rustyfingers
Senior Member
I started playing Piano when I was around 11 or so and played up until I was 19. I practiced two or three hours a day and got pretty good for my age. One day we were at a local music store and they had Oscar Peterson on the overheads playing with Joe Pass. It was like I was listening to Angels playing the piano. "How is he doing that?" I knew I could play what he played but would never be able to play like him. At that moment I realized that I would never be that good no matter how much I practiced or played, I would never be that good... ever so I quit. Didn't touch a piano for over 20 years.
When my youngest child was born (2003) I went and bought an S80 and started playing a bit trying to get my hands working again and did start playing in the church band and have done that until recently. I'm OK, with what we play, but nothing like I was back then.
So about a month ago our drummer quit so I started poking around on the drums. I can keep a beat and play the stuff we play without to many issues as long as I didn't try to do anything fancy. I've been working hard trying to get up to speed, trying to get better so I don't screw up when we play (twice a week). So here I am checking out videos on YT and the drummers here in the Your Playing section and I suddenly realize, out of the blue, I'll never be that good. No matter how much I practice, I'll never play like JoJo, Tommy Igoe, Tommy Aldridge, Ed Shaughnessy or the vast majority of the guys/gals here... ever.
I bought a crappy drum set from MF but won't even open the box, I'll get an RA and ship them back the day after they arrive. Keeping the snare I picked up and will continue to practice on my pad and get better but I need to set my expectations of myself. I need to realize that I'm 54 and while I can learn to play the drums I'll never be great or even really good. I'll be maybe better than average and that's going to be it. I'm not going to quit, I just need to set more realistic expectations, with the time I have left, and not be obsessed with playing like Buddy Rich... LOL.
When my youngest child was born (2003) I went and bought an S80 and started playing a bit trying to get my hands working again and did start playing in the church band and have done that until recently. I'm OK, with what we play, but nothing like I was back then.
So about a month ago our drummer quit so I started poking around on the drums. I can keep a beat and play the stuff we play without to many issues as long as I didn't try to do anything fancy. I've been working hard trying to get up to speed, trying to get better so I don't screw up when we play (twice a week). So here I am checking out videos on YT and the drummers here in the Your Playing section and I suddenly realize, out of the blue, I'll never be that good. No matter how much I practice, I'll never play like JoJo, Tommy Igoe, Tommy Aldridge, Ed Shaughnessy or the vast majority of the guys/gals here... ever.
I bought a crappy drum set from MF but won't even open the box, I'll get an RA and ship them back the day after they arrive. Keeping the snare I picked up and will continue to practice on my pad and get better but I need to set my expectations of myself. I need to realize that I'm 54 and while I can learn to play the drums I'll never be great or even really good. I'll be maybe better than average and that's going to be it. I'm not going to quit, I just need to set more realistic expectations, with the time I have left, and not be obsessed with playing like Buddy Rich... LOL.
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