Ringo's Drumming: Harder Than It Looks

Scott K Fish

Silver Member
Need to be convinced Ringo was a good drummer? Try playing Beatles music.
By John Kelly Columnist August 31 at 8:23 PM

ringo-starr-5.jpg


I’m here to tell you that playing music is harder than it looks. Even playing the drums.

This was driven home recently when I was asked to play drums at a private party for an evening of Beatles music.

But until I tried to play the songs properly, I never realized just how tough it is to duplicate — approximate, even — Ringo’s drumming.

Sure, you know the signature drum figure in “Come Together” — bum bum biddley bop, tapita tapita tapita tap — but do you know how many times it’s played before you go to that bit with the organ/guitar solo? Or how many times in “Birthday” you play quarter notes on the snare after each guitar lick?

Or listen to something that seems fairly simple: “In My Life.” The drumming is so spare that it seems as if Ringo’s hardly doing anything. But get it wrong and the whole thing falls apart.

I survived my Beatles gig, even the fiendishly tricky “Eight Days a Week.” That’s the good thing about music as opposed to, say, brain surgery: Nobody dies if you get it wrong.

Full Story

Scott K Fish: Life Beyond the Cymbals
 
Need to be convinced Ringo was a good drummer? Try playing Beatles music.
By John Kelly Columnist August 31 at 8:23 PM

ringo-starr-5.jpg


I’m here to tell you that playing music is harder than it looks. Even playing the drums.

This was driven home recently when I was asked to play drums at a private party for an evening of Beatles music.

But until I tried to play the songs properly, I never realized just how tough it is to duplicate — approximate, even — Ringo’s drumming.

Sure, you know the signature drum figure in “Come Together” — bum bum biddley bop, tapita tapita tapita tap — but do you know how many times it’s played before you go to that bit with the organ/guitar solo? Or how many times in “Birthday” you play quarter notes on the snare after each guitar lick?

Or listen to something that seems fairly simple: “In My Life.” The drumming is so spare that it seems as if Ringo’s hardly doing anything. But get it wrong and the whole thing falls apart.

I survived my Beatles gig, even the fiendishly tricky “Eight Days a Week.” That’s the good thing about music as opposed to, say, brain surgery: Nobody dies if you get it wrong.

Full Story

Scott K Fish: Life Beyond the Cymbals

I have never seen the drum phrasing written out like you did, I like it. Steve Gorman talks about Ringo a great deal. That Ringo were his building blocks for how he plays and every pattern and fill off of Shake Your Moneymaker was nothing more than Sgt Peppers.
 
This what top guys like Jim Keltner have been saying for years - playing Ringo's drum parts isn't as easy or intuitive as it sounds. Leaving large spaces between beats and using odd limb to limb patterns are just as challenging as playing fast.

Many Ringo psychedelic period drum parts feel awkward to me, like simplified prog. Since psychedelic era Beatles tended not to be groove-oriented, Ringo could break off from the groove and play texturally when called for (or when Paul called for it). I find some of his playing bizarre but obviously worked brilliantly.
 
Ringo's drumming has created many discussions, some heated, over the years. There is the camp that believes what he did was simplistic and pedestrian. Others (my camp) follows this article more closely and I believe that if you can master the Beatle's catalog, you will be able to play anything.
 
I was never sure how good Ringo was until (many, many years ago) I uncovered an unreleased track with Ringo playing in the very early days with the Beatles probably recorded live in Hamburg... and it was the most original, syncopated beat I've ever heard to this day. That, and all of the Beatles catalog convinced me he is without question the 'real deal'!
 
not a ringo or beatles fan, but a very respected music teacher in the uk (who's actually american) once told me that ringo's an awesome drummer. he gave an example of a song (can't remember which one) where he plays tasteful ghost notes on the snare practically all the way through, but when most people listen they think it's just a straightforward groove

if he says he's good, i'll take his word for it :)
 
Hooray for Ringo! The guy really knew his chops!
 
Hmmmm, how many tracks on the first two or three albums was actually Bernard Purdie?

Ringo got ghosted cause Paul and John did not think his playing was cutting it, they never told Ringo, but he knew that was not his playing when he listened to the playback.

Purdie divulged this in a 'Modern Drummer interview where he said holding his silence for twenty years was enough.
 
Hmmmm, how many tracks on the first two or three albums was actually Bernard Purdie?

Ringo got ghosted cause Paul and John did not think his playing was cutting it, they never told Ringo, but he knew that was not his playing when he listened to the playback.

Purdie divulged this in a 'Modern Drummer interview where he said holding his silence for twenty years was enough.


A pressing deadline, an almost impossible timeline, and a technological impossibility (i.e. 2 track vs. the supposed 4 track overdubbing).

