Vladimir Horowitz Quotes

In rock n' roll, there are notes that aren't like notes. They're something in between, and it's the way you scoop into it.

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

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've done a lot of performance practice, Baroque playing, and some of the joy and the challenge of it is figuring out what the composer intended... You have music of the 17th century - it's all whole notes and half notes. But inside of that, there are so many things that one can do, at least according to what we know about performance practice.

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

A superb tenor voice, like a silver trumpet muffled in silk.

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.

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

Of course the most difficult thing on the violin is always intonation. The second one is rhythm. If you play in tune, in time with a good sound that's already high level. Those three are the main things.

Although I am basically self taught, I consider Debussy my teacher - the most important elements are colour, light and shadow.

Conducting has more to do with singing and breathing than with piano-playing.

Everyone who plays the flute should learn singing.

You got to play the flute as a flute, like that. You can't play like a tenor concept on soprano; it sounds wrong. But some guys do it, and they think it's O.K., but not so!

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 love to sing and play the piano. As a child, I've always loved to sing my heart out, and even my teachers encouraged me to take up singing.

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.

I honestly believe that you have to be able to play the guitar hard if you want to be able to get the whole spectrum of tones out of it. Since I normally play so hard, when I start picking a bit softer my tone changes completely, and that's really useful sometimes for creating a more laid-back feel.

Who's to say what's a good voice and not a good voice?

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.

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.

The most effective instruments do have a vocal quality.

From a technical viewpoint, I have certain things I'd like to present in my solos. To do this, I have to get the right material. It has to swing, and it has to be varied.

I believe that melody is such a lost part of music and country music. People are either scared of it or not using all the colors that are available.

Using string bends instead of just playing regular, unbent notes can definitely help give certain riffs a cooler, heavier edge.