Favourite 'inspirational' musician quotes

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Joe Meek: If it sounds right; it is right.

[Waddo Soqable]

My favourite..

Steve Jones, to Mr Grundy..    "You Dirty Fukcer..."

[StickyDBRmf]

The present day composer refuses to die! -Edgard Verese-

If I failed to offend anyone, I apologize. -Johannes Brahms-

Edited July 1, 2021 by StickyDBRmf

[Bass Culture]

Some doozies here!

 

[TheRev]

'Don't f**k about, just play the f***ing bass' 

Danny Thompson

 

 

 

 

[nekomatic]

‘Bootsy! Always play on the one!’ - James Brown

[paul_5]

“Not that f&cking chord, the other one!!”

- Father Ted Crilly.

[Doctor J]

As long as there's, you know, sex and drugs, I can do without the rock and roll.

Mick Shrimpton R.I.P.

[chris_b]

4 hours ago, PaulWarning said:

Jazz double bass player (forgotten his name) when asked what scale he used replied "I just play the root note first then any old bollocks after that"

I was told by a mate (a jazz double bassist) that if you don't know the number you never hit the same note twice in a row. Hit a different note every time and you'll either be on the right note, a harmony or a passing note. I tried it and it works.

[Teebs]

Not strictly a quote from a musician, nor particularly inspirational:

Hi, we live on Dorset Avenue (2 streets away), and if this noise continues, we're going to call Environmental Health. We just thought we'd mention it as a courtesy.

One of my first band rehearsals at the singer's parent's house, rural Manchester circa 1997.

Everyone's an effing critic.

[casapete]

“ Everyone talks about rock these days : the problem is, they forgot about the roll “

Keith Richards

[ezbass]

No so much a quote, but still more solid advice from Frank Zappa, "Shut up and play your guitar."

[Dood]

Nathan East: Attitude + Aptitude = Altitude

And one from an ole IT Manager: "Always be aware of your audience", which also translates to being a musician. This isn't just about stage craft, it's about how you interact with those around you; customers, band mates, security, friends, parents, the toilet cleaner. Treat them well as you never know which will be scraping your face off the road one day and saving your a**!

Which takes me on to Ozzy Osbourne in the rockumentary 'The Decline Of Western Civilisation, Pt 2', where he dispenses this rather useful piece of advice whilst failing to pour a glass of orange juice:

"You meet a lot of people on the way up, don't f**** them, as you'll meet them on the way down too."

[Cat Burrito]

"What's wrong with being sexy?" - Nigel Tufnel 

[Nail Soup]

If you make a mistake, repeat it. Will look deliberate then

Jimi Hendix I think I heard it from, but guessing he wasn't he first to say it.

[Nail Soup]

14 hours ago, nekomatic said:

‘Bootsy! Always play on the one! And you're fined 5 Dollars!’ - James Brown

Fixed it .......

[TheGreek]

A quote from "The Bass Lesson" by Victor Wooten when "Michael" suggests that Music is made of 10 equal parts.

"Now we have ten different but equal parts of Music: notes, articulation, technique, feel, dynamics, rhythm, tone, phrasing, space and listening."

He goes on to describe how he "played space".

A great read (or listen, if you have the audio book). 

[zbd1960]

19 hours ago, MacDaddy said:

Well if we are talking about Sir Tom 🤣

To a lady cellist:

"Madam, you have between your legs an instrument capable of giving pleasure to thousands and all you can do is scratch it." - Sir Thomas Beecham

I refrained from posting that one yesterday... I can confirm that I can only scratch my cello... It had an outing last night at orchestra and I was the only cellists... sight-reading my way through Haydn Symphony 99, Beethoven Egmont overture, and Bach's orchestral suite #2...

[Hobbayne]

I will play what you want me to play. Or I won’t play at all if you don’t want me to play. Whatever it is that will please you I will do it. 
George Harrison 😁

[mikel]

Not sure who said it, but: "Its rock and roll, there is no right or wrong way, just your way".

[Bobthedog]

Not so inspirational but Eric Morecambe summed up my playing with: "Playing all of the right notes, just not necessarily in the right order"

My bass tutor: "That sounds so much better when you don't play" To be fair he was instilling the thought of letting the music come out with silence.

Victor Wooten: “Never lose the groove in order to find a note” and "You are never more than half a step away from a right note"

[casapete]

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side". 

Hunter S. Thompson, US author and journalist.

[casapete]

“The life of a rock & roll band will last as long as you can look down into the audience and see yourself.” 

Bruce Springsteen.

[Bilbo]

Music is just an interesting way of joining up silence. 

 

Miick Goodrick. 

[StickyDBRmf]

I'll add this one, it's mine. It's Independence Day here in the States and I'm waiting for the boys to leave the house so's I CAN CRANK IT UP. But the Friend/landlord/roomate is CLEANING THE BATHROOM AND LISTENING TO CHRISTIAN MUSIC (The bad kind - Elvis). So...

The best way to drown out Christian Music, is,

Mad Dogs & Englishmen!

("We can't forget the band...")