AND the fact that early Beatles recordings didn't isolate the drums. Purdie is suggesting that he "overdubbed" a drum that was not on a separate track including the fact that the drum bled over onto everything in the entire room they were recording in. Oh, did I forget to mention that they recorded all their early stuff as virtual live shots in one big room?

Not to mention that Ringo was very capable, had the chops, and was established as the Beatle drummer.

http://www.jimvallance.com/03-projects-folder/purdie-project-folder/pg-purdie.html
 
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Not this again,,, Yes I think Bernard invented the internet too..
There is only one track that for a time..I thought didn't sound like Ringo, and that's the latin infused "I Feel Fine". It's a very syncopated rythmn on each limb and very fast - and hard to play right (I know because I had to learn it cold). But.. John said in an interview that one of the reasons they hired Ringo was that around that time, the Ray Charles groove from 'What I'd Say' was very popular in the UK, and Ringo could play that style better than anyone. Thanks to Youtube you can see Ringo actually plays it exactly in this rare clip;
http://youtu.be/fAS1R2umcpk or here Of course the audio is not as pristine as the studio version.. but he's definitely got it!
So.. case closed for me.. and as Ringo said about the claim "Rubbish!"

Don't forget Bernard, as wonderful as he is also had a bit of an ego. When Steely Dan hired him.. he set up 2 small signs on either side of his kit that said " Congratulations - you hired the Hitmaker!" LoL. I actually met Bernard once in a bar and he was the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet. The killer band that was playing that night, asked if he would join them for a few tunes and he got up and blew everyone away.. he played every shot and a medley of tricky changes like he'd played with the band for years,,amazing player.

My best guess is Brian Epstein might have asked Bernhard to record a few parts to get some ideas for a few songs.. behind the scenes - but in the end it was all Ringo. I can't think of any other reason why BP would make that claim..
 
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Hmmmm, how many tracks on the first two or three albums was actually Bernard Purdie?

Ringo got ghosted cause Paul and John did not think his playing was cutting it, they never told Ringo, but he knew that was not his playing when he listened to the playback.

Purdie divulged this in a 'Modern Drummer interview where he said holding his silence for twenty years was enough.

That has been proven time,and time again,as BS made up by Purdie.Ringo wasn't ever ghosted...period.Also an impossibility technically,since the Beatles,as well as other bands,recorded live with the drums being ambient miced.That bleeds through on to the rest of the track,so there is no way to completely isolate the drums,so recutting a track,erasing the original ....is impossible.

He also claims to have been contacted,and paid by Brian Epstein.More BS,since,the Beatles,and George Martin,wanted Epstein no where nead the recording studio.In all this time NO ONE else has come foward to verify his BS.Nobody at all.

Lastly....the Beatles,recruited Ringo,not the other way around.He was reguarded as a pro for years,in and around Liverpool.Just watch the man play live with the Beatles,and even now,and he cuts it just fine.The guy could swing.then,..and still can now.

Why would he lie......why not.He's an attention seeker.Why not lie about something ,that gets him attention,and more money in his pocket.His story changes for time to time..After over 20 years in law enforcement,I can tell you people make stuff up all the time,for all different reasons

Steve B
 
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Need to be convinced Ringo was a good drummer? Try playing Beatles music.
By John Kelly Columnist August 31 at 8:23 PM

ringo-starr-5.jpg


I’m here to tell you that playing music is harder than it looks. Even playing the drums.

This was driven home recently when I was asked to play drums at a private party for an evening of Beatles music.

But until I tried to play the songs properly, I never realized just how tough it is to duplicate — approximate, even — Ringo’s drumming.

Sure, you know the signature drum figure in “Come Together” — bum bum biddley bop, tapita tapita tapita tap — but do you know how many times it’s played before you go to that bit with the organ/guitar solo? Or how many times in “Birthday” you play quarter notes on the snare after each guitar lick?

Or listen to something that seems fairly simple: “In My Life.” The drumming is so spare that it seems as if Ringo’s hardly doing anything. But get it wrong and the whole thing falls apart.

I survived my Beatles gig, even the fiendishly tricky “Eight Days a Week.” That’s the good thing about music as opposed to, say, brain surgery: Nobody dies if you get it wrong.

Full Story

Scott K Fish: Life Beyond the Cymbals

I agree entirely. Some are quite tricky indeed if you want invoke the feel & sound Ringo acheived.
 
Hmmmm, how many tracks on the first two or three albums was actually Bernard Purdie?

Ringo got ghosted cause Paul and John did not think his playing was cutting it, they never told Ringo, but he knew that was not his playing when he listened to the playback.

Purdie divulged this in a 'Modern Drummer interview where he said holding his silence for twenty years was enough.

I had that issue MD and remember that interview. He said he got threats when he came out about it. But I don't remember him saying he played every song on those albums.
 
