Ringo Starr

Ringo IMO has the total drum package.......technique,style & showmanship

How many of us have bobbed their head back & forth playing a fun drum part? you can thank Ringo for that

He was one of the first singing drummers

Like con struct posted would you have played "Come Together" like Ringo?me either
or come up with a solo like Ringo played on "Golden Slumbers"?I didn't. think so LOL

How many drummers do you know that have had successful solo careers in Rock?Don't. worry I'll wait

Joking aside Ringo is a total original and that's what set him apart from all the other drummers when the Beatles hired him & why he is still on the scene today.

Not only that but the Cat is cool you know you cool when you're hanging out with Smokey Robinson @ the Grammy's

Bonzolead
 
What would you think if I sang out of tune,
would you stand up and walk out on me? :)
 
So,...This is where I voice an opinion and go down in flames......lol.... Through years of gigging with drummers,..... IMO,...there is nothing more aggravating than a drummer with chops!....I realize context is everything, so don't take that super literal, but.
Why any drummer would think that fills every 4 or 8, turning the beat around,..fancy hihat shit,...is cool in pop/rock stuff..is,..beyond me....
But you do,...I know you're out there guys,...LOL!!

There is nothing more annoying than trying to solo or sing with that shit in the way.
Trust me,..your band feels this way,..they just won't tell you because drummers are rarer than you think.
You always know when a drummer has chops,...they can't help it....lol

Thank you for posting this. A very honest overview of what "non drummers" think. This needed to be said. Every drummer should take this to heart. I think it should be a sticky.
Once again thanks. You've totally crystalized this subject down to it's most basic truisms.
 
Ringo brought those great songs that so many people love to life. Creativity, personality, humbleness..these words all come to mind when I think of Ringo. When you listen to these songs you're not thinking about who's playing drums, and in my opinion thats how it SHOULD be. Ringo's more than a good drummer he's a great MUSICIAN.
 
Ringo brought those great songs that so many people love to life. Creativity, personality, humbleness..these words all come to mind when I think of Ringo. When you listen to these songs you're not thinking about who's playing drums, and in my opinion thats how it SHOULD be. Ringo's more than a good drummer he's a great MUSICIAN.

No....he is probably the most under-rated drummer of all time!


Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com
http://www.patentcoachmike.com
http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.facebook.com/mike.mccraw
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemccraw
http://twitter.com/mikemccraw
 
Hi Guys,
I'm late to the party but,....thought I'd chime in from a totally different perspective.

I've been a gtr player for over 30 years and made a living as a musician. Of course I always thought Lennon & Macca were genius' and truthfully as a gtr plyr never gave much thought to Ringo.
I recently started playing drums and have discovered how great he really is. As with any instrument,..most often, it's what you DON'T play that counts.

So,...This is where I voice an opinion and go down in flames......lol.... Through years of gigging with drummers,..... IMO,...there is nothing more aggravating than a drummer with chops!....I realize context is everything, so don't take that super literal, but.
Why any drummer would think that fills every 4 or 8, turning the beat around,..fancy hihat shit,...is cool in pop/rock stuff..is,..beyond me....
But you do,...I know you're out there guys,...LOL!!

There is nothing more annoying than trying to solo or sing with that shit in the way.
Trust me,..your band feels this way,..they just won't tell you because drummers are rarer than you think.
You always know when a drummer has chops,...they can't help it....lol

No coincidence,....Just about everytime I ask a drummer who his favorite player is.
It's always Vinnie and or Gadd,....they are wonderful players but for my taste,. I'd take Ringo over them anyday. IN A POP/ROCK CONTEXT....

Ringo NEVER overplayed and I think most drummers miss that concept. Was very creative as mentioned,...Get Back,..Come Together, Swinging his ass off on the ride in I Feel Fine. What?! do these tunes call for someone roaring around the kit with fills all over?
No!
As a writer,...I would never imagine those beats if I brought those songs into my band.
So,..I'll take a Ringo or Keltner on my tracks anyday. (I wish,..lol)
I also do progressive stuff,...and will go as far as Brectlein (spelling?),...I love him.
Play for the song, not for yourself

That's it cats!
Peace and Love

Yes....there is quite a bit of turnig every song into a Gospel/Hip-Hop/R&B/Funk drum solo right now because many drummers want to show everyone what they can do or what they have been working on. It is the fad thing to do right - show off! And they tend to get fired for overplaying quite often! They get fired in the studio for overplaying! And it is because they don't understand that not everything is an R&B/Gospel/Hip-Hop/ Funk/Metal song!

