Most of the existing sound‐insulation requirements are based on experience with traditional construction, and this is reflected in the shape of the standard grading curve. Since nontraditional constructions frequently have quite different sound‐insulation characteristics, the desired shape of insulation curve, i.e., the relative importance of the various frequency bands, becomes an important consideration. To gain insight on this point, the problem was approached by considering directly the activities and needs of apartment dwellers. The tentative conclusion is that the most common type of grading curves, including the ASTM Sound Transmission Class curve, are of approximately the correct shape for rating sound insulation between dwellings.