I have read in Houzz of audio curtains, I can’t remember if that’s the term exactly, but anyway curtains that provide some sound insulation. installed on a temporary expansion rod, or curtain rod might be worth investigating.

Easy solution. Make music during the day.

Headphones will certainly help them. Hang some heavy insulated curtains at the bottom of the stairs to filter the sound but honestly get a better set up using headphones.

PSA - I do use headphones but I don’t want to bother my parents when recording vocals. Also I am 21, work until 9pm when they are getting ready for bed, and have no other siblings or anyone living here that it would bother. I just don’t want to wake up my parents when I record vocals since I work all day and only have time when they are getting ready for bed.

I would look for an alternative place to do your music. Is there a garage perhaps? Or do this during the day on your days off work.

It might need to be a combination of small things, rather than one big fix..maybe a heavy curtain hung at the bottom of the stairs, another one at the top of the stairs, white noise machine for your parents room etc

there are some reviews of some of the curtains on youtube (i find heavily lined vintage curtains to be pretty good with controling sound)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRU0upfu-Vw

Any solution involving adding framing and new gyp. board sheathing isn't going to be cheap. In order to get it to work anyway you might have to reorient the stair which will be very expensive. Other posters have suggest a heavy curtain. That's not going to help much if you are recording vocals. If there is another space where you can work (the garage as someone else said) you should consider moving your studio there if you parent's will allow.

Is there another place to set up recording? basement? garage? shed?

Hey like @aunthelma mentions, it might be cheaper to buy a small shed if they agree and there’s room for one.

You're not effectively soundproofing that at all. Even drapes would not do much to help as you have too much open area with no way to block off.

You might be able to get foam that you put in the doorway and on the pony wall when recording.

Seems obvious, but maybe I’m missing something, if you work till 9PM you’d start at 1PM. Why can’t you do your recording in the morning when everyone is up?

Both acoustic curtains and foam ("eggcrate") will do very little between adjacent rooms. They help with the acoustical cleanliness within the space.

Building a temporary wall with door at the top of stairs, on top of and in-line with the pony wall, will help with a large chunk of sound. Keep expectations low for "soundproof," but it can be similar to say if your parents have a tv on in their room at night and you can hear the tv somewhat muffled. It will also provide some privacy and mitigate some general noise other than singing, like shutting a dresser drawer.

It can be done affordably (relative to construction in general). It can leave only screw holes, where later the drywall can be patched and the couple holes in the carpet will be covered by the strands when removed.

• 2x4 - about $50 (can be 24"o.c.)
• R11 fiberglass insulation - about $50
• 1/2" drywall - about $50
• 30" prehung door - about $120, more if you get a foam filled core (cheaper than solid core)
• Fasteners - about $15
• privacy lockset - about $8
• optional misc: casing kit for the door $65, joint compound/tape $25, paint, caulk, etc.

Let's say around $450.

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Or, you can buy a portable vocal booth for about $200.

And, just to give another perspective, after you've moved out your parents at some point might miss your singing, unless of course you screech like a howling monkey.

We had a piano that allowed playing with headphones so not one sound for othrs Waht do you play and is there a way to do something like that . Sorry no way to add stuff to walls with an open doorway and maybe so heavy drpaes for a bit of help but IMO not very effective.

West Coast Hopeful has volunteered to come help you add studs, drywall and door to your parents stairwell, up to your residence and recording studio..

I can come to your house too Jan. We discuss how to respond kindly and with tact.

I thought that to be quite kind....and a fairly impossible task as well, given all the pictures provided by the op.. I need no drywall here, but I do thank you for the very kind offer: )!

The real issue more similar to below

There are extremely few parents who've not uttered these words:

" I realize you are tip toeing at 2:30 am and attempting to not wake us. What you fail to understand is we do not sleep well, we "sleep" with one eye and one ear open until every chicken is in the barn and the barn door locked, and someday in your own home with your own kids, you will understand what I just said"

The OP wants soundproofing help. That’s all. They should call a contractor and find out how much it would cost to close in the space. Having this bedroom as a proper bedroom with a door would likely benefit everyone.

