I agree in the general principle that it’s about quality over quantity.
I also want to broaden this concept of being great because it applies not only to drumming. To be “great”, you need to transgress into the realm in which time is no longer a consideration in your mind. Yes, you need to practice efficiently with respect to time. However, the amount of practice really should be every waking moment, to the extent other priorities are not more important.
When I was in high school, I was serious about becoming a great basketball player. One summer, I was invited to Magic Johnson’s basketball camp. The one thing I remember him telling us campers was that “true basketball players don’t need to know the time.” He said this in response to some campers whining about having to practice too much at camp. He went on to say that when he was coming up, during the summers, he’d wake up, eat breakfast, go out to the courts and wouldn’t come back until around 1 am the next morning. Generally, I think that type of dedication is required with anything in which you strive to be “great”. That includes drumming.
