Ringo Starr

He was one member of the most influential band ever. But strictly speaking as a drummer I hear nothing amazing in his playing, not his feel, not his style and defintively not his technique.


My point is not to slam Ringo. Not at all. I just think that he is only highly regarded as a drummer because of him being a Beatle and not for his drumming. That his legendary status is blinding people about his actual abilities.

same opinion here, well, I have the same opinion about Charley Watts as well.
They all happened to be in famous bands. Their playing is so simple, anyone can copy.
There is Keith Moon at one end and Charley and Ringo at the other end. Everyone comes in between. I am a fan of Keith Moon and Charley Watts.
 
Ringo...is much better than given credit for. I'm not referring to his technique, I'm referring to his musical sense. He's miles ahead of the pack in that sense. He is a completely egoless drummer. He is the poster drummer for the "less is more" school of thought. It's all about what he doesn't play that sets him apart. I can see how it's easy to play Monday morning quarterback and pick him apart, but he has a way of impacting things invisibly. He's so effective and most don't even realize it. Therein lies his genius. It's like getting knocked out without any impact. He knows that a whisper can deliver the message more effectively than shouting. If anyone thinks he is just so-so....I contend that it's possible that there is an unawareness of the level that he is operating on.
And the great thing he proved is you don't have to be a Vinnie or a Buddy to be influential and effective. My hat goes off to him for his musical contributions.
 
Ringo is one of those rare drummers who is recognized outside of his band. People know the name Ringo. Part of that is due to to PR machine that was behind the Beatles but a bigger part was due to the style and quality of his drumming skills. In the song Get Back, He could have simply played on the 2 and 4 and it would have worked but he did'nt, and that's what made him the perfect fit for them. For some reason people don't like to give credit for his skill and I don't feel sad for Ringo, I feel sad for those people.
 
Ringo...is much better than given credit for. I'm not referring to his technique, I'm referring to his musical sense. He's miles ahead of the pack in that sense. He is a completely egoless drummer. He is the poster drummer for the "less is more" school of thought. It's all about what he doesn't play that sets him apart. I can see how it's easy to play Monday morning quarterback and pick him apart, but he has a way of impacting things invisibly. He's so effective and most don't even realize it. Therein lies his genius. It's like getting knocked out without any impact. He knows that a whisper can deliver the message more effectively than shouting. If anyone thinks he is just so-so....I contend that it's possible that there is an unawareness of the level that he is operating on.
And the great thing he proved is you don't have to be a Vinnie or a Buddy to be influential and effective. My hat goes off to him for his musical contributions.

AMEN! I could not have said it better.
 
Yes, he had a wonderful instinct for thinking up drum accompaniment that sounded cool and distinctive. Either that or George Martin and/or the songwriters came up with great drum lines and Ringo was relaxed enough to just go with that. Maybe both.

He never used to practice and his chops were largely honed through an arduous gigging schedule in Germany, so he obviously had a good ear for what sounds pleasing.

There is something to be said for not practising because then you don't think like a drummer and only think about the song sounds. Trouble is, if you don't gig and record a lot like he did, you'll get rusty and clumsy. So, as someone who doesn't play for a living, I find the challenge is to throw my drummerly thoughts of the practice room out the window when I play with the band so I hear the music more symphonically, like a layperson.
 
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I remember reading a quote from George Martin where he was saying how creative Ringo was in the studio. It gave me the impression that Ringo made up his parts, rather than being told what to play. I love his playing on "Something". Anyone who can do a backbeat without hi hats or cymbals....that takes security!
 
Next time you hear a drummer trash Ringo ask them to play Get Back. Don't need drums for that. 99 out of 100 that trash him accent it all wrong. It's simple drumming, but it's not easy drumming.

Ringo envy!
 
Ringo Starr is a great teacher: by listening to him you can learn that one of the most important things in music is to shut up. Like you said, he is an egoless drummer and knows exactly what not to play. If anyone tries to bash it, I just simply ask: Why are Beatles song perfect? Because he never messed up.

Oh, and if you're aware that today there is a music Style called Drum and Bass, check out Ringo's part in Revolver track "Tomorrow Never Knows".

Do you want unique and kinda "weird" grooves? Check "Ticket to ride" "I feel fine" or "Penny Lane".

Ringo rules!
 
Plus, and correct me if I'm wrong, he's a lefty that plays righty He starts his fills with the opposite hand a righty would, just another nuance of his sound.
He really is a misunderstood man (by the masses).
 
I had the good fortune of auditioning for, and being invited to join, a Beatles Tribute band, complete with wigs and suits. While I ultimately decided to go with another band that I was also auditioning for, I was retained as a fill-in Ringo, should theirs be unavailable. I did play a couple of shows with them, and it was awesome.

