Re: Is it too late for me to keep playing?
Hey everyone, I've been having some bad thoughts about the future of my drumming, real bad thoughts.
First of all I'm, 16, I started taking lessons back in July with only a practice pad until I spent all of my money on a nice Tama set a week or two later and have been keeping a steady pace of practice since (focusing and concentrating on practice went pretty rocky the earlier months though), I started out with an hour a day, now it's become natural to belt 2 maybe 3 hours every day after I started playing jazz and chart reading in December. Anyways, lately I've been really questioning if it's just too late to keep all this up and if it will ever end up anywhere serious. I don't post on this board a lot, but I read it pretty much everyday and I see people saying things like, "Well I started playing when I was 7" or "I was taking lessons at 12" and it always gets me down, you know?
I mean, thinking about all that lost time discourages from keeping it all going. This is definitely something I want to take seriously, but now I feel like I won't be able to get good enough FAST enough to stand out in amongst other drummers in my area when it comes to technical skill, like the kind who could be my age who have been playing drums for years and I feel like I couldn't compete if I wanted to start gigging say when I'm 20, 4 years of playing will seem like nothing to people to have been doing it since they were kids.
So yeah, discuss. If any of you have been in this same situation it'd be a real help to hear some wisdom.
I am not too much older than you, but I think we're close enough to in the same boat, here are my experiences.
I started playing at the age of 14, so did Danny Carey, if you're a tool fan, look where he went. I get jealous of the younger starters too (Thomas Pridgen, Buddy Rich, WOW), but to be honest with you its all about how many hours you put in behind the kit and how little time you waste while you're doing it. Keep up playing 3 hours a day, make sure you get into as many styles as you can, practice rudiments/endurance/limb independence exercises/timekeeping and you'll be in good shape. Jam with as many people as you can too, even if you're not that into the genres they place, at least learn the basics in case you discover something new you like.
I did the guitar center drum off this fall, and I have about 6-7 years of experience. I made it to the finals for San Jose and the other guys were like this:
10 years of experience, 25.
40+ years of experience, old enough to have a high school daughter and be bald.
17 years of experience, 20
13 years of experience, 24
19 years of experience, 30 (winner, regularly attends national finals, has a 6 year undefeated spree in san jose)
6 years of experience, 20 (me)
They only announced one winner but it was between me and the other 20 year old for "runners up" my instructor said. I was actually approached by the winner and congratulated for being advanced for 6 years of playing. To me that was as awesome as winning it, and it showed me age and experience really don't factor into it as much as dedication. Since you're doing what I was doing at 16, and I'm starting to get somewhere on the local scene, I'm gonna say you're on the right track too.
I started doing school shows with 2-3 years of experience, and then started gigging locally at 20. You're gonna be surprised how many guys on the local scene never play more than simple radio beats. If you're tasteful with your jazz fills and right hand rhythms that alone makes you stand out, don't over worry it, but keep your goals aimed high.