Saxophone beginners Inspired by the thread 'Is it a solo or just a racket?'

[Pete Thomas]

Just because you haven't installed a decent carpet or a bed doesn't make it utility/storage in their eyes

I'm sure that you can have vellux windows and electricity(even in storage (non living area) spaces.

But if you do want to make it living space, height is more of an issue due to needing 150mm of insulation. much of that will fit between the rafters but there is still maybe 75mm that will eat into the room height.

But even if it's classed as storage, (and you just use it for for practising) you'd want insulation and if you've already got insulation on the loft floor, that means the loft space is very cold.

Also (I think) bear in mind any vellux for a fire escape has to be reachable by a Fire dept ladders or cherry picker

 

[mrblackbat]

I think @mrblackbat built his practice studio in the back garden?

Garden office, not exclusively a practise or recording studio. It’s not soundproofed, but acoustically treated.

 

[mrblackbat]

I don't see that a staircase to enter the loft safely when old, a window to see what you are doing up there, (next door had one, stored his books there), or electrics I have lighting and power in mine should make it other than storage.
Apart from which don't tell them.

The important part comes if you want to sell the property. If the alterations you do break building regs, you’ll have problems when selling, which can become very expensive.

 

[PiccoloPirate]

A van or mini-van works.

 

[Vlad]

It'll blow over I have been very rigorous in my practice and getting bolder in my enthusiasm, and forgot about others.

For anyone interested - loft conversion?

Seriously thinking of converting the loft into a practice space. Looked into it before for a spare room but building regs required an external fire escape (3-storey Victorian terrace), original wooden doors to be replaced with fire doors and raise the roof to give required legal head room. However if it is just a storage/utility space rather than living space then those requirements don't apply. The 'junk' in the loft can be stored on racks against the party walls with a playing space in the middle. Will need stairs in the large upper front room (MrsC's art studio) to access the space. A couple of Velux windows, electrics, soundproofing......Won't be cheap but I'd rather it went on us now than the tax man when I pop it.
Might get some quotes.....Anybody here done this?

I boarded the floor of the loft myself, it makes a very useful storage space but I wouldn't want to play up there, it's horribly hot in summer and freezing in winter, it's pretty cramped too. you'd be spending multiple £1000s of dosh to make that work.

if you want extra practice I suggest something like Yamaha YDS 120 with headphones. ok it wont do anything for embouchures etc, but it's an excellent practice tool as regards fingering, and reading etc. check them out.
Despite being a fuddy duddy anti modern tech merchant myself , I got one of these and provided you accept it for what it is they're brilliant. you could treble your practice time with say one hour 'real' sax and a couple or more on the 'leccy' thing. The keys on these are a pretty good saxophone equivalent too ( unlike some of the other 'ewi' things)

 

[Pete Thomas]

I boarded the floor of the loft myself, it makes a very useful storage space but I wouldn't want to play up there, it's horribly hot in summer and freezing in winter,

The other thing is that if you have any insulation, unless it's something nice like sheepswool, you could well be inhaling a lot of fibreglass particles. I always wear a mask when in the loft for any amount of time especially if shifting boxes around.

 

[cappers]

Perhaps I'll take the sax to the beach in my old Land Rover, it's only a few minutes away.

Our house is on a hillside two roads above the harbour and waterfront where there is a pub
that has regular afternoon/evening gigs in the garden. After the confrontation yesterday afternoon a gig started there and went on until midnight. Rock, reggae, then ambient/trance with some reggae thrown in. Female vocalist at one point. YMCA, Bohemian Rhapsody, Honky Tonk Woman, Sweet Home Alabama were belted out with lots of audience participation.

It was very loud and I'm afraid to say I had a strong sense of schadenfreude!

 

[Pete Effamy]

I don't see that a staircase to enter the loft safely when old, a window to see what you are doing up there, (next door had one, stored his books there), or electrics I have lighting and power in mine should make it other than storage.
Apart from which don't tell them.

Wouldn’t be surprised if it’s one of those regulations that works against you if at all possible. There are certainly a fair amount of rules that don’t allow you to classify a room in the roof a “bedroom” - so able to ask for more money when selling the house. Perhaps that’s the answer, Google what qualifies a room as a bedroom.

 

[Pete Effamy]

but acoustically treated

…when playing? 🫡

 

[Targa]

Wouldn’t be surprised if it’s one of those regulations that works against you if at all possible. There are certainly a fair amount of rules that don’t allow you to classify a room in the roof a “bedroom” - so able to ask for more money when selling the house. Perhaps that’s the answer, Google what qualifies a room as a bedroom.

Selling it you describe as a multifunctional storage area.

 

[cappers]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Not too worried about selling the house as we have no intention of moving and have left it to the the kids, the youngest of which will probably get it as the other 'kids' are sorted.

