Learning to play percussion well is as hard if not harder than learing to play another instrument.

I would be very interested to know what instruments you can play. I'm going to assume from the way you are talking of percussion as a group of instruments that does not require the ability to "read music and play a possible 10 different keys all at once (sometimes more), know chord progressions, melody vs. bass, key signatures, sharps, flats, dynamics, musicality, rythm, etc.", that you are not a percussionist and have no idea the kind of "meticulous detail" or "technical mastery" that you do need to be a percussionist. I was really hoping to discuss the subject with someone who had an idea of what he was talking about, but since you got yourself into this, I'm going at you full force. You say more complicated instruments. Like what? I can see how the piano might be harder to be good at, but I was thinking more of instruments that one might find in a symphony or wind ensemble. A trombone player can get just as much feeling out of his instrument as a xylophonist. Since I was including both xylophone and timpani in the grouping of percussion (did you even READ my opening statement?), I would like to remind you that they do in fact use musical notes. This means that not only does one need to be able to know the key signatures, sharps, flats, dynamics, musicality, and rhythm, but they also need to be able to do things that no other instrument requires. For example, it is widely considered necessary for a timpani player to be able to tune four timpanis to different pitches from one base note by ear. I would also just like to stress the complexity of some of the xylophone pieces I've seen at the HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL. For example, I have had to play a piece where one must use three mallets, play two octaves of interchanging minor scales at the same time, and be able to play five notes per beat in some parts. I will now move onto the snare drum, which you seem to greatly underestimate. "one can copy the rhythm played by another, and then add his/her own dynamics. "- wrong -"However, other instruments - it is rare/next to impossible to sit down a piece and play it after hearing it. One must work at it much more vigorously in order to perfect it". Okay...good lord. With this comparison you are comparing having to play something easy, with something hard. Only with the easy patterns is one able to copy a rhythm heard by ear. Alright, let's say that there is a pattern in which a drummer strokes out a nine-stroke roll. Not many beginners can come remotely close to stroking a roll. It took me five years to become fast enough to double strokes eight notes per beat at a fast tempo (not bouncing). In comparison, it took me about a year to get a good tone on my bass guitar and it only took my friend two years to get a good tone from his OBOE. You say that "it is rare/next to impossible to sit down a piece and play it after hearing it", but I can play tunes off of the radio on my bass or piano with no problems. Only in the difficult pieces am I forced to sit down with a piece of music and practice a part. (You're lucky I didn't bring the drum set into this because that would be a completely different debate)