Buddy Rich Quotes

You only get better by playing.

And, you know, I think the original recording of Ravel's Bolero, probably whoever played percussion on that, will never have It played better than that.

But, when you have to resort to turntables, trick lights, flashing lights, fire and all that, you're actually saying, I need this because what I do is not all that together.

Average band with a great drummer sounds great, great band with an average drummer sounds average.

A great musician is just a thief who doesn't get caught

Every drummer that had a name, had a name because of his individual playing. He didn't sound like anybody else, So everybody that I ever listened to, in some form, influenced my taste.

But I think that any young drummer starting out today should get himself a great teacher and learn all there is to know about the instrument that he wants to play.

I think it's a fallacy that the harder you practice the better you get.

I consider every drummer that ever played before me an influence, in every way.

If he's a true symphony artist, he knows better than that because he knows that the only truly creative musician is the jazz musician.

I think at one time every drummer wanted to play like Krupa or wanted to win a Gene Krupa drum contest. This is the big inspiration for drummers and naturally it has to be the same way for me.

There are only two types of music.good and bad.

I can think of a lot better things to do with my hands than to cut them up on the rim of a drum.

But primarily, the drummer's supposed to sit back there and swing the band.

There were so many individual styles thirty or forty years ago.

I never believed in a set routine. It should depend on how you feel, because you play what you feel.

If you have any requests. keep them to yourselves. we don't play requests!

And, well of course, Count Basie, and I think all of the black bands of the late thirties and early forties, bands with real players. They had an influence on everybody, not just drummers.

As far as music school goes, I walked through Berkelee one time.

No, I don't like recording. It's a bore.

If you think you stink, you probably do.

I can't sit down long enough to absorb any kind of learning.

You either swing a band or don't swing a band and that's what's lacking today.. There aren't any guys who get back there and play with any kind of guts.

Well, I never really practiced because I never had the opportunity to practice.

If you can play, you can play anything. I don't like classifications.

So, practice, particularly after you've attained a job, any kind of job, like playing with a four piece band, that's... an opportunity to develop.

Almost everything I've done, I've done through my own creativity.