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.

- Buddy Rich

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.

- Buddy Rich

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

- Buddy Rich

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

- Buddy Rich

It takes us about four or five days to get an album out.

- Buddy Rich

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

- Buddy Rich

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

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

I play a percussion instrument, not a musical saw; it needs no amplification. Where it's needed, they put a microphone in front of the bass drum. But, I don't think it's necessary to play that way every night.

- Buddy Rich

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

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

- Buddy Rich

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

- Buddy Rich

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.

- Buddy Rich

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

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

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

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

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

- Buddy Rich

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 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