So.. this post is long overdue for me.. but at the beginning of the season I was put on bass (Im a junior) I played bass last year as a sophomore and really stood out, I was really looking forward to playing snare this year and was crushed wen I found out I was on bass, my directors reasoning was "he needed a strong bass player to lead the bassline" don't get me wrong, I love my bass drum, but I hate it at the same time. I just don't know how I should feel about this..I know Im better than half the snareline right now.. any opinions?

Take it as an honor that the instructor wants a solid member to lead the bass section of the battery. Not to mention, depending on your bass designation and how your snare line plays their drum with either Traditional or Matched, you can use that playing particularly on the left hand to improve your left hand strength as the motions for left hand bass and traditional left hand snare are easily replicated with each other.

Yes, it may seem like your instructor 'feels' against you. But in reality, he's not looking out for one person. He's looking for overall cohesion and solidarity within the line as a whole. Not just one person's feelings.

Nobody should tell you how you should feel about something; that is up to you. Ask yourself the following three questions. You can either respond here or just think about them for yourself.

What personal needs are you fulfilling or wishing to fulfill by your participation in drumline and how do you feel you could best fulfill them?

What needs of the drumline do you hope to fulfill and how do you feel you could best fulfill those?

Do you feel (and why or why not) that either of these (personal or drumline needs) is more important than the other?

Also, the correct attitude is to NOT say, "I'm better". Just take what you're given, you've been chosen for a reason.

If you're section leader, and you're not pleased with the bass line that's all on you as soon as you're made section leader. I would take that as a challenge and make it the best damn high school bass line in your state.

I mean, that's what I'd do...

I agree with wcudrummer. Try to find the positive things in it. I know from experience what it feels like to not get something you feel you deserve. But it doesn't help anybody if I become completely uninterested because I didn't get what I wanted.

Instead, what I do in those situations involves trying to get the absolute best out of what I'm doing. Because obviously, if I essentially feel like I'm to good for a position (which I know I never am), then I'm going to give myself a challenge in anyway I can. Otherwise, it will get boring.

If anything ever starts to bore you, then you know you need to give yourself more of a challenge. As wcudrummer suggested, challenge yourself and the rest of the bass line to be an amazing bassline. Honestly, nothing sounds better than a clean bass line, be it unison parts or split parts. I mean, the bass line (if it's talented enough), tends to reinforce the snares anyways, so just take what you get and make the best of it.