Dimebag Darrell Quotes

There's no performance where I never have to think about setting up a phrase or making a technical adjustment while I'm performing.

It was never so much the heavy metal thunder that got me. I was into players who played with taste and did these walking bass parts. If you can play like that, it really opens up the music. You can't just pound away. After a while it's like, 'So what? What else you got?'

With the piano I'm completely in control of the gestural situation-not that I'm going to play the piece myself, but I know what's difficult, what's impossible.

If you want me to play only the notes without any specific dynamics, I will never make one mistake.

Classical stuff takes a lot of rehearsal time and preparation, but with stuff that involves improvisation, you can over-rehearse it and it gets stale. You don't want it to be too comfortable. In fact, a good sound check, a good rehearsal usually means a bad performance.

I go for as much feeling as I can rather than show what I can do up and down the neck. I don't play to show people ability.

If there was a wrong note, it didn't matter as long as it was rocking.

I think I'm better at live shows than I used to be because I'm way more comfortable with the uncomfortable pauses between songs. Now, rather than trying to talk or do a costume change, I'll use those moments for myself. I listen to what other people are playing, or just rest, or dance, even though I don't know how to.

Whenever I start to really think about what I'm playing, I may play it better musically, but the feeling isn't there.

I was really conscious of that when I went in because I felt that I was pretty solid on the first one, but I didn't have the groove exactly where I wanted it.

You have to be ready to sing and perform at any time.

I think I started lip-synching about halfway through the first day, and it's not as easy as you think it would be. But it's definitely better than a day job.

There's something interesting about playing live; you're in the moment, and I think it would be beneficial.

I'm very proud of my records, but my most natural creative tendencies have been in live performing. There's a beautiful element to recording and making records, but I've always felt a little shy with it.

After playing now for 60 years, it's still very challenging for me to play a simple melody and have it clean and touch the reed at the proper time in the proper way.

I really love live performing!

I know what I'm missing. I know what I have to work on. Coloratura. And I sing sharp sometimes. It happens when I'm nervous.

When I play a solo I'm just expressing that moment. It can go horribly wrong easily enough.

Jazz is a music of great achievements but speed and chops serve a different function in jazz.

Playing live is such a total visceral experience, and really, as a musician, you're trained from the beginning to be a live performer.

I guess I think like deep inside, I know that it's like, it's a different kind of performing, it's not really... You're not performing like a guitar player or a singer is performing, you know what I mean? So it's weird to be in the same type setup as one of those. 'Cause I'm not really doing much, you know, like technically it's not that hard.

The Chili Peppers do a lot of improvising, but it's within the framework of song structures. The Meatbats is from a purely instrumental standpoint. But when you hear the term 'instrumental music' you think it's real serious stuff and everybody's playing a million notes and it's about playing fast. That's not what we do.

You don't really know a song until you play it live.

I love playing live, I don't like studios all that much. I need the reaction of the audience.

Running my hands really fast up and down the fretboard... I mean, anybody can do that. It's the Guitar Olympics, and I can't think of anything more pointless.