I destroyed a lot of guitars trying to get them to do what I wanted, but I learned something from every guitar I tore apart, and discovered even more things. Things like if the string is not straight from the bridge saddle to the nut, you're going to have friction.

Eddie Van Halen

Categorized in : Nuts Bridges Guitar

Jimmy Page is an excellent producer. Led Zeppelin I and II are classics. As a player he's very good in the studio, but I've never seen him play well live. He's sloppy. He plays like he's got a broken hand and he's two years old. If you put out a good album and play like a two year old, what's the purpose?

Eddie Van Halen

two-year-olds player years

Obviously you have to have rhythm. If you have rhythm, then you can play anything you need. If you have rhythm and you love music, then play and play and play until you get to where you want to get. If you can pay the rent, great. If you can't, then you'd better be having fun.

Eddie Van Halen

play fun needs

Rock stars come and go. Musicians play until they die.

Eddie Van Halen

rocks stars play

If you want to be a rock star or just be famous, then run down the street naked, you'll make the news or something. But if you want music to be your livelihood, then play, play, play and play! And eventually you'll get to where you want to be.

Eddie Van Halen

rocks stars running

To hell with the rules. If it sounds right, then it is.

Eddie Van Halen

hell music sound

You only have 12 notes. Do what you want with them.

Eddie Van Halen

notes what-you-want want

If I can help a kid discover a liking, or even a passion for music in their life, then that’s a wonderful thing.

Eddie Van Halen

passion helping kids

Most beginners want to learn lead because they think it's cool .. consequently, they never really develop good rhythm skills .. since most of a rock guitarists time is spent playing rhythm, it's important to learn to do it well .. learning lead should come after you can play solid backup and have the sound of the chords in your head

Eddie Van Halen

music inspiring funny

I played 'Eruption' two times for the record, and we kept the one that seemed to flow ... there's a mistake at the top end of it whenever I hear it, I always think, Man I could've played it better ... but I like the way it sounds. I'd never heard a guitar sound like that before.

Eddie Van Halen

music mistake men

Sometimes I just want to lick David Lee Roth in the nuts

Eddie Van Halen

nuts want sometimes

I'm just a guitarist in a kick-ass rock and roll band. What more could I ask for?

Eddie Van Halen

rock-and-roll rocks band

It's always about the music, never about anything else.

Eddie Van Halen

A guitar is a very personal extension of the person playing it. You have to be emotionally and spiritually connected to your instrument. I'm very brutal on my instruments, but not all the time.

Eddie Van Halen

brutal instruments guitar

Music kept me off the streets and out of trouble and gave me something that was mine that no one could take away from me.

Eddie Van Halen

passion-for-music streets trouble

Rock & Roll is feeling, and after you know most of the basics ... chords, rhythm, scales and bends ... getting that feeling is just about the most important aspect of playing guitar

Eddie Van Halen

rocks guitar music

I have pictures of me sitting in the racquetball court in my pajamas with an acoustic guitar, and Wolfgang is probably just two-and-a-half-feet tall. I'll never forget the day I saw his foot tapping along in beat! I knew then, I couldn't wait for the day I'd be able to make music with my son. I don't know what more I could ask for.

Eddie Van Halen

guitar two son

There are really three parts to the creative process. First there is inspiration, then there is the execution, and finally there is the release.

Eddie Van Halen

three creative inspiration

I'm not a rock star. Sure I am, to a certain extent because of the situation, but when kids ask me how it feels to be a rock star, I say leave me alone, I'm not a rock star. I'm not in it for the fame, I'm in it because I like to play.

Eddie Van Halen

rocks stars kids

Everything comes to me while I'm sitting on the pot.

Eddie Van Halen

sitting pot

It's always a Catch-22 situation. They hate you if you're the same, and they hate you if you're different.

Eddie Van Halen

situation different hate