Need to be convinced Ringo was a good drummer? Try playing Beatles music.
By John Kelly Columnist August 31 at 8:23 PM

I’m here to tell you that playing music is harder than it looks. Even playing the drums.

This was driven home recently when I was asked to play drums at a private party for an evening of Beatles music.

But until I tried to play the songs properly, I never realized just how tough it is to duplicate — approximate, even — Ringo’s drumming.

Sure, you know the signature drum figure in “Come Together” — bum bum biddley bop, tapita tapita tapita tap — but do you know how many times it’s played before you go to that bit with the organ/guitar solo? Or how many times in “Birthday” you play quarter notes on the snare after each guitar lick?

Or listen to something that seems fairly simple: “In My Life.” The drumming is so spare that it seems as if Ringo’s hardly doing anything. But get it wrong and the whole thing falls apart.

I survived my Beatles gig, even the fiendishly tricky “Eight Days a Week.” That’s the good thing about music as opposed to, say, brain surgery: Nobody dies if you get it wrong.

Full Story

Scott K Fish: Life Beyond the Cymbals


I wouldn't say this is exclusive to Ringo, there's plenty of drummers who's playing is stealthily more multifarious. Playing drums is easy, probably one of if not thee easiest instruments to play. There's young kids on YouTube playing The Black Page. What's not immediately understood is the fact that drums are the most difficult instrument to play well.

Could it be more often than not Ringo gets this beat because the Beatles were seen as simple pop, as in the drummers of the day were way more accomplished in their playing ability? It may even have extended back in the day to word slipping out one of these more circuitous type drummers replaced Ringo on some Beatles cuts, which in the industry at that time was a pretty standard practice.

Yeah, all those cool Ringo/Beatles grooves. Cool drummers play cool stuff...and they continue to play cool stuff.

Have you heard Ringo play any cool grooves since the Beatles stuff? Have any other artists/bands hired Ringo to play any cool/complex grooves like he did on Beatles albums on their recordings throughout the years?

I still hear Vinnie playing cool/cooler grooves. Purdie (who's on over 3,000 recordings BTW) is still playing cool stuff.

What 'is' the origin of the whole 'Ringo not being such a great a drummer' anyways, is it some of the above, the fact that he never got better, he never added more coolness (or even tried), or people were just so dumb they didn't know what good drumming was back then?
 
I think in your last paragraph, did Ringo get any better, maybe he didn't need to. He has put out many of his own albums since the Beatles, and they have sold fairly well. He also has a tour every year, playing some old stuff and others music as well. I haven't seen Purdies tours or any of his albums. Ha ha. If Ringo is happy, making money, and pleasing his fans, What else is there? As for what started the hate, some people will hate anyone and find a few followers. I just find it petty. He has the largest bank account, 300,000,000.00, of all drummers so I am sure he is laughing at his haters and the fraud Purdie.
 
I think in your last paragraph, did Ringo get any better, maybe he didn't need to. He has put out many of his own albums since the Beatles, and they have sold fairly well. He also has a tour every year, playing some old stuff and others music as well. I haven't seen Purdies tours or any of his albums. Ha ha. If Ringo is happy, making money, and pleasing his fans, What else is there? As for what started the hate, some people will hate anyone and find a few followers. I just find it petty. He has the largest bank account, 300,000,000.00, of all drummers so I am sure he is laughing at his haters and the fraud Purdie.

Cop out, drop out, or just not into it?

If you're a drummer, you play. If you're a drummer, you want to play, that's what you do.

Ringo would be the first example of a famous drummer playing great, complex grooves for 8 years, then just coasting on his bank account for another 50 years. Does that make drumming sense?

Some hidden health issue? Some reason he doesn't want to play cool stuff anymore?
 
Ringo would be the first example of a famous drummer playing great, complex grooves for 8 years, then just coasting on his bank account for another 50 years. Does that make drumming sense?

Some hidden health issue? Some reason he doesn't want to play cool stuff anymore?

I've always believed that Ringo's most valuable asset was his remarkably sympathetic ear. The down side of this talent is that you're only as good as the writers/orchestrators/musicians that you're playing with.

On the Bernard Purdie debacle.... Not only are we able to watch Ringo play the parts live, the magic of the internet has given us access to countless hours of isolated studio tracks and outtakes. While BP may have been asked to do some overdubs by BE as part of a discovery process, it's most certainly not him on the released albums.

I'm a veteran instrumentalist of 30 years. I have a good enough ear for guitar that I can spot Eric Clapton's hands on some of the Beatles later work. I can hear Billy Preston's keyboard parts. The only other drummer I hear on Beatles albums is certainly 'not' BP, and is probably Paul or some other non-drummer-drummer.
 
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