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Ability

Started by wiretime, November 25, 2003, 12:03 PM

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wiretime

Hi Bart, I've been playing drums professionally for the better part of 25 yrs.  and have always had good gigs either travel or house. Lately I feel motivated to improve.  Will practive at age 50 help.  If I've always been a feel drummer and not so much a "chops" drummer, can I become more of one at this stage of the game. Thanks,
Motivated ;)

Bart Elliott

I would say ... YES!!!

The old saying "can't teach an old dog new tricks" is really a lie. It should say 'old dogs typically don't like learning new tricks". If there's desire ... then it's possible.

Since this may be a new approach for you, your music and your drumming, I would encourage you to start slow. Set a goal that you can reach in a day or two. Once you do this for awhile, maybe several weeks, beginning setting goals that take longer to fullfill ... like several days or even a week. Eventually get to where you feel good about setting long-term goals and the time it will take to accomplish them.

I say all of this because I don't want you to get burned out or frustrated by setting long-term goals too quickly ... which can happen to us all. Having short-term goals sure does help to keep the fire lit under us; makes us feel good and really enjoy what we are working on.

If you don't know what to work on, or need some suggestions on how to practice and set goals, I would also encourage you to check out some of my articles, 5-Minute Lessons, which deal with those very topics.

My personal life-long goal is to learn until the day I leave this world. The day I stop learning is the day I die ... musically.