Ok, here's how it is with me. I've been playing 3.5 years and I am 16 years old.

But I think I may be putting too much pressure on myself. I expect myself to play 32nd notes(where quarter notes equal 100 bpm) perfectly and accurately, as well as hardly ever mess up. I also seem to be comparing myself to professionals a lot. Especially Mike Portnoy, whom I want to be like someday. Is it wrong of me to expect to be really really good, even though I've only been playing 3.5 years?

Do I have a self-confidence problem or something? It's really confusing me. It also isn't making me feel very good at all.

Depends on how you define it. You're not going to play as well as Portnoy in 3.5 years - that's just not a realistic goal. But you can learn to play pretty well in that amount of time, if you focus on the important stuff.

Be patient. You've got your whole life to play drums. Try to have some fun in the process.

Another thing: this word "professional" - don't assume that if you can move your arms and legs at the same rate as one of these guys, that means you're ready to compete with them. You learn entirely different things about drums when you are out there playing for a living, playing shows for money, under lots of pressure in front of different kinds of audiences. No amount of practice will prepare you for that.

So if you want to start comparing yourself to pros, you need to become one. Get into a working band NOW, and start gigging. Then you'll start to get some of the seasoning that can only be earned onstage.

Practice is one thing, playing is another. A pro needs to do both.

If you're serious about this stuff, and aren't already doing pro gigs, it's time to start looking for some.

Welcome to the music bizz.  Trustworthy is for the boyscouts.

I like you.  You are a nice young man.  But like most of your generation, you idealize things way too much.  The music business is rough, mean and dirty and can make you a mess very quickly.  Playing in church is one thing.  Playing in clubs is another.  And being one of the "greats" is another.  Mike Portnoy payed his dues- big time.

Relax and let it happen.  Keep practicing, stay focused.  I think you should get in a band that plays out.  Even if you hate the music it would be good experience for you.
Don't put any unrealistic goals on yourself.  So what you can't play 16th's at 200.  Double them.

Don't play harder- play smarter!  Make the tough fills look easy and the easy ones look hard.  Learn to groove your butt off.  Get in a dance band.  Learn to enjoy the fruits of your labor in moderation.  Become the man around town.  Go for your own style in your own time.

BTW 32nds at 100bpm is indeed kinda slow... you can stop at 150- 151.

I am not a big fan of unions but if there is one near you, that you can get into, it may help get you introduced around.  Make it known that although you are young, you are tired of playing with mindless punks who don't really care about the music. You may end up playing a  lot of waltzes at nursing homes, or polkas at VFW dances, but it is all part of the learning process of THE BUSINESS.  It usually comes as a shock to shall we say, musicians at the beginning stages of their careers, that chops are secondary to versatility and professionalism.  

Don't beat yourself up comparing yourself to your idols.  Some of us have the gift, the rest of us have to work at it all our lives.  My earliest idol was Gene Krupa, who was not the most technically gifted drummer the world has ever seen, but I still can't make Sing, Sing, Sing, which is not technically difficult, groove the way he did.

I started working steadily at 16 and except for a 20 odd year hiatus, am still playing out about as much as I can handle.

By all means, continue developing your chops.  Use the licks and fills that you can do comfortably that will fit the music you're playing. Don't waste your time on flash that you can't use.

Get out there, be a pro. Beats bagging groceries.

Roger

Amen!

How fast can *I* play 32nd notes?  As fast as needed.  That usually means short "bursts' as needed in a fill or something.

Speed isn't the only indicator of quality.  In fact the two might even be exclusive of each other.

XDrummer,
hey man, i know exactly what you are talking about here.  I put goals on myself that are unrealistic, too(i've already realized this).  In fact, i have just about the same goals as you mentioned, but i have only been playing for a year an a couple months!  I think both of us need to ease-up on ourselves and get some much-needed experience under our belts.  

Other than that, keep goin, man.  I will, too.   Kinda nice to have found a sort of "kindred Spirit" (in one respect anyways) here.

Yes, and I think it also depends on what you have been doing for the last 3.5 years.  Have you had a teacher for all this time?   If you have and have practised what you were asked to then that would be sufficient time to judge how good you are.  Your age shouldn't make too much difference.  (Tony Williams joined Miles Davis at 17). If you have not had lessons then it is more difficult to say because we don't know what you have been working on - and we can't hear you either!

