I can think of a lot better things to do with my hands than to cut them up on the rim of a drum. Buddy Rich More Quotes by Buddy Rich More Quotes From Buddy Rich But, I don't think any arranger should ever write a drum part for a drummer because if a drummer can't create his own Interpretation of the chart and he plays everything that's written, he becomes mechanical; he has no freedom. Buddy Rich play writing thinking You only get better by playing. Buddy Rich drumming get-better music Average band with a great drummer sounds great, great band with an average drummer sounds average. Buddy Rich band sound average A great musician is just a thief who doesn't get caught Buddy Rich great-music thieves musician 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. Buddy Rich light fire together I think it's a fallacy that the harder you practice the better you get. Buddy Rich harder practice thinking I mean, I think I liked every band I ever played in because each band was different, each band had a different concept, and each band leader was different... different personalities and musical tastes. Buddy Rich personality mean thinking 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. Buddy Rich play teacher thinking 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. Buddy Rich symphony creative artist 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. Buddy Rich taste names sound I consider every drummer that ever played before me an influence, in every way. Buddy Rich drummer influence way 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. Buddy Rich inspiration winning thinking I think the drummer should sit back there and play some drums, and never mind about the tunes. Just get up there and wail behind whoever is sitting up there playing the solo. And this is what is lacking, definitely lacking in music today. Buddy Rich mind play thinking There are only two types of music.good and bad. Buddy Rich type good-and-bad two I never believed in a set routine. It should depend on how you feel, because you play what you feel. Buddy Rich routine music play There were so many individual styles thirty or forty years ago. Buddy Rich individual style years If you think you stink, you probably do. Buddy Rich stink ifs thinking But primarily, the drummer's supposed to sit back there and swing the band. Buddy Rich swings drummer band If you have any requests. keep them to yourselves. we don't play requests! Buddy Rich request ifs play To have everything written for you It's not really creating. That's why I think symphony drummers are so limited. They 're limited to exactly what was played a hundred years before them by a thousand other drummers. Buddy Rich symphony years thinking
