285 Inspiration Drums Quotes (Legendary Drummers)

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Explore the rhythmic world of drumming with our collection of inspirational drum quotes that will strike a chord with every percussion enthusiast.

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Legendary Drummers’ Insights: Inspirational Quotes

You only get better by playing. Buddy Rich
It takes a pretty good drummer to be better than no drummer at all. Chet Baker
I am not a technical drummer at all. I’m more from the Keith Moon/Lars Ulrich school of, ‘Hey, look at me!’ I just get up there and bash. Mike Portnoy
The point in me playing with Prince was to let a lot of people know that I can play trap. I don’t think people know that. Sheila E.
When everyone tells you, ‘No, no, no,’ your creative forces get a little twisted and turn into something more apocalyptic than ever. Joey Jordison Inspiration Drums Quotes
If it doesn’t come from your heart, music just doesn’t work. Levon Helm
I know that drummers tend to be the butt of a thousand jokes, usually from the uninformed and untalented, but I always felt I had an important role. Roger Taylor
I love being a drummer. Everyone thinks you’re dumb. What they don’t realise is that if it weren’t for you, their band would suck. Dave Grohl
I think my playing has been orchestral throughout the years, and this is another way of expressing that. But I primarily see it as the ultimate accomplishment of a musician. Composing makes me feel like I’ve finally gotten all the way up the ladder as a musician. Tony Williams Inspiration Drums Quotes
I play weird. I’m always just behind. We [drummers] only have so much room. We’re not guitarists. Ringo Starr
Dude, I love playing drums, and I love being on stage, and I love recording. It’s my life… it’s been my life, all my life, and I don’t think it could ever become boring for me. Dave Lombardo
When Mr. Ludwig invented the bass-drum pedal, that’s what made the drum set possible. Neil Peart
I wanna play hard rock. I wanna play loud drums. Bill Ward
But primarily, the drummer’s supposed to sit back there and swing the band. Buddy Rich
I’ve been married to music my entire life. I’ve been dedicated to it. I know what it takes to do it. And ever since my brother has been taken from me, I feel like I have to live for both of us. Vinnie Paul
When I was a kid, I felt like I could do anything and play anything. I just felt super-confident. And then, once I started to play music professionally, maybe it’s from being from a small town, but you grow up and then you’re suddenly a big fish in a small pond, and I realized that there were a billion other drummers out there that could play as good as you or better, and everybody wants that job. Patty Schemel
My playing is all about feel. I’m completely self taught: I never took any lessons or anything. Joey Kramer Inspiration Drums Quotes
To me, there was no better drummer than Jeff Porcaro. His musicianship and kindness to me will never be forgotten. Our loss is heaven’s gain. Richard Marx
The quad toms are a completely different animal than the standard drum set/trap kit. Playing wise and stylistically, they are two different beasts. Tommy Lee
It’s the honesty you apply to your playing that makes music enjoyable. The style of the music has little to do with it. It’s only honesty that makes it beautiful. Elvin Jones
Just the same way I’d say a prayer before going onstage, taking that even further and using the drum to inspire people. And using that as a vehicle for the intention. Rick Allen
A bass player has to think and play like a bass player. A drummer has to play and think like a drummer, and stay out of the way of the vocalist. The guitar player has to respect everybody else. Hunter Hayes
Stamina is the force that drives the drumming; it’s not really a sprint. Neil Peart
I’ve always liked to be the kind of drummer and musician who likes to go outside of what’s expected of me. Matt Cameron
It’s good to wander into the studio and walk out with something that’s better than you’d imagined it to be. If everything was as you imagined it to be, it just wouldn’t be as much fun. Dave Grohl
You can make yourself the greatest singer in the world or the best drummer in the world with the aid of technology. Dave Grohl
I don’t use a Beatmap; I don’t use any click track. Any time I count off, it’s just in my heart. Sometimes I’ll go off the feel of a crowd, like if the way they’re bouncing is a little quicker than the song, I might kick up the tempo a little bit. I see where the crowd is at. It’s nothing drastic, but all the tempos are from my internal clock. Joey Jordison
I felt I didn’t have anything else to prove as a musician… and boy was I wrong about that one. Rick Allen
Playing drums is how I communicate. It’s how I speak to people. That’s my God-given gift. Joey Jordison
I warm naturally to the drummer whose ideas and approach are strong, even if he doesn’t quite have the ability to carry them out. Bill Bruford
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
It’s hard to find five musicians who know what the other is going to do before they do it. And that’s what we had in G’N’R. Steven Adler
Historically, musicians know what it is like to be outside the norm – walking the high wire without a safety net. Our experience is not so different from those who march to the beat of different drummers. Billy Joel
But back then the thing that saved me was the music, and it’s certainly the music that saves me now. The music, my family and my friends and everybody around me. Jimmy Chamberlin
Legacy above finances; artistry above fame. Jimmy Chamberlin
Drummers are conductors – we set the pace for the music – so if you’re not relaxed and feeling right, the whole thing goes out the window. Steven Adler
I don’t like driving through the rain. Your tour is only going to go as good as your bus driver, kinda like your band is only going to be as good as your drummer. Piggy D.
