I have come to the realization very recently that I can play better than our instructor and a drum line parent to still learns and tries to teach us. I kept practicing and that is what happened. As one of my drummer's says " You can play circles around Mr.Rodgers." When I realized this I mentioned it to my band director and he agreed and I was happy for awhile. Then I realized that it doesn't give me as much of a challenge to learn. I mean don't get me wrong, i'll still give it my all to learn and my band director (an ex-tenor player ) has said he'll help find something to help me further my playing ability, but it really disgruntled me that I can play on a level of my band director.

Sorry it kind of ran on like I was rambling but those were just my thoughts.

Any advice or comments welcome.

~baseman_matt
~~~your friend in Andalusia, Al

I'm not sure what you're asking, but I would like to tell you this:

Don't let an ego form out of this, he is still your instructor, no matter how great of a player you are. I taught my instructor this past year how to play traditional, but I kept in mind that he is my instructor, and I have to respect him whole-heartedly. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that you're not respecting him, it's just a friendly reminder. Also, listen attentively, I've had multiple different instructors due to the fact that I've been to so many different schools. These instructors were from levels of a college freshman majoring in music education to Lance Kindl from Blast!. I have, however, taken good portions out of each and every one of them, and have used those aspects in benefiting me as a performer, a leader, a teacher, and as a rehearsing instrumentalist.

Also, if you're looking for more of a challenge, look into a local corps or indoor line, that would introduce you to a whole new level of drumming, and, if you need it, it may humble you bit as a performer.

Hope that helped whatever it was that you wanted to know.
Keep on working, and always love drumming.
B

Ive been there. I have students now that can play things I haven't been able to in a few years.
The thing is hands don't make an instructor, the mind and ears do. its not the instructors job the be able to play anything an everything. that is a performers job. the instructor is there to critique what you're doing, and make you better. It all about the the information that is given to you and what you do with it. having the ability to play as well as your student helps, but is far from necessary. Writing off good information merely because you have more chops, is immature, and counterproductive.

Given time, the student will be able to outplay the instructor; but can you outsmart him? Even then, does that mean you're superior? No.

Just to be general, instructors are past their prime, and end up teaching kids closer to their prime. It's not surprising at all that after only a year the student can dust the instructor's hands easy. But as Insomniac said, the instructor has the mind, ears, AND experience that makes him the instructor. You're instructor has been around the block a few times, he knows music more than anyone of his students.

Although, I can't say I wasn't also pumped when I started to out play my instructors hands. But just remember, you wouldn't be anywhere without him, and just because you have better chops now doesn't mean your instructor couldn't wipe the floor with you 10 years ago

I wouldn't say that an instructor necessarily is past his prime. However, it is occasionally the case. I just know that my voice teacher in undergrad had a paralyzed vocal fold due to Parkinson's. He physically couldn't sing much better than your average elementary school kid unless he put a ridiculous amount of effort into it. He was still an amazing teacher who I would trust more than almost anyone else I've ever worked with.

Don't choose an instructor based on what he can play (or in my case sing). Choose an instructor who can teach, has a good ear, and is musical.

I've got a student right now whose hands have become better than mine. It happens on occasion since students typically have a lot more free time to practice than working (and parenting) adults. But it's not my job to out-chop every kid in the line. My job includes things like using my eyes and ears to identify problems, using my experience to come up with fixes, and using my communication skills to relate those ideas to the players.

It happens a lot more than you might think, and at pretty much every level. For example, Ralph Hardimon can't play like he used to, but he gets hired for his eyes, ears, and mind -- not his hands.

Instructing a line is a lot like coaching in an athletic setting. Is Butch Harmon the best golfer around? No, but Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson, and a whole bunch of other top golfers have hired him as a coach. Not because he's a better player than they are, but because he's excellent at analyzing and adjusting swing mechanics. Even the best in their fields need someone whose eyes, ears, and experience they trust.

I pretty much agree with everybody so far. I don't practice nearly as much as I used to when I was able to march. Now that I'm too old to play, my chops aren't nearly what they used to be. I feel that when a student can out play me that I've done a good job as an instructor. One of my best instructors once told me that he used to chop out a few times a week just before the summer camp season started so he could be able to keep up and play along side us if he had to.

As someone who experienced a similar situation in HS, I would urge you to use some caution in your statements so they don't come back to haunt you.

Not saying you can or can't do what you're claiming, just be careful about advertising those claims at home and online, especially if you're going to use names.

What criteria are you using to support the assertion that you "can play better"?

Do you have the muscle memory that most instructors do, allowing most of us older guys to still smoke our students because we're way more consistent?

Do you have the dynamic control over your playing that many veteran instructors do or is everything at a 15/9" height differential?

Clearly, you're only talking about hands, but can you play and march circles around him? That's always a good equalizer for kids who have an over-inflated sense of self-worth (again, not saying that is you). Even the most physically unfit staff member won't forget how to do things that were beaten into them for a summer/winter.

Thanks for the comments. I didn't realize how conceited I sounded. What I meant by my statement that I can play better than my instructor is that I can consistently play and march better than him on each drum. I'm not trying to say that i disrespect him. He is wiser than I in years and life and I respect him a great deal and he is one of my favorite teachers and a good friend. He is still a formidable match when it comes to teaching and playing.

To Snarepaint: My asertion that I can play and march better than him is that I know more notes (the marching really stay the same) and how to excersize them in a playing ability and whilst marching.

I realize that I'm not the best drummer on earth, in the US, in Alabama, or in my school. There are drummers at rival schools that can outplay me or play on an even level. I was merely asking if it has happened to you in your HS, College, Drum corp career.

Thanks for the advice on all of this and the tips on how to deal with it!

~baseman_matt

Some tips are to just keep on practicing on your own always and keep building up your chops for rudimental drumming, but maybe try and start getting really good at mallets or learning some cool timpani solos in order to become more well rounded. everyone likes well rounded percussionists. So yeah. Don't be square.

If your outplaying your instructor maybe when you graduate talk to him about teaching or helping out at your school yourself or maybe he has some connections to set you up with a minor or major teaching job at a nearby high school. Teaching is fun.