Neither Gadd nor Vinnie would be so disrespectful of Ringo.....

Come Together is my favorite Beatles tune right now!

Mike

http://www.mikemccraw.com
http://www.dominoretroplate.com
http://www.patentcoachmike.com
http://www.youtube.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.myspace.com/drummermikemccraw
http://www.facebook.com/mike.mccraw
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemccraw
http://twitter.com/mikemccraw
 
Another late-comer to this party. This is my second post, so it's appropriate that it's about the drummer who first peaked my interest in drumming and has had more influence on my drumming than any other:

Sometime between 8-10 yrs of age I started getting into the very early Beatles stuff. Then someone gave me 'Revolver' (mid 70s). Wow! Keep in mind that by this stage I only owned a best of the Shadows, Beach Boys and the first couple of Beatles albums. The track that is responsible for my fascination with drumming is "Tomorrow Never Knows". Not a difficult drum track, but I just couldn't get enough of the off-beat tom accents Ringo played. I got some sticks (not drum sticks, but shortened garden stakes) and practiced on pots and pans until I could get that right (much to the exasperation of my mother who patiently listened to the Beatles accompanied by an assortment of her cookware for hours on end). That's where it all started for me!

The other thing that we need to remember about Ringo is that he played in a band that was rewriting the rule book. There were so many things they did that noone else had done and they covered so much ground musically. Imagine the creativity, intuition and feel for music that was needed to develop drum parts for all of this?

One of the many songs (for me at least) that demonstrate Ringo's skill is Helter Skelter. Again, not a difficult drum track, but look at how he made his kit sound - especially the cymbals! Overdrive all the way, without peppering the music with drum fills and acrobatics. Amazing!

The other drummer who really influenced me is Brian Bennett (Shadows drummer for most of the 60s). No doubt my mother still cringes whenever she hears "Rise and fall of Flingel Bunt" - another song that got my pre-pubescent kettle & pan treatment. For an excellent example of Brian's ability to pay melodic drum parts, listen to "Slaughter on 10th Street". Great stuff!
 
As with any instrument,..most often, it's what you DON'T play that counts.

Yes this is so true but try to tell some drummer who thinks his latest paradiddle variation should and needs to be on your latest pop song in order to make that song interesting. Many drummers fail to understand that most people do not really care about the drums.

Why any drummer would think that fills every 4 or 8, turning the beat around,..fancy hihat shit,...is cool in pop/rock stuff..is,..beyond me....
But you do,...I know you're out there guys,...LOL!!

Sadly, more than one might think. But it's cool because the ones who overplay and think music is not about music at all but about drumming, rarely work at a pro level. Leaving more gigs for the mature players.


There is nothing more annoying than trying to solo or sing with that shit in the way.
Trust me,..your band feels this way,..they just won't tell you because drummers are rarer than you think.
You always know when a drummer has chops,...they can't help it....lol

It is a nightmare! And it happens too often. The better drummers know their chops are not as important as the music. I like to use a local Sydney drummer who tries to never show the extent of his chops. If the music requires loads of technique fair enough. The Beatles music did not require fusion drumming, and existed before fusion.


Ringo NEVER overplayed and I think most drummers miss that concept.

This is a subject that has been coming up here recently.

Nice to read another musicians thoughts.
 
Thanks for posting that. Ringo is too syncopated. He should just lay back and play on the two and four. I don't like it when drummers are syncopated and change around the beats too much. You can't dance to that. :p

????? Syncopations cannot be danced to? Ever watch James Brown?
 
Was it George Martin who came up with the parts? Maybe at times but I'm sure R came up with plenty himself because there are some fine drum parts on his solo stuff too.

George Martin the producer? Where are you getting this information? I have read in Guitar Magazines that Paul used to track over some George Harrison lead tracks from original recording to what eventually ended up on vinyl (Paul was a control freak), but have never heard of anybody writing chops for Ringo. I love Ringo's composition on Come Together (and Abbey Road in general) and would really be disappointed if he did not write it.
 
Re: Ringo Starr - why did he play a right handed kit ?

Hi I'm new here. I've been a fan of Ringo's and the Beatles since the 60's. Even though I was only 4 at the time I do remember their first Ed Sullivan appearance. Anyway, I got the complete set of re-mastered CD's for Christmas and have been reading everything I can on the hows and why's of the songs. I read that Ringo felt held back as far as rolls and fills because he was a left handed person "Forced" his words to play a right handed kit. I'm a left handed drummer. I'm completely lost on a right handed kit. I'm very left handed. To the point I can't play Rock Band unless I could rearrange the kit. When I sit in on a jam session I need to at least switch the snare, HH, and floor tom. So being as he was in the premier band of all time, why was he forced to play right handed? There is no such thing as a right handed or left handed drum set, it's all in the way you set them up. It's not like a guitar. I'm sure he could have had anything he wanted after they hit the big time.

