Has anyone else experienced this?

T

therealbicycle

Junior Member
I've come to a point were I feel like I don't seem to be progressing and its super frustrating. I've only been playing for two years, so there's plenty of stuff I can still learn but am lost as to what to focus on. I should add that I am self taught.

If anyone else has felt like this, I'd like to hear what you did to begin feeling inspired again, or everyone else, if there's any exercises or something you remember that really helped your career as a drummer.
 
I have half of your playing experience but I will say that about once every 5 to 6 weeks or so I hit a wall also - feel like I suck, am not getting better etc. I have been told, and there will be other posts that follow that say the same thing - keep chopping wood. Keep playing. Keep playing.

Mike

P.S. Keep playing
 
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I'll be the first, but not the last, to add "Get a teacher".

You will progress so much quicker than you can imagine with a qualified instructor challenging you.
 
I know the feeling well. It has happened to me many times.

My advice is to stop playing for about two days.
Then put on your favorite song and play along with it.
You will be grooving like a beast.

.
 
Firstly - get a teacher. A good one.

Secondly, this 'plateau' that you speak of happens to just about everyone I've ever met. The fact is that you are improving but now you've developed to a point where you're hearing errors you weren't hearing before. It'll make you feel as though you're not progressing but you are.
 
Oh hell yes! And there are few things more demoralising than sitting down at the kit and going "Meh" because you just can't play anything.

Firstly, don't despair because it's perfectly normal.

Secondly, take Jim's suggestion and don't play for a couple of days.

Thirdly, spend those couple of days reading "Effortless Mastery", a book that was recommended to me by several people on here when I was in a similar place to you.

ETA (doh): Fourthly, get a teacher.

And after that, you'll be fine :)
 
therealbicycle said:
I've come to a point were I feel like I don't seem to be progressing and its super frustrating. I've only been playing for two years, so there's plenty of stuff I can still learn but am lost as to what to focus on. I should add that I am self taught.

If anyone else has felt like this, I'd like to hear what you did to begin feeling inspired again, or everyone else, if there's any exercises or something you remember that really helped your career as a drummer.
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Yes, I have. That's when I started to take drum lessons....
 
BacteriumFendYoke said:
Firstly - get a teacher. A good one.

Secondly, this 'plateau' that you speak of happens to just about everyone I've ever met. The fact is that you are improving but now you've developed to a point where you're hearing errors you weren't hearing before. It'll make you feel as though you're not progressing but you are.
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Yeah I missed the self-taught part of his post..... uh GET A TEACHER :)
 
BacteriumFendYoke said:
Secondly, this 'plateau' that you speak of happens to just about everyone I've ever met. The fact is that you are improving but now you've developed to a point where you're hearing errors you weren't hearing before. It'll make you feel as though you're not progressing but you are.
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Wow, I've never thought about it like that. That is very reassuring but somewhat frustrating.

Looking into getting a teacher very soon.
 
BacteriumFendYoke said:
Firstly - get a teacher. A good one.

Secondly, this 'plateau' that you speak of happens to just about everyone I've ever met. The fact is that you are improving but now you've developed to a point where you're hearing errors you weren't hearing before. It'll make you feel as though you're not progressing but you are.
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Yes !
This is very true.

.
 
therealbicycle said:
Wow, I've never thought about it like that. That is very reassuring but somewhat frustrating.

Looking into getting a teacher very soon.
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One trick to overcoming that is to try recording your playing. It doesn't matter what you use to do so (as long as it's comprehensible), a smartphone will do the job just fine. Record yourself now and in a few weeks when you're feeling down on your playing, listen back. I can guarantee that if you've been practicing they'll be a very obvious difference.
 
I've been playing off and on for almost 30 years and that has happened to me many times. Mostly because I am mostly self taught other than middle school and high school band. The thing that gets me over those plateaus has historically been the other musicians I play with. I make personal improvements when they push me out of my comfort zone and I learn new things, refine the things I know, or apply what I know in different ways.

I would love to take lessons, but time, money, and living near a smaller city make it a little more difficult.
 
BacteriumFendYoke said:
One trick to overcoming that is to try recording your playing. It doesn't matter what you use to do so (as long as it's comprehensible), a smartphone will do the job just fine. Record yourself now and in a few weeks when you're feeling down on your playing, listen back. I can guarantee that if you've been practicing they'll be a very obvious difference.
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I agree, there is nothing better than recording and then critiquing your own performances. You will pick up things you wouldn't have noticed otherwise. Sometimes it also has a positive effect. You might be feeling down on a performance, but the audio or video it is fine.
 
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uhtrinity said:
I agree, there is nothing better than recording and then critiquing your own performances. You will pick up things you wouldn't have noticed otherwise. Sometimes it also has a positive effect. You might be feeling down on a performance, but on audio or video it is fine.
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Werd!!

It's almost always never as it seems. The other day I was having some difficulty with my in ear mix and everything felt real sluggish. Listening back it was groovy as all getout!
 
I'll also echo the find a teacher advice.Duncan (BacteriumFendYoke),also hit it on the head.As you progress,your ear becomes more critical,and you "hear" things differently.Your level of personal acceptance,becomes more self critical.You raise your own bar.

Another way of doing that is to play with as many other musicians as you can,preferably,those that are better than you.Doing that seems to pull you up,by your own boot straps.It make you want to get to the next level.Anyway,that worked for me.It took my playing up several notches.

We all hit the wall,on occasion.It's how you deal with it, that makes all the difference

Steve B
 
Plateaux happen in any pursuit which involves physical skill. It's perfectly normal.

As others have noted, there exist any number of ways to get you started on the next uphill slope. A tutor/teacher is arguably simplest, because they've got (or damn well better have) a plan to get you moving again. They've encountered the phenomenon before, both in their students and themselves.

The only other advice I can give is to "audition" your teachers. You need to find one with whom you connect, whose style, philosophy, and pedagogy work with your goals. Sometimes that isn't the best player slash most popular teacher available to you. For example, if you're very driven, type A, and focused, a "yeah, man, cool" wake-and-bake hippie sort of teacher isn't going to mesh with your goals and you won't be satisfied. And vice versa, of course.

I also agree that recording yourself if vastly important. If possible, video yourself from multiple angles. The kinesthetics (sp?) of percussion playing is crucial. You really can't see it in yourself, and audio recordings mask problems. Playing with poor posture or body/limb position will not only seriously hinder improvement, it can cause injury.

Enough blither. Get out there and conquer! :-D
 
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