There have been some very famous drummers dropping major balls of wisdom over the years. The great thing about effective quotes is that they live forever, inspiring us and teaching us.
I’ve gathered a few quotes that are from drummers that I really enjoy. They’re all effective in their message, offering inspirational wisdom that you may need to hear about playing the drum set.
I’ll list each quote and then explain in detail what they mean and how you can apply them to yourself when playing drums.
Quote #1
“It’s important to play the spaces. Silence can speak so loudly.” – Carter Beauford
This is one of my favorite quotes from Carter Beauford. He’s saying how rests are just as important as notes when you play drums.
A lot of us like to fill as many gaps as possible when playing, bashing out busy fills and grooves. To play musically and create dynamic effect, it’s sometimes very powerful to leave space between what you play on the kit.
Crowds usually react stronger to gaps in a drum solo than they do to extremely busy patterns. So, make sure that you’re putting rests in your playing.
Quote #2
“Fills bring the thrills, but grooves pay the bills.” – Steve Gadd
I’d argue that this is one of the most famous drumming quotes ever. Steve Gadd is the king of groove, and there is so much truth behind this sentence.
He’s saying how you’re going to get hired if you can play drum beats that fit whatever style of music you’re playing. Drumming is more about playing beats than anything, and that’s what bands are going to want when they look to hire people.
Drum fills are exciting and bring plenty of energy when you play, but they’re not as important as having the ability to play solid grooves.
Quote #3
“Playing fast around the drums is one thing. But to play music, to play with people for others to listen to, that’s something else. That’s a whole other world.” – Tony Williams
This Tony Williams quote is similar to the last one in saying that fills and flashy phrases aren’t as important as many of us may think.
However, he’s also saying that you need to be a musician behind the drums and not just a drummer. You need to think about playing patterns in a way that serves the music and the band members around you. That’s what people will enjoy listening to more than anything.
Tony Williams was an amazing jazz drummer, and I’ll admit that this quote applies more to jazz music than any other style. But it’s still something that we can take and learn from, no matter what style we play.
Quote #4
“I love being a drummer. Everyone thinks you’re dumb. What they don’t realize is that if it weren’t for you, their band would suck.” – Dave Grohl
This is a pretty straightforward quote from Dave Grohl. Firstly, he’s hinting at the common idea that everyone thinks drummers are the stupidest members of the band. It’s a stereotype that has been going on for years, which we obviously know is not true.
The second part of his statement mentions how bands would suck without drummers, which is very true for most of them. Drums provide an essential rhythmic part to most bands, and not having that takes away a lot of the depth of what you hear.
Quote #5
“I found that to really make money, you have to give up music. So I gave up money.” – Mel Lewis
This is a beautiful quote from Mel Lewis. He’s saying how there isn’t money in playing music, but he’d rather play music and be happy than have lots of money.
If you’re passionate about playing the drums, keep that at the center of your motivation. It’s really hard to make a successful living in the music business, but you’ll get there if you just keep loving what you do.
You’ll just have to do a lot of grinding to make it far. If you love playing the drums, it won’t feel so bad when you’re doing it.
Quote #6
“Drumming is not worrying about what you can’t do. It’s about having fun with what you can do.” – Chris Adler
This quote is about using the skills that you have to make an impact. The practice room is where you can work on things and iron out ideas. When you get on stage, that’s when you need to pull from the skillset that you already have to play and have fun.
I’ve always found that I have more fun playing gigs when I’m not trying to do anything fancy. I’ll just play what naturally comes through my hands and feet, and that always feels good!
Quote #7
“You only get better by playing.” – Buddy Rich
Buddy Rich was one of the best drummers ever, so this is solid advice. He’s basically just saying that you need to practice and perform. If you don’t do those two things, you’re not going to see improvements in your drumming.
You just need to watch some Buddy Rich drum solos to see how good he was, so take this advice and run with it.
Quote #8
“Drumming was the only thing I was ever good at.” – John Bonham
Our final quote is a famous one from John Bonham. He became one of the most influential drummers of all time when he played with Led Zeppelin. If he wasn’t good at drumming, that would have never happened.
So, I’m sure we’re all glad that drumming was the thing he chose to do. If he didn’t, there would have never been Led Zeppelin to listen to.
Conclusion
If these quotes didn’t make you want to go and practice, I don’t know what will. Each one has a powerful message that encourages the importance of drummers.
The great thing is that these quotes come from very famous drummers that have found great success in their careers, so they know what they’re talking about.
I found that reading quotes like these always inspires me, so hopefully they’ve inspired you as well!
