Ritchie Blackmore Quotes
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Sometimes if I'm not playing well on stage, I'll purposely play even worse; I'll tear it apart, because I'm so disgusted with what I'm playing that I'll go the wrong route: instead of trying to make it better, I'll go the other way and really make myself sound bad. Which is a kind of a strange outlook I suppose, really.
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But you have to give your whole life to a cello. When I realized that, I went back to the guitar and just turned the volume up a bit louder.
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I can do the old hand vibrato just fine, but I like attacking the strings.
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I found the blues too limiting, and classical was too disciplined.
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I was impressed by Hendrix. His attitude was brilliant. Even the way he walked was amazing.
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I'm very moved by Renaissance music, but I still love to play hard rock - though only if it's sophisticated and has some thought behind it.
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The cello is such a melancholy instrument, such an isolated, miserable instrument.
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When I was 20, I didn't give a damn about song construction. I just wanted to make as much noise and play as fast and as loud as possible.
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I can never remember what I do even in the studio.
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In my early days, I never used finger vibrato at all. I originally carved my reputation as one of the 'fast' guitar players.
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Simplicity is the key.
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I'm not good enough, technically, to be a classic musician. I lack discipline.
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I however don't go to clubs to show off and to be seen, and certainly not to make statements. I just want to be able to quietly watch a band.
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Jimi... He was the gov'nor and that's it. He was brilliant, wasn't he?
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I don't put myself on Jeff Beck's level, but I can relate to him when he says he'd rather be working on his car collection than playing the guitar.
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Playing a Fender is an art itself. They're always going out of tune.
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I like leaping around on stage as long as it's done with class. None of this jumping up in the air and doing the splits
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I'm not one for sitting around listening to my own music, because I tend to cringe and think that I could have done better. I also suffer from red light syndrome quite a lot. I tend to narrow my thinking when the red light goes on to record. Instead of just relaxing and playing and emoting, I think of time being wasted so I won't take a chance on something. Consequently, when I hear it back, I think, "Why the hell did I play it so safe on that piece of music when I could have really opened up?" Well, it's because of not wanting to make a mistake.
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Listening to as many guitar solos as possible is the best method for someone in the early stages. But saxophone solos can be helpful. They're interesting because they are all single notes, and therefore can be repeated on the guitar. If you can copy a sax solo you're playing very well, because the average saxophonist can play much better than the average guitarist.
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If a ballet dancer falls over, it's knowing how to get out looking clumsy that counts.
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When you're around someone good, your own standards are raised.
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Jeff Beck is my idol .. sometimes he finds notes that I just do not have on my guitar. Frank Zappa's another one .. I loved Frank Zappa ... I do think Van Halen reinvented the guitar ... he's an excellent musician, a shrewd guitarist and as a person he's wonderful.
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I don't see myself as such an important guitarist.
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When something is not good, it's bad. Period