Herbie Hancock Quotes

Hip hop is doing the new rock thing; there are no rules. They can do anything, really. And that's inspiring.

It's like jazz: You learn the rules to break them - as long as you can break them in a meaningful way.

The wonderful thing about Jazz is its willingness to take chances.

What I have to do as a musician is do everything that is not on the music.

I've always done very 'composed' music and worked-out solos. But sometimes it's fun not knowing where you're going.

I didn't really know what I was doing when I started. I just started writing songs. After two songs I just continued to explore it.

I didn't know how to play lead guitar. There was a freedom in not knowing how to do it.

I loved the freedom of improvised music.

I think that music, or at least the kind of music that I make, benefits greatly from improvisation.

To me, jazz is a place where anything is possible.

A lot of people from my generation of music are so focused on playing things correctly or to perfection that they're stuck in that safe place.

I'm playing all the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order.

I like writing different types of music. I don't like being stuck into one thing.

Miles Davis fully embraced possibilities and delved into it. He was criticized heavily from the jazz side. He was supposed to be part of a tradition, but he didn't consider himself part of a tradition.

Jazz stands for freedom. It's supposed to be the voice of freedom: Get out there and improvise, and take chances, and don't be a perfectionist - leave that to the classical musicians.

The point of jazz is, you do something and then you go on.

Many people don't understand how disciplined you have to be to play jazz... And that is really the idea of democracy - freedom within the Constitution or discipline. You don't just get out there and do anything you want.

Music is the only thing I've ever known that doesn't have any rules at all.

When I start playing I'm just a rollercoaster of sound. I don't know what's coming next, I never do, and I sit and sign and talk to the people afterwards.

My drumming is always an experiment.

This band makes sure that we have whole sections of stuff that are free form so that they don't know what we are doing next, that is the fun part of playing. You are playing something that you haven't ever played before.

Any talk of 'craft' makes me laugh. My music looks outward; it does not gaze upon itself in admiration. Artisanal is for cheesemakers. I don't know anything about music theory. Every time I approach my guitar, it's like the first time. There's no craft in that.

Singing is a limitless form of expression, and I love to experiment with my work.

Once we're inside a tune, we can do anything with it.

I think the best riffs and the best songs come when you're jamming and having a good time.