Music is made to be heard, whether you hear it in concert, you hear it on the radio, or you hear it in your car. It’s not for two people to sit in a closet and go, ‘That’s my band, the only band I’ve ever heard, and I’m the only person that’s going to hear it.’ Vinnie Paul
Some [drummers] drop time because they want to hear what you’re doin’. Miles Davis
All I really had was a suitcase and my drums. So I took them up to Seattle and hoped it would work. Dave Grohl Inspiration Drums Quotes
If you looked at the sound pattern of an old-fashioned record, it would be very spiky. But nowadays, there’s no spikes – everything looks like a brick, so the quiet bits become louder. It’s actually damaging because it’s like listening to a drill. Stephen Morris
I think female drummers are great. I think there should be more of them. Sean Kinney
I like to be one of those drummers who actually add to the music, not one of those guys who sit in a room / trying to outwit or outplay another drummer. Dave Lombardo
But figuring out Saddam Hussein was one our greatest mysteries. He marched to his own drummer and frequently as this unfolded he made decisions which were sometimes inexplicable to us and sometimes didn’t look very smart. Brent Scowcroft

Inspirational Rhythms from Drumming Icons

I can’t think of a more natural experience in my entire life than playing with Mike Dean, Woody Weatherman again. I really learned how to play with them in terms of drumming. Reed Mullin
I could have played more complex stuff. I could have been a busier player. But that’s not what I wanted to do. I played what I wanted to play. Don Henley
I’ve always liked a very dry snare and, like everyone else, a very dry bass drum. Nick Mason Inspiration Drums Quotes
Drumming is like film directing. You build a framework for everyone to create something together. James Genn
Michael Giles the first drummer of King Crimson, never agreed to the name King Crimson. But then, if you’d knew Michael, you would know he didn’t agree to the album cover either. So maybe Michael didn’t agree to the point of definition with many things. Robert Fripp
I try to keep my ear to the streets without sacrificing who I am as an artist. If a song needs a drum machine I’ll use a drum machine. If it needs a drummer, I’ll use a real drummer. Teena Marie
There are numerous different kinds of drum sounds – some are more ambient and roomy and this, that, and the other, the John Bonham kind of thing. Then there’s kinda what I did with Pantera, which was much more attacky, and then with what I did for ‘Blood For Blood’ on the Hellyeah record is kind of a combination of all of that. Vinnie Paul
That’s the thing that we said about the horn before: it’s a focus issue. It’s like a singer versus a drummer. If a drummer’s playing a drum beat, and a singer starts singing, what do you think the audience is going to do? Charlie Hunter
My drum parts are a song within the song; that’s the way I look at writing my drum parts. They follow patterns, and they’re written to interact with the rest of the band. There’s quite a bit of thought that goes into it. Vinnie Paul
A lot of people from my generation of music are so focused on playing things correctly or to perfection that they’re stuck in that safe place. Dave Grohl
That’s where I think a lot of these guys today are just, ‘I’m the drummer, man. Check it out. Here’s my lick. I just learned this new drum lick. I’m just gonna blast all over the place.’ It’s like, ‘Man, you’ve got to let the song breathe.’ Vinnie Paul
Drummers haven’t managed to develop their individuality quite as well as guitarists have. We can be so focused on the nuts and bolts that we overlook the importance of individuality – the broader picture, if you will. Bill Bruford
The drummer is stereotypically the dumb guy. Maybe that’s why I always respect drummers who do more than drum. Taylor Hawkins Inspiration Drums Quotes
More than any other drummer, Ringo Starr changed my life. The impact and memory of that band on Ed Sullivan Show in will never leave me. I can still see Ringo in the back moving that beat with his whole body, his right hand swinging off his sock cymbal while his left hand pounds the snare. He was fantastic, but I think what got to me the most was his smile. I knew he was having the time of his life. Max Weinberg Inspiration Drums Quotes
The Creator wants us to drum. He wants us to corrupt the world with drum, dance and chants. After all, we have already corrupted the world with power and greed… which hasn’t gotten us anywhere – now’s the time to corrupt the world with drum, dance and chants. Babatunde Olatunji
I’ve gotten hernias from drummers when they drop tempo. Miles Davis