When I was a regular at the local jam sessions I got the nick name lefty Dave because I appeared to be the only Left handed drummer in a sea of right handed drummers. Because of that I always got there first and set up my kit for the night.

So anyway, I'd like to hear feedback as to why Ringo didn't just set up his kit left handed?

Thanks, Dave Premier 5 piece acoustic kit, Alesis DM Pro electronic kit
 
George Martin the producer? Where are you getting this information? I have read in Guitar Magazines that Paul used to track over some George Harrison lead tracks from original recording to what eventually ended up on vinyl (Paul was a control freak), but have never heard of anybody writing chops for Ringo. I love Ringo's composition on Come Together (and Abbey Road in general) and would really be disappointed if he did not write it.

The others suggested parts to Ringo regularly but it's not clear to what extent he followed the suggestions, to quote him:

When we first started, they basically went John and Paul's way because they were the writers and they would say, "This is the song," and I would play as creatively as I could. Sometimes I would have three people telling me how to do it. They were saying playing this like on that track. I'm saying, "For Christ's sake, there are two drummers there." They could never hear that, you know. You'd have to have four arms to do half the stuff they wanted me to do.

A quote from Paul:

We always gave Ringo direction on every single number. It was usually very controlled. Whoever had written the song, John for instance, would say, "I want this." Obviously, a lot of things came out of what Ringo was playing, but we would always control it.

Can't say how often "control" meant saying, "Yes, I like that". I agree, the drum parts on a number of songs on Abbey Road are great. Ringo always has me thinking "how did he think of that?" Things like Getting Better and Ticket to Ride etc etc
 
Love Ringo.............. for all the tasty tracks,I always Enjoy when the guys im playing with want to do a Beatles tune.One song that for me is a real pain,cause the time is SOOOO pure Is Something,Georges tune...Never gave it much thought as it being HARD,till i played it....Ringo, WAS AND IS SOMETHING........
 
Re: Ringo Starr - why did he play a right handed kit ?

So anyway, I'd like to hear feedback as to why Ringo didn't just set up his kit left handed?

Lefthanders feel very comfortable at a "normal" Kit. Because the left hand is so much more important in drumming, everybody lefthander is very happy to be a lefty. They are forced from young age on to concentrate more on learning movements against the brain, so normally they are more "skilled" as normal people - see sports, where their percentage on top level is near 50%.

I'm sure most of the lefties play right handed, just because the weak right hand is much better trained this way. Then starting fills with the left - ending right or left - no problem - see Ringo.

For most drummers - not already arrived at the stardom as Phil Collins and Ian Paice - it's just impossible to sit in on a jam without changing everything - what a mess and arrogance that would be, lol.

B.
 
Re: Ringo Starr - why did he play a right handed kit ?

Excellent input and knowledge sharing.....Thanks.


Lefthanders feel very comfortable at a "normal" Kit. Because the left hand is so much more important in drumming, everybody lefthander is very happy to be a lefty. They are forced from young age on to concentrate more on learning movements against the brain, so normally they are more "skilled" as normal people - see sports, where their percentage on top level is near 50%.

I'm sure most of the lefties play right handed, just because the weak right hand is much better trained this way. Then starting fills with the left - ending right or left - no problem - see Ringo.

For most drummers - not already arrived at the stardom as Phil Collins and Ian Paice - it's just impossible to sit in on a jam without changing everything - what a mess and arrogance that would be, lol.

B.
 
Re: Ringo Starr - why did he play a right handed kit ?

Lefthanders feel very comfortable at a "normal" Kit. Because the left hand is so much more important in drumming, everybody lefthander is very happy to be a lefty.
For most drummers - not already arrived at the stardom as Phil Collins and Ian Paice - it's just impossible to sit in on a jam without changing everything - what a mess and arrogance that would be, lol.

B.

Thanks for the answer. I for one definitely do not feel very comfortable, or comfortable at all on a right handed kit. Though I switch up on most everything else. In baseball I throw with my left, but Bat as a righty. I golf right handed, bowl left handed. My mom tried unsuccessfully to convert me to a righty to the point where I started stuttering, then the doctor told her to leave me alone and let me do what's natural, being a left handed person. I'll try more to play a right handed kit, it sure would make sitting in on jam sessions easier. Thanks again, Dave
 
Back
Top