Do i suck at drums?

Hey man, if you like playing drums, play drums. Should everyone on this forum quit playing because they're not the best drummers or because they need to improve on certain things? Of course not.
 
Think of any criticism as a form of attention. If you are getting attention that's a form of love, or at least like lol. Your technique can't be beyond criticism. I love it when people have opinions about the drum part. Don't be a know it all, those people suck. I take the opposite approach...if there's a better way to do something, I wanna know how, because I don't know squat. I know maybe one drop in an ocean. It is in my best interest to keep my mind

W I D E O P E N


The way you handle criticism, can be a HUGE limiting factor. Don't let that happen.

I listened to a story the other day, told by a female lead singer, about her drummer. All she wanted him to do was play something he wasn't, or play something less loud, or simplify what he was doing on a certain song, (doesn't matter, she wanted something) and it was like she was up against he defensive line of Green Bay. She described his drumming to me as "rude". Needless to say his reputation as someone you want to work with is not so hot.
 
I'd been playing like amateur in about 2 years - and made some nice chops. But when i started getting taught for real, my teacher wanted me to change my grip, and focus on it - kinda upset about, but he told me, if i changed it now, i wouldn't get the hand-damages i would've got in the future, and it'll be easier for me to stop now, than sooner.
So, in the start we focusred alot on rudiments, but now, he wants me to learn some hard songs like 100% - like a TRUE cover. - he's fairly good, and can listen out every chop in a song, and replay it istantly...

Carry on dude!
 
I've been playing for 30 years without a lesson (someday). If a teacher was to evaluate my style, he'd probably tell me the same thing. Does that keep me from playing Black Dog or Smells like Teen Spirit just like on the record? Hell no! If it's in your blood, then it's in your blood and that's all that matters.

Amen to that - I'm in the same boat. Even though I'll never be awesome, musicians like to play with me because I am not arrogant or stubborn, and work for the good of the band sound, not just my own image. Even at 50, I can still be molded into what a band wants.
 
You could go to 5 different top ranked pro's and they'd all have a little bit different take on technique. They might be similar but they'd have some differences. My son is big into timpani. There are some major differences in the different schools of thought on timpani technique.
 
Hey man dont sweat it....If i search the internet i can find thousands of drummers with more skill than me. I can also find thousands with more skill and have played less time.....Teachers teach. He is proably seeing something in your playing that could be preformed better. You are not starting over. You are just proably going to adjust little things that will help you play with less effort. In the end you will become a even better player......Hope you keep playing.
 
I've been playing for 30 years. My rudiments suck and I never practice, I sometimes make the odd obvious mistake when playing live, I don't read music, I probably hit harder than I need to, and sometimes my tuning leaves a bit to be desired. I still get people coming up to me every time I play saying that my playing is awesome. Do I beleive them, hell no, but I don't disagree with them either. The only reason to stop playing is that you don't enjoy it any more. I'm sure I'll be playing when I'm 75 and probably no better than I do now, but |I honestly don't really care. I love playing and making people dance an sing along and I love playing my heart out, even if it's not as good as the top pros play. I'm me, I'm proud to be me and I make no appologies for it.

So go get a grip and stop feeling sorry for yourself!
 
I've been playing for 30 years. My rudiments suck and I never practice, I sometimes make the odd obvious mistake when playing live, I don't read music, I probably hit harder than I need to, and sometimes my tuning leaves a bit to be desired. I still get people coming up to me every time I play saying that my playing is awesome. Do I beleive them, hell no, but I don't disagree with them either. The only reason to stop playing is that you don't enjoy it any more. I'm sure I'll be playing when I'm 75 and probably no better than I do now, but |I honestly don't really care. I love playing and making people dance an sing along and I love playing my heart out, even if it's not as good as the top pros play. I'm me, I'm proud to be me and I make no appologies for it.

So go get a grip and stop feeling sorry for yourself!
With the exception of my 20 year playing break, & probably the tuning bit, are you living my life in a parallel universe? :)
 
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.
 
hey man, even if you DO suck, don't worry. EVERYONE sucks at some point, and there isn't a time hack to reach your full potential (Peter Erskine, a jazz legend of our time, started drums at 18). if your peers are giving you the thumbs up, then they see a class act drummer in the making! there's a difference between a drummer who's at the basics phase, and some guy that just makes noise. just keep at it, remember: with learning new exercises, start off slow, keep your wrists relaxed, move the sticks smoothly, nail the riff then REPEAT REPEAT REPEAT!!!

Maybe you mean Peter Erskine started becoming known at age 18? He started playing quite young...
 
Don't give up, actually, welcome to the life long journey!

You pay teachers to teach. Sounds like the teacher is trying to teach you their view on technique (of which there are many). Technique in my opinion is a means to an end - the end being able to execute to the fullest extent with finesse and ease the musical ideas you want to express.

Technique is something many of us never stop working on trying to improve, so my thought is being new at this you are being introduced to a foundation of which you will begin to build on over time.

Technique is only one of the many things of which can/may/should be discussed and taught. The other elements may bring about some "uncomfortable opinions" as well to which improve and build on.

Good luck, keep things in perspective and welcome to a wonderful instrument that will provide you a lifetime of ups, downs and thrills.
 
I wouldn't get too upset Rachelle. It's quite common to have to unlearn and/or relearn certain things in drumming, especially technique. When I first started, I had my standard grip wrong on my left hand and I had practiced that way for several weeks before my instructor noticed it. It was a small thing but I had to fix it and redo a lot of what I had already learned. It was a several years later before I even started leaning match grip. Hang in there and have fun.

P.S. If you think unlearning bad habits is hard playing drums, don't ever try golf!
 
With the exception of my 20 year playing break, & probably the tuning bit, are you living my life in a parallel universe? :)

Oh no, you've caught me, but on the up side, your slippers are really comfy! Oh, and my tuning is actually pretty good too...
 
Last edited:
NO!!!!! Do not quit for god's sake!!!

If that was my case I would learn the right techniques, and when I was done and could play the right techniques I would start to bring back my old stuff. If you do that you will have a unique and probably cool way of playing ;-D
 
Back
Top