If you were to ask me, ‘What the hell does a musician have in common with a restaurant?’ I would say a huge amount. It’s show time every day, it’s a team of people, like, running a circus, which is running a rock-and-roll band. Mick Fleetwood
There is no music unless the drum and the drummer are one. e. e. cummings
I’m a visionary drummer and I have been for a long, long, long time. Bill Ward
I’m really not into the educational aspect of performing. It’s not in me. Dave Lombardo
I guess I did make my name out of my drumming, and I have the big drum sets, and I’m doing all these crazy, odd-time signatures, so, yeah, I guess drumming was very important to what made me popular. Mike Portnoy
I used to be a drummer in a band, and I really loved playing the drums, so I look forward to the right opportunity to do that at some point. Maybe even on TV. Every single live performance I’m doing on TV, I want it to be different and unique. Zedd
I’m not a singer who plays a bit of drums. I’m a drummer that sings a bit. Phil Collins Inspiration Drums Quotes
To me, I always felt like drums have to be the support and the driving factor in a song, and there’s places where the drummer has to show off and do things and get the spotlight, but not all the time. You’ve gotta pick and choose. And it’s always gotta be about the song. That’s really the bottom line. Vinnie Paul
Drums all have their own particulars – each drum has a place where they sound the best – where they ring out and resonate the best, and the head surface isn’t too loose or too tight, mainly so you get a good rebound off of the head. Chad Smith
I find that doing the drums last, coming from a drum history, really works well for me. Tommy Lee
I wanted to play drums because I fell in love with the glitter and the lights, but it wasn’t about adulation. It was being up there playing. Charlie Watts
If you only play metal, it’s going to be very apparent that you’re a one-dimensional drummer. Joey Jordison
I think it’s very cool for the drummer to be set free from having to worry about holding down the beat every once in a while, though it’s a little constricting. James Hetfield
Alex Van Halen… I loved his playing because he had so much energy; he made those songs exciting, along with everything else that went with him. Vinnie Paul
I’ve always seen my drumming as lyrical anyway. Jimmy Chamberlin
When I lost the use of my hi-hat and bass drum legs, I became basically a singer. I was a drummer who did a bit of singing, and then I became a singer who did a bit of percussion. Robert Wyatt
I am also a drummer of sorts. I’ve got an electronic set sitting in my bedroom. Gary Cole Inspiration Drums Quotes
A lot of times, when a band finds success with a certain style or sound, they have a really hard time breaking away from that to grow as artists. Matt Cameron
I think it’s important for a young musician to stick with a band for a while and really work with a band and stay focused. Mike Portnoy
Bass players and drummers are brothers in the basement cooking up the groove that makes people move. John Densmore
I’m the Best Keith Moon-type drummer in the world. John Bonham
At this point, I think I would garner a lot of hate mail if I was now on the cover of Modern Drummer seeing as I’m not a modern drummer anymore. Jason Schwartzman
Anytime you strike the drums, you have to be aware that you’re creating a musical event. Vinnie Colaiuta
I’d rather be entertained and go to a show and watch a drummer and have somebody that makes me actually smile. So I don’t judge drummers based on their technical ability; I judge them based on the overall package and what they bring to the music they’re part of. Mike Portnoy
I’m a rock-and-roll drummer, so my job is to create chaos. Greg Saunier
I can understand how some people might resent me for having the audacity to continue playing music, but it’d take a lot more than that to stop me from doing it. I started Foo Fighters because I didn’t want to retreat. Dave Grohl
I can’t play anywhere near like I used to, and I was a hot drummer. It doesn’t bother me, because frankly, if you get to that point where you can’t hold a drumstick properly, there are many other things in life which are far more important, like cutting a loaf of bread or a piece of cheese. Phil Collins

Drumming Legends Speak: Quotes for Inspiration

I love being a drummer but I love being a musician in general and I love the Foo fighters. Dave Grohl
I love playing drums and helping out. Mike Portnoy
I surround myself with incredible musicians who inspire me to always do my best. Mike Portnoy
But unfortunately, in my unrelenting drive to get back on that drum stool, the major casualty in all of it was that I really forgot about me. Rick Allen
In respect for drummers, see, I love drummers. Miles Davis
I was always quite shy so I became a drummer. David Essex
