I've been playing for about 4 years and started out my 1st year in a school then subsequently self taught. During these years i mostly learnt songs by ear and i don't practice stuff such as strokes and rudiments. Also i'm in a averagely known local thrash metal band and many drummers from the scene say i'm great(maybe they didnt mean it). Just today I signed up lessons with one of the most respected drummers in my country and he said some of my basic techniques are incorrect and i should start from scratch. I feel like a loser and i should give up drums. Should I?
It's an ego basher, that's for sure, but don't let it stop you or get you down.
I was in a situation like this recently....
Now, I have taken drum lessons, for close to 15 years, but after I moved to LA I had other things I had to worry about, mostly playing gigs so I could make some money. My day to day practice fell behind for about a year and a half because all my time was spend learning songs for band "A" or "B" for the next gig. Learning how to play a song note for note helps you progress only a little.
I vary well respected and accomplished drummer friend of mine came and saw me play last spring and called me the next day and basically told me I sucked. Not he didn't put it that way, but it was the basic message. This was devastating for me, here I am, been playing close to 20 years, I myself and a Drum Teacher of 10 years, toured all over North America, played for tens-of-thousands live and performed on countless recordings, been featured in magazines all over the world, and have endorsements with top companies. If I accomplished all that, how much can I really suck???
Well, this friend of mine offered to take me under his wing and give me some lessons. I walked out of the first lesson that same week and said "holy shit, I SUCK!!!"
There was a lot of things, basic things, that I thought I knew inside and out... and although I had an understanding of them, I wasn't performing them perfectly. This new teacher I have had a way of pointing out every little thing in my playing that was off, some of these things I don't think the average person could even notice, but when you correct it... it makes a HUGE difference!!!! I can honestly say that in the last 6 months I have become a better drummer than I probably have in the last few years!
So advice to you is take the lessons, learn what this teacher is giving to you, put in a LOT of time and dedication to perfecting your craft with the tools he is giving and watch your playing skyrocket...
If you think your good now, just wait till how great you will be in a few months!
Before I started lessons with this new guy I would land about 50% of the auditions I went on. Now that I went back to basics and REALLY perfecting everything I have gotten just about 100% of every audition I went to. I haven't had any more issues of "can I play the parts", all the gigs I didn't get in the last few months have had NOTHING to do with my playing, it's all been a matter of availability or personality.