X,

I think you've gotten a lot of good advice here. I don't want to burden you with anything heavy but, at 16 you are coming to a point where you might want to start thinking about how you want to proceed with music and how much a part of your life it will be.

Do you want to do this full time as a career, or do you want to have a day job and play for fun or some extra cash now & then? Either is great (and there are variations of both), whichever makes you happiest is what counts.

If you want to get into a music school or make your own way to being a pro I suggest worrying less about playing like Mike P. or entering GC contests and really focus more on playing with people and playing out.

You can sit in the practice room all day and become a chops monster but, as Tony says, you risk becoming a one dimensional unknown.

I think the best thing ANY player at any stage can do is get out and play with other musicians. You will improve much quicker and will become much more employable once you do.

Mike P. is a good player but keep in mind, finding a gig where one gets to play like that is rare.

I would start listening to as many styles as you can to become as versatile (and employable) as possible.

While Mike P's style fits their music well, he grew up listening to a ton of other stuff. As Felix suggests, I would start listening to other players and begin analyzing their styles.

One of the best sources for hearing some great drummers and their grooves is Mr. A's "Grooves of Doom" page.

Believe me, the ability to groove is looked upon much more favorably than the ability to peel off blazing 32nd notes. Because being able to groove and play as a musician gets you work.

You may not think so now, but laying down a fat and funky 2 & 4 at about 88 bpm (and doing it well) is just as tough as playing some of that odd-time acrobatic stuff that DT does.

Honestly, a lot of this may seem like work but if you want to head down the road to being a pro then that is all part of it.  

You can also take the other route and just play for the heck of it for a while, that may be the more enjoyable path to take.  

I am. Don't worry. This is the part of drumming I'm the most desperate in. I think it was wrong of me to try and be exactly like Portnoy and all those other pros. Let's see here, shall we? I've been playing 3.5 years, and Portnoy has been playing for maybe 30 or so. I think it's pretty much one sided at this point.

Thanks for the advice. All of you are great people. I mean that.

This thread takes me back to when I started playing guitar ~30years ago. Very similar situation.

When I started playing drums 5 years ago, I took that experience and learned from it with more realistic goals, excellent teachers, and (what probably helped me the most) a larger variety of styles. I'm not limiting myself to one style now and it's great!

Good luck! Keep us posted.  

If I can add anything it would be to make sure that you PLAY WITH OTHER MUSICIANS.  I don't care if they're good or not, music is like a language--you communicate!  What happens when you're talking to someone in a real life situation and they're not very articulate when speaking?  You have to learn how to communicate in other ways.  Having said that, I find that when I'm practicing by myself I'm pretty stagnant and not very *good*  However, when I'm playing with other musicians...WOW!!!  Since I get to "communicate" with other musicians, the dialogue never gets boring like it does when I play alone...  Something that's really funny is that I've never really liked any drummer, meaning I never tried to replicate anyone.  I always had a natural talent when it came to drums and thus from the get-go I wanted to be my own type of drummer.  What makes this ironic is that once I started getting into drums, THAT'S when I wanted to be like other drummers.  I kinda worked at things backwards all my life, and now after 11 years I kinda like where I'm at, but only when I'm playing with someone else... I hate practicing alone, it's boring.  I also love to perform in front of people!  Nothing beats the look on people's faces when they're into the music.  

Drum4JC, just wondering, what is a class act?

I do, as I have said many times before, have a teacher, and she has been teaching me for 3.5 years(as long as I have been playing).

Also, today I played with my church band in front of my whole high school, and I barely got nervous at all! It truly DOES help to play in front of people in a church band. I also get complements on my playing. Lots of them.  

Yeah, I second (third?) the idea of playing with as many people as possible.  Some of my most valusble learning experiences have been playing with bands or players who I won't gig with again!  But it was still a valuable lesson.

Also, a bit off topic but I've always told my shred monster friends that while it is really cool that they can cop all the Dream The-a-ter (thanks Felix ) licks, what I find most impressive is the fact that Portnoy or Peart, etc. actually sat down and created these parts.  Anyone can reproduce them, with a bit of practice, but the talent is in the creation of some monster in context to a song and making it work.

Another thing -
If you ever get to the level Portnoy is at now, you'll still be discouraged because he'll have improved a lot as well, and you'll still be blown away by the stuff he plays.

I guess the point of this post is to reiterate the idea of concentrating on your achievemetns, without necessarily comparing yourself to the pros all the time.

Will I ever get to that level? I sure do hope so.

A