I’ve always loved the mixture of crushing live drums with a programmed groove, that really cool blend, like in the verse there’s a really funky drum beat that is programmed then it comes in to the chorus; you’ve got that enormous human feel where the band kicks in. Tommy Lee
You know, another jazz drummer, Ed Thigpen, who played with Oscar Peterson way back – it was the first time I ever heard rivets in a cymbal. And then I heard that Chico Hamilton had them too, and I went, ‘Oh, that’s it. I’m taking that for my sound.’ And it worked well on ‘Riders On The Storm,’ so that’s one thing. John Densmore
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
If you mess around with jazz, you better have a good drummer and a good bass player. Gunther Schuller
I’ve talked to some drummers who seem to have a very hard time staying in shape on the road, including some drummers touring with high-profile acts that don’t have to live on fast food every night. Matt Cameron
I think you get to a point where you watch something just to enjoy it. I don’t think it’s really done so that you’re supposed to feel, Oh, he’s the most wonderful drummer. I think the whole lot is what’s more enjoyable. Charlie Watts
In The Go-Go’s, my philosophy is that I contribute whatever the song requires. I never think, ‘What can I put in here to show off the latest trick that I just picked up?’ What I think is, ‘What’s required from me as a drummer to make this a better song?’ Gina Schock
When I was a kid I never learned to play. I actually got in bands through watching people play and copying them. Charlie Watts
Certain drummers drop time, and I like to play on top of the beat. Miles Davis
I wanted to completely honor The REV and pay tribute to him and carry on the legacy that he intended with this record. Mike Portnoy
The golden rule of drums is hands clapping and feet tapping, and when you are in and out of consciousness, you can’t do that to best of your ability. Steven Adler
You don’t have to be a great drummer to be the most important guy in the band. Mike Portnoy
Seemed to me that drumming was the best way to get close to God. Lionel Hampton
The simplest beats, on what rock music or any music has been formed on, can be the toughest beats to execute and perform, because it’s really easy to not respect a simple / beat, because people always want to play fast. Joey Jordison
I don’t have perfect pitch. My drums sound like a drummer, not a drum machine. Taylor Hawkins
I guess by taking lessons early on, and really trying to play all the rudimentary stuff, and try to have it sound as good as my teacher. It took a lot of practice, which I enjoyed, and still do. Matt Cameron
Most studios in Memphis had a house set of drums; the drummers just brought their own sticks. Steve Cropper
Musicians play music because you love… I loved to play drums since I was five. It’s all I ever wanted to do. Rock stars, or as we call them, posers, guys who want to just look great, dress great. They’re not musicians; they’re looking for the fame. Peter Criss
I told people I was a drummer before I even had a set, I was a mental drummer. Keith Moon
I’m very influenced by jazz drummers. I always liked drummers like Roger Taylor, Keith Moon, Ian Paice, John Densmore. I just learned from playing to those drummers. Steven Adler
Before you can follow your own drummer, you have to hear the drummer. Srikumar Rao
If you have a great band with a mediocre drummer, you have a mediocre band. If you have a mediocre band with a great drummer, you have a great band! Duke Ellington
Probably some of the most impressive drumming I’ve done is on the ‘Far Beyond Driven’ record. Vinnie Paul
It’s all about the music. For me, that’s truly what I live for. Just music constantly. Always listening to, writing, or playing music. That’s definitely me. Tommy Lee Inspiration Drums Quotes
When I was thirteen I only wanted to be a drummer. Ringo Starr
When you leave the planet, you leave music behind. Alex Van Halen
I could stand out front and sing Eagles songs that I sing in my set, but I think people enjoy watching me sing and play the drums. It seems to fascinate people. I don’t know why. Don Henley
The records that I grew up listening to had feel, and the drummers that inspired me – like Stewart Copeland, Neil Peart, Phil Collins and Roger Taylor – all had their own voice and individual style. Taylor Hawkins Inspiration Drums Quotes
I don’t want people to think that I think I’m this great drummer because, to me, I’m just a kid playing drums, and I love music. Mike Portnoy
A drummer is usually like the backbone. Brody Dalle
Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument – learning to do your craft – that’s the most important thing! It’s not about what goes on in a computer! Dave Grohl
