RAG MusicPlay & Recreation
Lovely Play & Recreation

A roundup of quiet instruments you can play at home. Silent instruments you can play at home.

When you think, “I want to start a new hobby!!” and you like music, instruments probably come to mind.

Playing an instrument is deep and rewarding to practice, and once you can play, you can perform in front of others or upload performance videos to social media.

But what many people worry about is noise for the neighbors.

“If it’s too loud, won’t it bother people nearby…?” That hesitation is understandable.

So in this article, we’ll introduce quiet instruments you can play at home.

In addition to naturally soft-sounding acoustic instruments, we’ve also picked out silent instruments that have been getting a lot of attention lately.

If any of them spark your interest, give them a try.

A roundup of quiet instruments you can play at home. Silent instruments you can use at home (11–20)

shamisen

Shamisen practice: Let's practice with a mute.
shamisen

If you’re interested in traditional Japanese instruments, I also recommend the shamisen.

Some people may feel it’s an old-fashioned instrument and a bit daunting for beginners, but many music stores sell beginner kits, so it’s actually easier to start than you might think.

That said, because it’s an acoustic instrument, the shamisen can be quite loud, and playing at home may be challenging.

In that case, you can use a tool called a shinobigoma (a muted bridge) to reduce the volume, or place layers of thick paper over the body of the shamisen to dampen the resonance and mute the sound.

You can lower the volume enough to play at home during the daytime, so if you’re curious, give it a try.

In conclusion

We’ve put together a comprehensive introduction to quiet instruments you can play at home.

If you’re looking to start playing an instrument as a new hobby, being able to practice at home without worry is important.

We covered a range from acoustic instruments with naturally low volume, to electronic instruments with adjustable volume, and even new electronic instruments designed for maximum quietness.

Give any instrument that interests you a try!