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I agree with you, but ironically enough, learning to play an alto sax means you can say you can play 26 different instruments, that's how many different kinds of sax there are. Playing all the variations of sax and clarinet would actually outnumber all of the basic percussion instruments(not counting the ethnic ones, there are too many to count).

No, no. Learning to play drums does not entitle you to a position of all mighty musician. Learning to play the drums gives you one skill: Playing a drum. Let me put it this way...say you learn to play snare. Then you are given a field drum. You play it the same way. Same kind of music, same kind of sticks, same technique.

On the other hand, learning to be a percussionist encompasses all areas of aux and bells. You don't play a set of bells the same way you play a snare drum. There is different music, there is different technique. Same with all the small intstruments. Yes, even the triangle. When played correctly and with the proper music, the triangle is a very difficult instrument to master. Especially when it is played open and closed.

Now I'm not saying that a drummer is not a musician.
I am saying that there are parallels between drummers, percussionists, squares and rectangles.

A percussionist is always a drummer. A drummer is not always a percussionist. A rectangle is always a square. A square is not always a rectangle. There are exceptions to ever rule though. Some people in the drummer realm are very good at other things, and some people in the percussionist realm really suck a battery...

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that being a drummer (or a percussionist) does not teach you more instruments per say. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.

A trumpet player can play the tuba. A tuba player can play the euphonium. A clarinet player can usually play the sax. An oboe player can play the English horn. A french horn player can usually play the euphonium..and so on and so forth.

I think many percussionist (and drummers) regard themselves as having more knowledge, which gives them the egos they have.

But other instruments have their parallels too!

And as for the guy with the ego and being a terrible drummer...

Every band has one.

Drumline and pit is hot, and everyone knows it! domokun unless one or both of them isn't good, then of course it's not hot!

I agree with the guy... three posts up I think.

A percussionist and a drummer are two different type of people.

I'm a percussionist, I can play any percussion instrument you give me, not well but I can play them. I'm decent at everything but snare.

I'm a bass on the line... which is probably why snare and I don't mix.

Woah...thread was bumped..cool to see one though. I'm in the pit..with 5 other freshmen, 3 sophomores, 2 juniors and 2 seniors. I play chimes...you know, those tall, heavy ones. stressed Pisses me off when people assume the pit is the easiest thing possible. It's a pain in the arse to move all that stupid stuff on and off the truck, in and out of the school.

Freshmen typically end up in the pit..only one of the seven 9th grade percussionists in marching band got in the battery..as a tenor. (Heavy. x.x; wink

I hope to get 1st, 2nd, or 3rd bass next year. I hope I don't end up in pit again. It feels like you miss out on a lot.

-Laughs- I'd help you, but I'm in the same boat. I'm tone-deaf.

My BD just has other people tune the timpany.

I play the vibes, though I will tryout for snare next year

"A percussionist is always a drummer."
Not true. I play percussion, but I'm not *technically* a drummer. I play pit. For concert band I play alto sax. I don't know anything about snare technique, tenors technique, or bass technique, even.
Also, I think you're backwards on rectangle vs. square. A square is a type of rectangle. I rectangle is not a type of square. All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. A square is a rectangle with sides of equal length.