Danny Elfman Quotes

The main rhythmic loop in 'Alaska' is me just patting on my jeans.

I like to be one of those drummers who actually add to the music, not one of those guys who sit in a room 24/7 trying to outwit or outplay another drummer.

I enjoy the process of composing music. The first time I hear a song, it has to bring a smile to my lips. You have to tap your feet and be able to sing the song.

Essentially my contribution was to introduce repetition into Western music as the main ingredient without any melody over it, without anything just repeated patterns, musical patterns.

With 'Under the Pressure,' I just found two chords I liked, and built it up, did like a ten-minute drum pattern.

And I like messing around in the engine room of music. Seeing what happens in the rhythm section area.

Perhaps of all the most basic elements of music, rhythm most directly affects our central nervous system.

Most great records really start with the drums.

I have always had a certain rhythmic approach to my work.

I really pay attention to the bass in the music I listen to, and that's what I tend to write toward.

Drums just always sounded like the most fun part of that good music for me.

We knew we wanted to put a lot of melody into it - a lot more than what we did on our first album.

Playing well with others is important - not being too flashy, just keeping good time and of course coming up with cool beats. A good snare drum, kick drum, high hat. Just getting good at the hand feet coordination.

Sometimes I just hit the keyboard in a way I'd like the rhythm of the tracks to sound.

There's not much music I'll listen to if it doesn't have pretty heavy swing. Rhythm is so important. Punk rock would have more power and feeling if it had swing.

The heart of a music is its rhythm. The heart of rhythm section music is the rhythm.

Drumming is so hard.

Being a drummer, I'm always like, 'Oh, that's got a funky beat. That's cool,' and I like to dance.

Making music and writing kind of come from the same creative place.

As far as favorite tunes, 'You Know You Know' is one, and why it is important is difficult to say. The rhythmic cycle is very interesting and challenging to play, since it can be considered three bars of 4/4 or four bars of 3/4. 'The Dance of Maya' is another, and I have to mention 'Sanctuary.'

The original 'Don't Let It Get to You' started with a beat. The drums came first. All the musical and lyrical elements were written over those drums.

I play a little bit of everything. I beat on the walls. I whistle. I scream. I go outside and scream because it sounds cool when it's recorded. I play drums on a chair. I snap, clap... just anything to build the track and make it feel like I want it to.

It's as if my left heel is my bass drum and my right heel is the floor tom-tom. I can get snare out of my right toe by not putting it down on the floor hard, and, if I want cymbals, I land flat on both feet, full strength on the floor.

When it comes to making a song, whatever the beat tells me to do, I do.

I usually write to the beat. Really, the beat can make the song itself.