I'm no engineer, but if the parents' room is right below the attic, then won't the sound travel down from the floor into their room, even if there's a door closing off the room?

Also, the OP has a problem of sound traveling, so thinking out of the box and solving the problem in an alternative way is something to consider.

Carpets, soundproofing materials can be added to flooring. There are options, if one wanted to do this properly. I am sure they are not cheap.

The portable vocal booth sounded like a smart option.

" I'd call this the 2 - 3k k Amish project, and a Go Fund Me page "

If you get someone to do this for you properly for under $7500 i would be amazed.

How about doing the music without vocals with headphones after work. Do the vocals after you wake up relaxed, with a rested voice.

Hope you have found the useful suggestions in the replies to your query and not been disillusioned enough to have abandoned this forum.

I actually did delete the app and i thought my account too but appapparently not, it was because the first 3-4 comments i got where very negative and almost insulting so i just thought thats how it was on this app but i kept getting emails about comments and just looked now to see a ton of very kind and helpful people which made me re-download the app lol. Anyways, i very much appreciate the kind words and all the help from everyone. Thank you to anyone who took time out of their day to help me try and find solution to my problem. I appreciate you all. :) (except that one weird lady lol)

Lol, sometimes you get those, but hey, glad you’re back! I looked at booths online, if you have room for one and some you’d just have to research bc they range in all prices. Thought it might be a consideration? You could actually take it with you when you get ready to move bc if you’re serious in your music, it could come in handy, or sell it?

@JAN MOYER My parents told me they’d like if i’d stay home for another 1-2 years due to health issues and they were worried about me being on my own with those issues. My parents and I have a great relationship and they actually encourage me to continue making music since the last 5-6 years of my life have been very hard to deal with health and mental health wise and they are just happy to see their son happy and healthy for the first time in a while. Also I have insomnia diagnosed and I’ve been from medicine to medicine since i was 13 because of it so i worked my schedule around my struggle with sleeping therefore causing the problem with me being up late when my parents are asleep. Both my parents are retired plus I exaggerated when I said they yell at me for the noise because in 6 months they only asked me 2 times to be a little more quite and in reality the main problem is that i don’t feel comfortable recording knowing 1. I might wake my parents up and 2. I use music as a journal and talk about very personal issues in my life that i don’t want my parents to hear and worry about considering how rough the last 5 years or so have been for us all.

*PSA I’m 21 and still sat here giving you a genuine and normal response without attacking or belittling you in anyway because deep down I know if you knew my life and what me and my family had to go through as a whole the past few years that your comments would be very different. Don’t judge a book by it’s cover :) and stop being so negative, the way you treat others is a reflection of how you treat yourself*

@Alice that is a really good idea especially if i can find one that i can travel/move with like you pointed out. Thank you for the help :)

The only one that looked “budget friendly “ that I saw, was pretty small. Home Depot or Lowe’s might have panels that you could put a bigger one together? Like just even tape up the seams and just section off a corner up to the ceiling and even lay on the floor. That would be two panels for the walls and one for the floor. Kind of make shift, but really it doesn’t have to look good, does it? Corner farthest from the stairs up there.

Or google best sound proofing stuff

@Alice im about to go check all that out now but yeah your completely right essentially, i could care less if i have accoustic foam glued to cardboard taped around a little one perosn sized recording booth. As long as it does what i need it to do i could care less how it looks lol but once again, thank you for helping me out and looking into this for me i really do appriciate it :)

Certainly, post when you find stuff!

I like your idea of cardboard and acoustic foam. Check local appliance stores for free frig boxes. Or see what large boxes are at a UHaul location.

You can see that it is an illegal attic conversion, probably with no insulation around the living area. That's where to start. Without proper air sealing and insulation, having living space in an attic is a recipe for mold and moisture damage.