When you approach this instrument for the first time, what comes out of you is simply what you feel. Dennis Chambers
I have no interest in playing ‘perfect.’ To me, it’s more about being an entertainer. Having a connection with the audience. Mike Portnoy
You can put me in front of any kit, and it is a fun thing to have to adapt. It inspires me to try different things. I like that. Mike Portnoy
Not everybody likes or understands a drum solo, so I like to bring in effects and sounds to keep their interest. John Bonham
That’s what the drummer is supposed to do. Keep the time. If you can do something else besides that, fine. But the time is essential and non-negotiable. Elvin Jones
The drummer’s always going to be there. They’re the floor of the whole deal and everyone can stand up on you. Ringo Starr
I’d just play ’til my hands fell off. My parents would yell at me to stop because they couldn’t stand the noise any more! I was terrible! It must have been hard for them to listen to me as a beginning drummer. Randy Castillo
At heart I cannot accept that I am a well-known rock ‘n’ roll star and one of the greatest drummers in the world. Keith Moon
As a drummer, I always approach things as, ‘I want to play just enough to keep other drummers interested, but not enough to go over the average listener’s head.’ Vinnie Paul
Once I had defined myself as a compositional drummer, I thought, “Well, I want to be an improvisational drummer.” Neil Peart
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 Inspiration Drums Quotes
I don’t play beats. I hate playing beats. I’m an orchestration drummer. I’m a musical drummer. Bill Ward
The polarity of Mitch Mitchell and Moe Tucker offers a pretty good understanding of what a drummer’s role is. Fab Moretti
Almost everything I’ve done, I’ve done through my own creativity. I don’t think I ever had to listen to anyone else to learn how to play drums. I wish I could say that for about ten thousand other drummers. Buddy Rich
I consider every drummer that ever played before me an influence, in every way. Buddy Rich
The one thing I do know is that I’m the best Taylor Hawkins drummer there is, and that is all I can hope to be. And when it comes to music, musicianship and skill, there is no such thing as better or worse because so much is personal opinion, and I can see that now. Taylor Hawkins
In hindsight, if I could go back in time and relay a message to my younger self, I would tell him to work on his time keeping, and that the job of a drummer is not to be the one that gets noticed the most on stage, or to be the fastest, or the loudest. Above all, it is to be the timekeeper. Taylor Hawkins
I never had lessons. Used to try to play to records, which I hated doing. Still can’t play to them. Charlie Watts
When I was a kid, I went through a lot of musical phases, and one was when I’d learn everything that The Beatles ever recorded. After I started drums, I fell in love with their music so much that I just wanted to learn everything. Eric Carr

Percussive Inspiration: Wisdom from Drum Masters

I love being a drummer but I love being a musician in general and I love the Foo fighters. Dave Grohl
I love playing drums and helping out. Mike Portnoy
I surround myself with incredible musicians who inspire me to always do my best. Mike Portnoy
But unfortunately, in my unrelenting drive to get back on that drum stool, the major casualty in all of it was that I really forgot about me. Rick Allen
In respect for drummers, see, I love drummers. Miles Davis
I was always quite shy so I became a drummer. David Essex
I’ve always loved the mixture of crushing live drums with a programmed groove, that really cool blend, like in the verse there’s a really funky drum beat that is programmed then it comes in to the chorus; you’ve got that enormous human feel where the band kicks in. Tommy Lee Inspiration Drums Quotes
You know, another jazz drummer, Ed Thigpen, who played with Oscar Peterson way back – it was the first time I ever heard rivets in a cymbal. And then I heard that Chico Hamilton had them too, and I went, ‘Oh, that’s it. I’m taking that for my sound.’ And it worked well on ‘Riders On The Storm,’ so that’s one thing. John Densmore
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
If you mess around with jazz, you better have a good drummer and a good bass player. Gunther Schuller
I’ve talked to some drummers who seem to have a very hard time staying in shape on the road, including some drummers touring with high-profile acts that don’t have to live on fast food every night. Matt Cameron
I think you get to a point where you watch something just to enjoy it. I don’t think it’s really done so that you’re supposed to feel, Oh, he’s the most wonderful drummer. I think the whole lot is what’s more enjoyable. Charlie Watts Inspiration Drums Quotes