Could blag it as a 'multifunctional storage area' © @Targa but he biggest problem is the height of the roof. I'm ~6ft (maybe a bit less as I seem to have shrunk as I've got older) and have little headroom in there as it is. With added insulation, plaster boards etc I'd have to stoop. That's why the planning people said we would need to raise the roof.

I practiced in the bathroom today. It is in a second story extension not adjoining the neighbour. Not ideal if someone needs to use it. It is tiled and the acoustics make it sound good with the reverb but isn't helpful as it hides a multitude of sins.

Had a word with the neighbour today and we agreed to not much more than an hour a day and not too loud. I'll have to find somewhere else for the more vigorous exercises.

Oh the suffering an artiste has to endure.......

 

[Targa]

we would need to raise the roof.

Play louder.

 

[mrblackbat]

Wouldn’t be surprised if it’s one of those regulations that works against you if at all possible. There are certainly a fair amount of rules that don’t allow you to classify a room in the roof a “bedroom” - so able to ask for more money when selling the house. Perhaps that’s the answer, Google what qualifies a room as a bedroom.

it doesn’t matter whether you want to describe the room as storage or a bedroom, certain pieces of work require certain building regulations - stairs for instance and the number of doors between a means of exit for fire purposes.

Based on the regs at when the work was done, you won’t get certified and potentially won’t get building insurance or it will be invalid. Coming to sell it will require remedial work before the house can be sold.

 

[Dr G]

This thread Playing - Is it a solo or just a racket? resonated with me today but I didn't want to interrupt that philosophical debate so I started this one.

On the suggestion of my teacher I was practicing improvising a simple solo over 'I Wish I Knew How It Feels To Be Free' and was having fun. Then, for the first time since I started learning to play six months ago, my neighbour banged very loudly on the party wall 😳😱

Until today she has been very tolerant of my practicing. Maybe its the heat, all the windows were wide open.

I don't want to be a nuisance or inconsiderate but I need and want to practice, especially now as I've joined a band and an hour a day isn't enough.

If you want to practice, then do what you can to meet your neighbor’s needs too. Shut the windows.

Beyond that, find a field or parking garage. Be considerate. It’s possible.

 

[wakyct]

That's why the planning people said we would need to raise the roof.

You could add a dormer -- wouldn't have to raise the whole roof -- to make a functional practice space.

At least here in the US as long as it's not called a bedroom you don't have to meet egress requirements (i.e. a window large enough to get out of if the primary entrance is blocked). I suppose one might be required if the loft is considered a separate floor?

 

[skeller047]

Regarding the wardrobe (we say “closet” here in the USA), you don’t have to actually go in. Just stand by the open door and point your horn in among the clothes. That cuts the volume down considerably. I do that when other people in the house are watching TV.

 

[MarkSax]

My partner puts on other music loud, or if she’s watching TV (in the sitting room which is 20 meters and 4 thick brick walls away ) she puts the volume up, or she has headphones on whenever I am playing these days. I feel absolutely deflated if not depressed when that happens especially since I can hear my sound has improved a lot since I picked up the sax(again). And the people I jam with think my playing is good. So I’m wondering if my ‘solos’ are just a racket to her but ‘music’ to others. Do I give up the sax or get a divorce? 😛

 

[davidk]

These rehearsal studios are handy if you live near one:

PIRATE.COM - Studios for musicians, podcasters & dancers

Musicians, podcasters, dancers — this is your space to create. 24/7 self-service studios for professional and casual use available to book online.

pirate.com

The one I use is popular with drummers. I’ve got my money’s worth by practicing overtones and altissimo there, I can give you a discount code if you decide to go down this route,

 

[mrblackbat]

My partner puts on other music loud, or if she’s watching TV (in the sitting room which is 20 meters and 4 thick brick walls away ) she puts the volume up, or she has headphones on whenever I am playing these days. I feel absolutely deflated if not depressed when that happens especially since I can hear my sound has improved a lot since I picked up the sax(again). And the people I jam with think my playing is good. So I’m wondering if my ‘solos’ are just a racket to her but ‘music’ to others. Do I give up the sax or get a divorce? 😛

Something similar happened with my other half a while back - she really started to hate my saxophone playing. Not because it sounded bad but because I'd started practising much more seriously, there was an awful lot more repetition. Repetition of licks, songs, patterns, scales, long notes, squeals when doing altissimo etc.

Since I've moved into my garden office, which doubles as a studio/practise room, she's back to enjoying hearing me play again.

 

[MarkSax]

These rehearsal studios are handy if you live near one:

PIRATE.COM - Studios for musicians, podcasters & dancers

Musicians, podcasters, dancers — this is your space to create. 24/7 self-service studios for professional and casual use available to book online.

pirate.com

The one I use is popular with drummers. I’ve got my money’s worth by practicing overtones and altissimo there, I can give you a discount code if you decide to go down this route,

There’s a studio in Colindale 15 minutes from where I live. I might give it a go but thanks for reminding me of that possibility.