Skill as a Drummer/Percussionist

Well, not a very interesting story, but...

I've been bashing away at it for most of my life.  I'm better with a chicken drumstick than a wood one, though.  When I was little, my dad used to tell me not to play with my food.  Guess he just didn't recognise my potential.  I played the heck out of chicken, sausages, asparagus, broccoli, and just about any other food I could get my pudgy little prodigy hands on.

Later on I got a job with some friends at the local butchers. Bored as we were, we would go into the meat locker and play the meat.  Those slabs of bovine carcass sounded pretty good being slapped around.

From working at a greasy spoon before, I was really good with those mallets for tenderising meat -- double-mallet action. Boom-ba-ba-boom.

Anyway, so we started a Butchershop Quartet (percussion only) and played the local butchers in exchange for all the head-cheese we could handle.  "Beat the meat" attracted more people than we could have ever imagined, but the head-cheese took its toll on our health and we retired. 

I do still play the skins every once in a while, but stick to chicken skin, oh, and pork rinds.

Ah, those were the days.  I can tell you, Hamburger Concerto has never sounded better than with real hamburger.  Squishy.

Squish, squash, squonk.

So, that's my story.

Played for seven years now, starting at the age of ten. Started with copying Phil Collins drumming on early Genesis albums and soon could play several of their songs or even albums. After discovering more bands, I got progressively more diverse and creative etc. and now I consider myself as a far above average drummer

Been playing for about three years now, but really, that doesn't mean anything.  I play percussion in my schools top symphonic band, play in jazz band, and got into drumline on the tenor drums.  Jazz is my favorite though.  But as I've said how long you've played doesn't matter, I've played drums three years and I'm already one of the top percussionists in school.  On the other hand, I've played piano for ten years, and while I am accomplished and well above average in ability I know a couple people who have only been playing six or seven years and are much better than me. 

For the un-trained ear, I'm a master....

If you feel that the way the poll is rated is unfair for your particular situation, go ahead and say so. Most of you have . If you've played for 3 years, but you believe your as good as any 8 or something year player, i suppose go ahead and vote yourself for that category. Im not trying to be too strict on the level of skill, you know where you stand.

Edited by SoundsofSeasons - July 25 2007 at 15:41

This is me playing some Jazz http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLB0V2bio-4 I like the sound of the drums but this isnt my best playing on this song....plus i have only played jazz for one year.

Edited by MusicForSpeedin - July 25 2007 at 20:20

That was very nice jazz drumming. Im suprised that you've only played jazz for a year, it sure doesn't sound that way. Im curious as to what you get your motivation for those fills from, though maybe you don't normally play like that since you say you've only done jazz for a year. You should put a video up on your youtube of you playing what you normally do, maybe progressive rock? Just a guess.

SoundsofSeasons wrote: That was very nice jazz drumming. Im suprised that you've only played jazz for a year, it sure doesn't sound that way. Im curious as to what you get your motivation for those fills from, though maybe you don't normally play like that since you say you've only done jazz for a year. You should put a video up on your youtube of you playing what you normally do, maybe progressive rock? Just a guess.

voted one year. I've jammed on a kit but too infrequent to call it practising. so more recently I got an octopad thing and experimented with the sticks a little. I understand that it's not complete practise without worrying about pedals and distance between cymbals and things, but I don't see why electronic multipads can't be performance instruments in and of themselves. =)

I once watched an instructional video on how to play a snare...and I've messed around on a friends drum set.  Nothin special.  It's fun though to pretend to be good at double bass.