someone says you suck at drums, what do u do?

I guy named Freebird can't scare me!

Just kiddin' pal of course. And you probably are better.

I think the best answer for the original guy would have been "Excuse me, I have a gig."
Good point, Even if you see a bad drummer onstage he or she is still onstage and you're not so who's the bad drummer LOL

Bonzolead
 
I'd say "Well, you suck at life."
 
That's just fuel to feed from. That is the best thing to hear learning to play because it should inspire you to be better. That's exactly what happen to me, although I did not hear those exact words. The laughs alone from 5 other drummers was loud and clear. If it were not for that moment, I don't believe I would be where I am now as a drummer.
 
I would definately agree with the guy... "Yeah you're right..." and the reason is because in my mind i do suck... i will always suck.... and if i ever get to a point where i think i don't suck anymore my standards are not high enough.
When i was 12 I thought i sucked. When i was 14 I thought I was awesome. When i was 16 I just said i sucked but still thought i was awesome. When i was 18 I realized that I really did suck and worked my butt off until i thought maybe other people might not think i suck...
Since then I still know I suck... and like i said I will always suck... but at least I know i'm not that arrogant little runt that thought he was so good. And at least I know where the bar is set so I will always be able to improve.

Humility is a virtue not blessed to many musicians... especially guitarists (no offense to any guitarists in our midst).

Everyone here that said music is not a competition is exactly right... the only person you're competing against is yourself. You should always strive to get better because music is one of those things you'll never be able to do absolutely perfectly.
 
This happened to me years ago. A guy asked if I'd heard of a metronome. I went out and bought one and have been only better from this experience.

I find that if you press people you will always get something constructive.

A different time a guy said something along the lines of "I can't listen to you," I asked him to elaborate and I'm a better player from taking his advise.

You can always learn something, even if the teacher is a dick.
 
It depends, I might ask why but probably would finish the discussion with a sarcastic "good for you" or "great!"

When I know I'm more skilled than someone else I generally feel an urge to help by giving advice. It's hard not to come across as a little arrogant at times like these but I generally try to see if he / she is open for criticism. But at least I'm trying to be constructive.
 
Hey, Colonel, I just have to say you are an amazing drummer. I listened to your myspace pieces and that's exactly the kind of playing I'm trying to achieve and am trying to do. I'm no where near your level yet, but maybe after a 20 years or so. =) I just love to impro. The more free the better. My own thing isn't so purely coming from jazz but that's really not the point. I just love it when people just let it all go and put their heart in to the music. The genre doesn't matter. It's sad these thing happen rarely outside jazz.


Hey thanks, JPW! Really really appreciate it, man!
 
I had some snot-nosed dick in junior high and high school tell me that continuously; "I'm a lot better than you are"!

That is the primary reason I got out of drumming and music altogether. Even though I had other drummers encourage me along, and other older musicians give me positive feedback and contructively counsel me, he was this one guy that got to me. I was only 12 and 13 at the time, the youngest in my extended family, and knew nothing of egotism, arrogance, jelously, etc. In short - he was just a real prick.

Years later I ran into him in a bar in the same city we were from and he was still talking trash about other drummers, people we knew, etc. The jerk even was bragging about his new drum kit he bought, yet he was looking for work, trying to get free drinks, etc. By that time I was almost out of college and my mind was elsewhere, so I didn't give him much thought. Drove him nuts! Next time I saw him was years later and he was working in a greezy porno shop as a clerk complaining nobody in music would give him a job.

Some people never change. I only wish I had THIS forum to learn from when I was 12 and 13 years old and needed good advice from other drummers.
 
Just thought of a great quote from the movie The Scarlet Pimpernel... Modified a bit here..

"...In my opinion, approval requires perfection. So in that sense, I think you rather overrate your playing..."

Great movie , by the way, if you haven't seen it.. (the one with Jane Seymour)
 
It takes the lowest form of person to walk up to someone and tell them that they suck!
I do it all the time! Just kidding! I only did it once! I was drinking heavily back then and I told a drummer at an open mic night that he played like a Zombie! He really did play like a Zombie! I felt bad the next day, and I never did anything like that again! I felt so bad about what I said, I made it a point to apologize to the drummer the next time that I saw him. We are friends now!
I have also stopped drinking to excess. I guess that I hit the bottom that night! It was all up from there! I was the lowest form of person that night!
 
True story, Bob, though I won't fill in the name.

When I was in grad school, there was famous guitar player taking classes; I didn't know it was him. I hated his band. This kid would ask me how I felt about the band when he walked by and the first time I said, "oh they suck." The second time none the wiser, I asked him why he always asked me that. "oh, I just wanted to know" I learned my lesson, don't ever say that anybody's band sucks, esp since this guy was so cool and now I would love to have had an opportunity to chat with him for ten minutes.

You can always say, "Since this comes from you, I would consider that a compliment." Or maybe you can just realize that one day he'll be saying, I'm such a d*&% for saying that guy sucked.
 
what do i do? well, i throw them off. randomness at it's best. here's some examples:

a buddy of mine on R&R from Iraq walking through the airport, chick walks up to him and starts screaming that he's a 'baby killer' and how he was basically scum of the earth. his response 'hahaha, and you wear tight shirts to expose your cleavage. what? oh, i'm sorry i thought we were playing the obvious game", and walks off. (see, random)

for the drumming scenario, guy tells me i suck at drums, responses 1 through 4:

1. i like clowns
2. i bet you listen to eye of the tiger every morning while flexing in front of a mirror
3. i'm sorry can you speak slower, i'm a little high/drunk/plastered right now.
4. stare at their genitals (they get uncomfortable and leave)


haha, ok but seriously. if said person has some constructive feedback, listen to it and then do what you will with it. if not, screw them. who the hell do they think they are anyways that someone should care what they think. at least thats my train of thought on this.
 
It really depends on how a kick is delivered. "You suck, I'm better nyah nyah" isn't much use, though.

It was over 30 years ago (god, I'm old) that I criticised Chris Slade's drumming on a Manfed Mann's Earth Band number. "He didn't even play one fill!" I complained.

A roadie friend replied icily, "That's because he's a musician".

Thirty years on I remember his words and how he said it as clear as day. A real turning point. Real criticism from someone who "gets it" is a gift. Egotistical BS criticism is attempted theft.
 
As Miles Davis said, the difference between a fair musician and a good musician is a good musician is a good musician can play anything he thinks. The difference between a good musician and a great musician is what he thinks.

So even if that guy is a good musician, YOU'RE the great musician, because you had the better judgement to not be confrontational! And just so you know... that guy's not getting any girls that way, by showing off and insulting the nice guy. You know who's going to get them instead? YOU :) I mean girls love drummers to start with... they can keep a tempo, they've got great hands, and they have endurance :p
 
Maybe that's why I always see good looking girls with drummers.... It's gotta be in the hands and and our expertise at rhythm......LOL
 
Teach the ignorant, don't get down to its level and move on.
 
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