In the latest issue of Pianist magazine (No.76), there is an interesting article about sound insulation and the problems all musicians face in avoiding disturbing the neighbours. We all want to be able to practise whenever we wish, yet none of us wants to become a nuisance to others living around us. The article is enlightening, and well worth a read for its succinct explanations of some of the issues as well as for its discussion of some of the potential solutions.However, for many of us, the cost and disruption of tearing apart our homes to add proper sound insulation is not a realistic option and in a housing market where many of us are renting or living in appartments and smaller homes this is ever more the case. So what other options are there?A box-out section on page 2 of the article refers to 'Silent Pianos' and, for most of us, this really is the most practical way forward. What you get with a 'silent' piano is a real acoustic instrument, identical to the non-silent version of the same model, but with the added ability to silence the acoustic portion of the instruments and play using a digital sample through headphones. This means you get the best of both worlds - a real, acoustic piano for those times when it is reasonable to play out loud, and the silent practising benefits of a digital piano. The silent digital function is great for learning a new piece, practising fingering, and some technical work, but having the fully-fledged acoustic piano at your fingertips enables you to really bring all your hard work to life and to rehearse the finer musical and interpretative elements of your performance. Furthermore, the silent system adds USB and MIDI connectivity to the instrument making it extremely flexible in a whole range of environments. Yamaha's new SH system even allows you to create a WAV file recording on a USB stick.There are several different silent piano systems and which one you go for depends on the acoustic piano you choose. We have a good range of 'silent' pianos in stock, and most of the new pianos we have can be ordered in a silent version. Our advice is to visit us so that you can choose the make and model of acoustic piano which suits your needs best. At the same time we can demonstrate the silent technology available on that instrument, and we can order the silent version in for you. There is a guide to the various systems, and which pianos they are available on HERE