Is It Legal To Play Drums In The Middle Of The Night?

HUdrummer

Senior Member
This may sound strange, but is there a law against playing drums in the middle of the night? Because tonight I was drumming at 2:30am and my neighbor called me and threatened to call the cops. I absolutely hate my neighbors because they always try to find something to call the police on me for. But, if I do it again could I actually get in trouble?
 
I doubt there's a law specifically against drums, but most areas have laws about how much noise can be tolerated at various times. Playing drums with no soundproofing in a densely populated area at 2:30 AM would almost certainly make just about anyone living nearby annoyed.

So yes, if the police think that the noise level is too high you could get in trouble. The first time you'll probably only get a warning, but if they keep having to show up you'll probably get fined. In extreme cases I suppose they might even have the right to take away your drums.
 
This may sound strange, but is there a law against playing drums in the middle of the night? Because tonight I was drumming at 2:30am and my neighbor called me and threatened to call the cops. I absolutely hate my neighbors because they always try to find something to call the police on me for. But, if I do it again could I actually get in trouble?

To be fair, I would hate you for drumming at half 2 in the morning. I usually keep within 10am-8pm. As far as I'm aware there is no law against it, but have a little respect please.
 
Agreed. Playing the drums at 2.30AM is going to irritate just about anyone. I think they would be quite justified in calling the police. There are laws about noise disturbances in most countries. I rarely play my drums after 10.30PM and I live in a large, detached house with proper double-glazing and very thick walls.

If you did that near me, I would threaten vigilante action...
 
This may sound strange, but is there a law against playing drums in the middle of the night? Because tonight I was drumming at 2:30am and my neighbor called me and threatened to call the cops. I absolutely hate my neighbors because they always try to find something to call the police on me for. But, if I do it again could I actually get in trouble?

To be honest I would be outraged if I was trying to get to sleep and someone was banging on the drums at 2.30am. I tend to stop at 10pm at the very latest, and that's in a fairly sound isolated room on the side of the house with no "attached" neighbours.

I spoke to my neighbour on the attached side before I started using the room for practise, and he doesn't mind at all - and to everyone else it isn't very loud because of the soundproofing I've applied (boarded up the window using the correct techniques; it is insulated and air tight - and the vent is boarded up in a way that the air has to go round a corner to get in the room, which stops a lot of the sound escaping).

It might be better to try and develop a relationship with your neighbours and negotiate a good time to practise. You'll get much further being nice to them... the old saying "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar" applies here.

Imagine if you had work in the morning and your neighbour was playing their stereo at maximum volume at 2.30am.... you would be annoyed too.

Speak to them nicely and with understanding, you might be surprised how they respond.
 
Haha..I have to agree with the others. Unless your soundproofed 2:30am would annoy anybody. I'm lucky i suppose, i really don't have any neighbors so the only person that i would annoy that late would be my wife. lol Never the less, even with no neighbors, i stop playing around 6 or 7pm because i know the noise bothers my wife. I'm shure i could play a bit longer but out of respect for her i don't.
 
Same rules apply as stereos and parties .etc. Check your local bylaws but its typically 11:00pm and then the police can act however they see fit.

Im kind of lucky in the sense that where my band jams, is considered "Light industrial" so we are immune to the noise bylaws. At the same time, last time we heard the closest neightbour out and about (their door is about 200 feet from us) we still went over and said hello and told them to feel free to tell us to shut down if the noise was too much on a given night.

Either way, its pretty rude to make excessive noise at 2:30am if you have neighbours, especially since drums carry so well through most walls.
 
Here where I live (Brazil) it could actually get you a fine if you keep making loud noises between 10pm and 6am on a residential area (though I would believe the cops have more important things to do here than heed the calls of annoyed people).

I'm with the others, be reasonable and try not to disturb anybody. As they say, your freedom ends when the freedom of others begin, or at least it should be so.
 
Go to Google and type in Ba, OK noise ordinance and you can find your local laws.
 
This may sound strange, but is there a law against playing drums in the middle of the night? Because tonight I was drumming at 2:30am and my neighbor called me and threatened to call the cops. I absolutely hate my neighbors because they always try to find something to call the police on me for. But, if I do it again could I actually get in trouble?

I suspect we are getting trolled.
 
Come on man, 2:30 AM, really? Unless you made a mistake and it's actually PM...

Well, he did say tonight...so....
Yeah, seems pretty crazy to be drumming at 2:30AM regardless of neighbors, law, or whatever. Get you sleep, man!
 
I love being able to use my electric kit with head-phones. Much more neighbour friendly.
 
Nah...at that time, people must be doing their graveyard tour or making a cup of coffee!...please show some decency and respect!

What were you doing 2 minutes to midnight?
 
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Unless you live in the middle of nowhere and aren't pissing off the people in your own household I don't see a problem with it but that's not the case with you. You have neighbors and you have to respect them by giving them peace and quiet in the night. I live in a row home and have been playing for about 15 years. Add my dad in there and it's about 25 years of drumming going on in this house. We play from 11am to 930pm at the absolute latest and have never had one single noise complaint.
 
Everything's illegal in the states. But, no... of course it's not. But you should definitely not play in the middle of the night. My neighbours here in Sweden are cool... the old couple across my house thinks it's nice with some music in the neighbourhood. But it's mostly summer guests here and they don't mind it.
 
This may sound strange, but is there a law against playing drums in the middle of the night? Because tonight I was drumming at 2:30am and my neighbor called me and threatened to call the cops. I absolutely hate my neighbors because they always try to find something to call the police on me for. But, if I do it again could I actually get in trouble?

If you lived next door to me and played drums at 2.30 in the morning, you'd be in trouble alright. Bugger the cops. I wouldn't need them to wring your bloody neck.

If you're serious here and can't actually see why it's a problem, then I think you are destined to dig ditches.
 
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