My neighbour has a relatively new piano and a host of tunes - including Barry Manilow medleys. It ain't pretty. The piano is positioned a few metres from my bedroom. We have already been round a few weeks ago to ask them to keep the noise down at night - it's difficult to sleep when they are tinkering the ivories despite ear plugs and shut windows. They apologised (actually nice, civilised people). It doesn't happen that often - but I don't want it to happen at all! Last night I was woken at 11:30 p.m. by this horrid sound. I was fuming, and decamped to the spare bedroom. We pay a bloody fortune to rent this house! I didn't go round to complain last night cos I was angry and think I'll go round today BUT am I being unreasonable and intolerant?? I wouldn't dream of waking my neighbours up at such a late hour, but feel I'm in the minority on this estate. Am I a whingeing POM???

The only advice I can think of is tread very carefully. Having been a victim of a neighbourhood 'war' which started with me telling them to keep the noise down, we felt trapped as we couldnt move and the whole thing escalated and got out of hand.

If it doesnt happen that often then I would try and put up with it, but that is just me, if it were every night then I would say something.

Trouble is, the more you ponder on it and think about it, the bigger the issue will be. I dont envy you at all I really dont but I would try and refrain from going round again providing they keep to occasional and not consistent use.

Are you friends with your neighbours ? If not - then try and become friends. Invite them round for a beer, have a chat over the fence, lend them stuff. That kind of thing. Once you're best of friends it'll be very easy for you to ask them to e.g. keep the piano noise down after 10:30pm.

Or alternatively, skip the friends part, and just ask politely for them to keep the noise down.

Or just explain to them that it is difficult to play the piano with broken fingers

Your best bet is to shoot carefully timed bottle rockets into the neighbour's garden. They will go ballistic and won't know whats happening, scream for a few hours and then tire themselves out like a six year old child and take a long nap.

Time to start looking for new digs.

Buy a CD of bagpipe music and crank it up whilst on a weekend away.

In short, no you're not.

There does seem to be a lot of neighbourhood noise problems out there not helped by having to have windows open and houses that aren't exactly 'air tight' I'd imagine.

I used to hate noise from the neighbours to a point I actually had a problem tuning anything unwanted out.

I can recommend getting a few acres around you when the time to move on comes ... you'll become familiar with various bits of machinery but pianos unlikely.

Now excuse me, I need to plug my guitar in

Hee hee, i like that one

We also live next door to a pianist, who also plays the accordian. The answer to your woes is Slipknot, or Metallica.

Or superglue on the ivories, that should raise a chuckle

live and let live I reckon, and smack him one the first time he complains about noise from your place, good luck

Snap. My neighbour loves his accordian. I dont begrudge him that but he's also prone to watching porno's LOUDLY.

My experience is every house with its windows and doors open, outdoor living add a pool full of kids .......

Some call it outdoors living, or alfresco I call it HELL

Plus is it me or do aussies even talk really LOUD

My OH seems to confirm your observation on volume

Hmm there was someone in the apartment complex that we used to live in that would blast bagpipe music out!

Combine that with the guy below us that would do a bbq on his balcony late EVERY night (the smoke would waft into our rooms), and the neighbours next door that would have a loud chat on the balcony at 4am after a night clubbing I was extremely bugged by neighbours! Put me right off ever living in an apartment again and was very relieved to move into a detached place.

Oh no I've turned into a whingeing pom!

Dare I say it but in London there was a solid brick wall between the neighbours. Here in Oz (IMO), I could hear my neighbour having a piss downstairs.

I could hear a guy puking for ages last night in the apartment upstairs, I thought it was rather funny.

It is funny unless you have work the next day.