But in preparing for the shows, I listened to almost nothing else besides Beatles tracks, and I watched all the footage I could get my hands on of Ringo playing. His style is so unique, and so great to watch. You watch the Washington Coluseum show, and you can tell that he's having a blast. And MAN does he rock. I just love watching them barrel through "I Saw Her Standing There." I've always loved Ringo, and have always considered him my primary influence as a drummer, but the time I spent studying his style and form made me love him that much more.

To borrow the Dylan phrase, "Nobody does Ringo like Ringo."

Some songs that ARE Ringo (to me, anyway):
"No Reply"
"Get Back"
"Tomorrow Never Knows"
"Drive My Car"
"All I've Gotta Do"
"A Day In The Life"
 
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For me, this is one of the best illustrations of his abilities as a drummer.
 
For me, this is one of the best illustrations of his abilities as a drummer.

I LOVE the sound he gets out of his kit. The drums have this awesomely deep reverb, and his cymbal sound knocks me sideways...the deep "sploooooshhhhh" that he gets is a sound that I've been searching for for years. When I played with the tribute band I used two 20" ride cymbals instead of a ride and a crash, because the sound was so much better.

This is a great song, PQleyR. Thanks for posting.
 
You're welcome! I think someone else on here posted it once, that's how I found it.

Isn't he the voice of "Thomas the tank engine"???

Of the first series, yes! And he's by far the best person they've had to do it!
I wonder how many other people on here are familiar with that aspect of his work?
 
I love Ringo's playing, and I find him one of the best drummers ever. He's also a extremely creative groove maker!
 
Ringo, smartest drummer ever?

Really, if you think about it, (if I have my facts straight), he isn't big on practicing by himself, he isn't a real technique guy on the par with the likes of the Vinnies and Virgils and such, (although his early sloshy hi hat sound is a bit of a trademark) yet he is more of a household name on par with Rich and Krupa, plus I'm guessing he's been on more hit records than most, and the worlds best musicians love playing with him because he plays thoughtfully and lets them grab all the glory. He took the path that the majority of people on this board aren't interested in, meaning just learning enough drums to get the job done. (I'm not trivializing his playing I think he's brilliant in a minimalistic way) If you think I'm knocking him, I'm not. To the contrary, I'm thinking he understands something most other drummers in the world missed. He is proof that there are many paths to the waterfall, and you gotta give the guy a ton of credit. My hat goes off to him.

Hey Bernhard, do I get a free DrummerWorld T-shirt for this thread?

Are there Drummerworld T-shirts? There should be. Fodder for another thread. And a possible source of income eh Bernhard?
 
Re: Ringo, smartest drummer ever?

Yeah, I got the call from Phil Collins to fill in for Chester on a small leg of the tour one year, and I was like no way man, I don't play that kind of music . . . I was going to do the Madonna tour but that was beneath me . . . It was between me and Abe for the drum throne on the McCartney tour but I was like, I'm not playin' that crap.

I met Sir Paul at Carnegie Hall several years back and I am still kicking myself for not giving him a card. He may have laughed in my face, he may have discarded it or even not accepted it; but I should have offered him my card. I mean just having offered Sir Paul your card is something to write in your diary.
 
Re: Ringo, smartest drummer ever?

I'm thinking he understands something most other drummers in the world missed.

...



Now there is something..

Discussing Ringo is always such a.... !!!!........... nnngmphffff...

All posts are full of political correctness for fear of being sacrilegious, or an exercise in expressing extremes.

'Drum God' or 'Bashworthy', for having.. well sloshy hi- hats at a time when crisp & clean was vogue.... headed surely into the inevitable cess pit of chops v/s feel.

Bernhard's sensitivity on the issue has never been quite explained on this forum, other than the fact that we dont bash any drummers around here, but I suspect his admiration for the man comes from the same place as mine.

I frankly & very simply think Ringo's orchestrations of the drum parts were remarkably original and unique. They fit the larger musical picture like Marilyn Monroe's hand in a Louis Vuitton leather glove.

The definition of a leading creative force in drumming is complete, thank you very much. QED

To me its always been pointless to debate his chops ( or the lack of ) versus Purdie's or Lang's or Weckl's or Elvin's because that had absolutely nothing to do with his music or his context. .

Can one really compare Michaelangelo or the realistic perfection of Renaissance Art to Picasso's Modernism & relatively cruder and interpretational abstractions..?

Picasso would have no chops by that argument. ( well, discount his Blue period )

Who was smarter.. I dont know.. but both were awesome.


...


PS- He 'discarded the card, Ken?.. LOL, you made my day
 
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Re: Ringo, smartest drummer ever?

His fills are all about 'feel'. Ringo's a little tricky.. predictable in other areas. ..His timing is impeccable ! Makes you appreciate the 4 pc drumkit ! When you strip away everything ,,its all about groove & timing..Thats Ringo .. He's a clock !
 
Re: Ringo, smartest drummer ever?

Ringo Starr is a clever guy.....simple as that.

It would be interesting to have Ringo's comments, on the Feel and Technique issue?
 
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