In The Go-Go’s, my philosophy is that I contribute whatever the song requires. I never think, ‘What can I put in here to show off the latest trick that I just picked up?’ What I think is, ‘What’s required from me as a drummer to make this a better song?’ Gina Schock
When I was a kid I never learned to play. I actually got in bands through watching people play and copying them. Charlie Watts
Certain drummers drop time, and I like to play on top of the beat. Miles Davis
I wanted to completely honor The REV and pay tribute to him and carry on the legacy that he intended with this record. Mike Portnoy
The golden rule of drums is hands clapping and feet tapping, and when you are in and out of consciousness, you can’t do that to best of your ability. Steven Adler
You don’t have to be a great drummer to be the most important guy in the band. Mike Portnoy
Seemed to me that drumming was the best way to get close to God. Lionel Hampton
The simplest beats, on what rock music or any music has been formed on, can be the toughest beats to execute and perform, because it’s really easy to not respect a simple / beat, because people always want to play fast. Joey Jordison
I don’t have perfect pitch. My drums sound like a drummer, not a drum machine. Taylor Hawkins
I guess by taking lessons early on, and really trying to play all the rudimentary stuff, and try to have it sound as good as my teacher. It took a lot of practice, which I enjoyed, and still do. Matt Cameron
Most studios in Memphis had a house set of drums; the drummers just brought their own sticks. Steve Cropper
Musicians play music because you love… I loved to play drums since I was five. It’s all I ever wanted to do. Rock stars, or as we call them, posers, guys who want to just look great, dress great. They’re not musicians; they’re looking for the fame. Peter Criss
I told people I was a drummer before I even had a set, I was a mental drummer. Keith Moon Inspiration Drums Quotes
I’m very influenced by jazz drummers. I always liked drummers like Roger Taylor, Keith Moon, Ian Paice, John Densmore. I just learned from playing to those drummers. Steven Adler
Before you can follow your own drummer, you have to hear the drummer. Srikumar Rao
If you have a great band with a mediocre drummer, you have a mediocre band. If you have a mediocre band with a great drummer, you have a great band! Duke Ellington Inspiration Drums Quotes
Probably some of the most impressive drumming I’ve done is on the ‘Far Beyond Driven’ record. Vinnie Paul
It’s all about the music. For me, that’s truly what I live for. Just music constantly. Always listening to, writing, or playing music. That’s definitely me. Tommy Lee
When I was thirteen I only wanted to be a drummer. Ringo Starr
When you leave the planet, you leave music behind. Alex Van Halen Inspiration Drums Quotes
I could stand out front and sing Eagles songs that I sing in my set, but I think people enjoy watching me sing and play the drums. It seems to fascinate people. I don’t know why. Don Henley
The records that I grew up listening to had feel, and the drummers that inspired me – like Stewart Copeland, Neil Peart, Phil Collins and Roger Taylor – all had their own voice and individual style. Taylor Hawkins
I don’t want people to think that I think I’m this great drummer because, to me, I’m just a kid playing drums, and I love music. Mike Portnoy
A drummer is usually like the backbone. Brody Dalle
Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument – learning to do your craft – that’s the most important thing! It’s not about what goes on in a computer! Dave Grohl
When you approach this instrument for the first time, what comes out of you is simply what you feel. Dennis Chambers
I have no interest in playing ‘perfect.’ To me, it’s more about being an entertainer. Having a connection with the audience. Mike Portnoy
You can put me in front of any kit, and it is a fun thing to have to adapt. It inspires me to try different things. I like that. Mike Portnoy
Not everybody likes or understands a drum solo, so I like to bring in effects and sounds to keep their interest. John Bonham
That’s what the drummer is supposed to do. Keep the time. If you can do something else besides that, fine. But the time is essential and non-negotiable. Elvin Jones
The drummer’s always going to be there. They’re the floor of the whole deal and everyone can stand up on you. Ringo Starr Inspiration Drums Quotes
I’d just play ’til my hands fell off. My parents would yell at me to stop because they couldn’t stand the noise any more! I was terrible! It must have been hard for them to listen to me as a beginning drummer. Randy Castillo
At heart I cannot accept that I am a well-known rock ‘n’ roll star and one of the greatest drummers in the world. Keith Moon