Is it possible to hold piano lessons in an apartment?
Teaching private piano lessons in an apartment can be problematic, especially in the city center or in a block of flats. The piano is an instrument with a very wide sound excursion, able to descending at very low frequencies (below 30 Hz). It has a great capability to transmit the sound mechanically and a sound pressure of about 90/100 dB.
For this reason the acoustic soundproofing of a piano in a flat has to be done under both the mechanical and the air aspect. The mechanical aspect refers to the transmission of the sound produced by the hammers on strings and transferred directly from the structure to the supporting legs and consequently spread on the floor.
Floating floor for the vibrations of the mechanical transmission
The piano should rest on a damping platform where phono-preventing elements and elastic elements act as “shock absorbers” by limiting the diffusion of the sound towards the floor.
This type of floor should be closed in a fixed structure for the acoustic cut, where walls, ceiling and frames have balanced performances between them.
This type of soundproofing is easily feasible?
Unfortunately, this has a weight and a good soundproofed structure weighs about 70kg/sq. m, referring to each square meter of the structure, not only to the walkable area. A 3 meters high and 1 meter wide wall weighs 210 kg!
But it is not over: it is necessary to consider also the weight of the piano! An upright piano weighs about 150/160 kg; a baby grand piano weighs 350 kg and these weights have to be added to the weight of the whole structure.
If the place to be soundproofed is on the ground floor there are no problems, but for upper floors it is necessary to get the data about the load of the floor slab. On average an apartment is certified for a load of 250 kg/sq. m. but it is better to make sure to avoid bad surprises.
Structure with an acoustic cut of 50 dB
Achieving a structure with an acoustic cut of 50 dB it is necessary to gain decibels modifying the thickness of the walls and limiting the mass in order to contain the weight. In such a way, that is “stealing” some cm, it is possible to have a sufficient acoustic cut to soundproof a piano in the apartment for the whole day. But please pay attention, because during the night sounds have a different way to spread!
The solution by Puma Acoustics
Puma Acoustics offers various kinds of products to solve soundproofing for piano lessons in an apartment, starting from the soundproof booths AirBirds, the product with the best quality/price ratio.
A valid alternative, at an upper level, is the soundproof booth Eagle Pro, the professional solution for an average grade complexity and with instruments like drums or piano, more voluminous and heavy.
But we remember that Puma Acoustics offers a 40 years experience in personalized soundproofing. It is possible, in fact, to create a place suitable for piano lessons in an apartment (also in a block of flats).
Puma Acoustics recommends personalized solutions according to the specific requirements and to the position of the room: according to the type of room, the height of the floor and the instruments we have to adapt some acoustic corrections. For more details please refer to the page about personalized design and soundproofing and to the page regarding acoustic correction.
For more information and quotations ad hoc, please refer instead to our contacts page.
