy about playing because there were always mistakes but you always mkae mistakes before you get it right just go for it. It really is worth it.

I have 2 problems with practice:

1. My old neighbours don't like the idea and are always at the door complaining (anyone with the knowledge how to go about sound-proofing please don't hesitate to pm me )
2. my room is really small and is no good for practicing cello in

I'm not sure but i think that if you have double glazed windows it will help prevent the sound getting out if you have neighbour problems but otherwise sorry I can't think of anything you can do! Perhaps you should talk to your parents and explain that its hard work to learn and piece and it takes time etc. But maybe it's good practice for performing for competitions, those who are shy about practicing where people can hear you.

X~X Hellokitty X~X

OK, I seem to be different here ... I prefer it when my parent/s are listening, cos it gives me a feeling of obligation to do it, and also that it's like having an assessment, so it matters. If I practise on my own, I feel as though it doesn't matter so much. My mum cannot understand music at all, but she enjoys doing the ironing or sewing or whatever while listening to me practise, and even though she doesn't understand what's going on that well, she likes asking "that bit you played that goes like duh duh duuuh ... is it supposed to be that slow? It sounds like the music stopped there " or something. That way, I receive constructive criticism as if I'm playing to an audience and what the audience hears, and also I can't cheat myself, because I'm being reminded about refining something.

I agree. My mum is practically tone-deaf (she refuses to sing at all!) but she really likes the sound of the piano, and she always asks me to play - even if it's only scales! I find that I'm a bit more concentrated when I know someone is listening.

Did anyone ever do that thing where you knew someone was listening and you messed up a piece while practicing, so just to make sure everyone knew you were starting again you played a bunch of obvious wrong notes? No?, spose it's only me then......