I can do the old hand vibrato just fine, but I like attacking the strings.
Ritchie Blackmore
3
I can imagine that Rod Stewart likes giving autographs because he's pure showbusiness.
Ritchie Blackmore
4
I can never remember what I do even in the studio.
Ritchie Blackmore
5
I can turn on some jazz guitarist, and he won't do a thing for me, if he's not playing electrically. But Jeff Beck's great to listen to.
Ritchie Blackmore
I don't use the twang bar anymore. It's become too popular.
Ritchie Blackmore
8
I had given up on the guitar between '75 and '78. I completely lost interest. I was sick of hearing other guitar players and I was tired of my tunes.
Ritchie Blackmore
9
I had given up the guitar between '75 and '78. I completely lost interest. I was sick of hearing other guitar players and I was tired of my tunes.
Ritchie Blackmore
I like leaping around on stage as long as it's done with class. None of this jumping up in the air and doing the splits.
Ritchie Blackmore
12
I was impressed by Hendrix. Not so much by his playing, as his attitude - he wasn't a great player, but everything else about him was brilliant.
Ritchie Blackmore
13
I'm not good enough, technically, to be a classic musician. I lack discipline.
Ritchie Blackmore
14
I'm not into that Keith Richard trip of having all those guitars in different tunings. I never liked the Rolling Stones much anyway.
Ritchie Blackmore
15
I'm very moved by Renaissance music, but I still love to play hard rock - though only if it's sophisticated and has some thought behind it.
Ritchie Blackmore
16
If a ballet dancer falls over, it's knowing how to get out looking clumsy that counts.
Ritchie Blackmore
17
If you can play well in the studio, you can play well on stage.
Ritchie Blackmore
18
Learning to play with a big amplifier is like trying to control an elephant.
Ritchie Blackmore
19
Pete Townshend used to crash chords and let the guitar feed back. He's overrated.
Ritchie Blackmore
20
Playing a Fender is an art itself. They're always going out of tune.
Ritchie Blackmore
21
Session work makes you more strict. You can't hit notes all over the place. You've got to make each one really count.
Ritchie Blackmore
22
Stevie Ray Vaughan was very intense. Maybe that's what caught everybody's attention. As a player, he didn't do anything amazing.
Ritchie Blackmore
23
The cello is such a melancholy instrument, such an isolated, miserable instrument.
Ritchie Blackmore
24
The only way you can get good, unless you're a genius, is to copy. That's the best thing. Just steal.
Ritchie Blackmore
25
When I was 20, I didn't give a damn about song construction. I just wanted to make as much noise and play as fast and as loud as possible.
Ritchie Blackmore
When you're around someone good, your own standards are raised.
Ritchie Blackmore
28
When you're recording, if you're not really clean in your playing, it sounds like a mess.
Ritchie Blackmore
29
When you've toured for about 10 years like me, you end up feeling like you're always waiting for somebody or something. The whole day is a drag.
Ritchie Blackmore
