We all know how important it is to practice regularly when you want to become a better guitar player. But what if it is too loud and disturbs your family, roommates, or even your neighbors? For this reason, there are ways that you can practice both acoustic and electric guitar quietly. In this article, we provide solutions and tips to answer the question of how to practice guitar quietly.
Key Takeaways
- To practice electric guitar quietly you could use headphones.
- You could use mini amps, pedals, or amp simulators to practice electric guitar at a lower volume.
- Practicing electric guitar without an amp is a good option to practice quietly.
- Stuffing a T-shirt into the soundhole of your acoustic guitar can reduce volume.
- To practice acoustic guitar quietly you could consider a feedback dampener, a guitar silencer, or the palm muting method.
- An option to consider is getting a silent travel guitar.
- Your practice space can make a difference in how quiet your practice is.
Table of Contents
How to practice electric guitar quietly?
When it comes to practicing electric guitar, there are some ways that you can do this without disturbing others. In the following paragraphs, we provide tips on how to practice electric guitar quietly.
Headphones
If you want to practice electric guitar quietly, the best way would be to practice with headphones. You could plug them into your amp or pedal as most of them offer an audio output jack. To be able to do this you will need to use an adapter.
This is helpful because you get to hear all those special effects at full volume and you can master the pitch harmonies without disturbing others.
Mini Guitar Amp
Another option is to play through a mini guitar amp. They are small, portable, and battery-powered. You can use them at a lower volume to not disturb others, and they will still amplify sound.
You can also use multi-effect pedals that offer different effects and work similarly to the amplifiers. But if others are still disturbed, you can plug in your headphones or earphones in most of these mini guitar amps and pedals as well.
As we mentioned, most amps and pedals offer audio output jacks, but in case there isn’t such an option, you can consider using a mini amp simulator. This device can plug directly in your guitar through the input jack so you won’t need large amps, pedals, or cables.
These amp simulators come in varieties and can offer a lot of different effects. They aren’t as loud, but you can use headphones for more quiet.
Of course, you can also practice guitar without any kind of amps or pedals. If you don’t have an amp or a pedal with you or simply don’t want to make a lot of noise, this is a good option. When you practice without amplification the sound is audible, but it isn’t as loud or saturated.
Playing unplugged is good for the technique, but by using an amp you get a much better sound and tone. This is especially important in electric guitars, but practicing without an amp is still better than not practicing at all.
How to practice acoustic guitar quietly?
If you prefer playing acoustic guitar, there are also a few ways that you can practice it without disturbing others. In the following paragraphs, we provide tips about practicing acoustic guitar quietly.
Sound Absorber
To be able to reduce the volume of the acoustic guitar you will need to use something as a sound absorber. This can be done by stuffing a t-shirt or two into the soundhole of your acoustic guitar. It might sound strange, but this is an effective and easy way to reduce volume.
T-Shirts are best because it is easier to remove them unlike a sweater or something bigger. Using socks or other smaller clothes might not be so effective. Since you don’t want to waste time or damage your guitar while reducing its volume you should be careful with this.
Feedback Dampener
Another cheap option which is a small, but the great investment is to buy a feedback dampener. These items are designed to fit into the soundhole of your acoustic guitar and are very useful because they can easily reduce the overall volume of the guitar.
What is really great about these feedback dampeners is that they reduce the bass volume of the produced sound. Bass frequencies are long waves so they can travel through walls and disturb others.
With a feedback dampener, the volume will be reduced enough for you to be able to hear the sound you play clearly without annoying others.
Acoustic Guitar Silencer
If you need your volume to be even more reduced, a better option than the feedback dampener is to use an acoustic guitar silencer. You could also put something like a piece of foam or cloth under the strings (butted against the bridge), but getting a rubber guitar silencer is more suitable.
The acoustic guitar silencer works by muting the strings. This way you will be able to practice your acoustic guitar in almost complete silence. But the disadvantage here is that with a silencer, even you might find it difficult to hear what you are playing.
Silent Travel Guitar
Something interesting to consider, and especially if you travel a lot and don’t want to miss practice, is getting a silent travel guitar. They are compact, light and easily portable because they don’t come with a hollow body or a soundhole.
They are perfect for practicing as quietly as possible and the volume of the sound they produce is similar to the one unplugged electric guitars produce. There are a variety of options for silent travel guitars such as steel-string, nylon-string, and also electric guitar styles.
Palm Muting Method
You could also practice acoustic guitar quietly by using the method of palm-muting which will reduce the volume of your guitar so it doesn’t bother others. You will be able to practice scales and songs effectively with this technique but not strumming patterns.
To almost completely mute your guitar, you should try sliding your muting palm further from your guitar’s bridge as this way less sound will be produced. If you do palm muting properly, you can practice quietly.
Does my practice space make a difference?
Yes, a lot of how quietly you can practice depends on your practice space. If you have already tried everything, but your practice is still disturbing others, then perhaps the problem is in where you practice.
It is best to practice in a smaller and carpeted room which is not empty, but rather furnished. You should avoid practicing guitar in a large, empty space with bare walls and floors.
To reduce sound you could also try hanging blankets against the walls in your practice space. This isn’t soundproofing, but it might be helpful nonetheless.
Final thoughts
Noise shouldn’t be an obstacle when it comes to mastering your guitar playing. This is because there are different ways that you can practice both acoustic and electric guitar quietly. By following our suggestions you can practice guitar anytime without disturbing others. So what are you waiting for? It is time for practice.