Ruggiero Ricci Quotes

The most difficult problem in conducting is intonation. You must know what is wrong and how to correct it.

I play more rhythmically than I do a lot of notes.

I do know a good singer when I hear one.

I don't really care about a song or lyrics; I'm really just interested in the way people emphasize words. That's what makes a strong impact on me.

My vibrato was my weakness. With romantic pieces, I could be a lot more schmaltzy. My wider vibrato fit that.

We have to put expressions in a song when we sing it.

I've listened to musicians who say that using a metronone makes you robotic, that it decreases your 'feel.' That's ridiculous. Either you have feel or you don't. Feel is one of those intangibles that can't be taught. But if you do have feel, using a metronome will allow you to play cleaner - and that'll make your 'feel' have more, well, 'feeling.'

One of the ways to use your depth is to play with speed.

You really have to play with the space in a riff so it can be allowed to breathe.

To be honest, I'm one of the least-technical guitar players around. I just want a guitar to feel good and sound good. That's it, period.

I realized that equipment really had little to do with why I sound like the way I sound.

If you have a great-sounding guitar that's a quality instrument and a good amp, and you know how to make the guitar talk, that's the key. It starts with the guitar and knowing what it should sound and feel like.

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.

Music deals with time and timing. It's so magical, but when you get into it, every little sound and every little space between the sounds, it's critical, so critical. And if it's not there, it not only feels wrong, but it ruins things.

I think the fundamental part of my technique is my vibrato.

It's impossible to play a run with as much feeling as a single note. I've never been so much into runs as making single notes cry.

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.

I never was a very good singer.

The real art of conducting consists in transitions.

If you listen to the way I speak, I have a lot of rhythm, use a lot of accents. When I'm playing my instrument, that concept comes through very clearly.

Conservatory training is so much. There's so much emphasis on playing perfectly in tune and being perfect and doing everything as it's written.

If you ask me about vocal technique, I don't know anything. I could never be a teacher. I just know what my teacher told me: 'Always sing with a full voice. When they tell you, less sound, more piano - no.'

The thing I try to do the most is to play in terms of the song and play in terms of what I'm hearing.

Rhythm is born in all of us. To be a desirable dancing partner, you don't have to do all the intricate fancy steps that happen to be in vogue. All you have to do is be a good average dancer, and anybody who spends the time and effort can accomplish this.

To be able to play as slow as Al Jackson is almost impossible.