I started playing the drums when I was twelve years-old. I had very little “natural talent.” Basically, everything I can do today on the drum set is because I practiced – a lot. Starting off, I learned snare drum technique, some coordination between the four limbs, and some standard drum beats. As I progressed and continued to immerse myself in music, I learned quite a bit by listening to music. My favorite bands and drummers taught me so much. It took a while for me to “hear” some things, so I listened even harder – which meant even more time was spent practicing. I tried hard to replicate what I heard.
Some people do have a natural talent on their chosen instrument. I have heard some young drum set players that have a great time feel, e.g. They can play a great groove almost from the get-go. Other players may have a real natural feel for moving their hands – nice technique without much effort. This is great!
I would like to offer a word of caution here. Some players that have some degree of natural talent feel that they do not need to practice very much or work as hard. I have found that this does not serve these players well in the long-run. Natural ability seems to only get you so far, and then most people will get stuck. I would like to suggest that you use that talent and then expand it at every chance you get. Continue to work hard and I think you’ll be amazed at what you can do.
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