Some of my favorite quotes from famous drummers have changed my perspective on music and drumming over the years. Here are a few that hit close to home:
Max Roach once said, and this is one of my favourite quotes, “The difference between a drummer and a musician is that a drummer plays drums, a musician communicates.”
What he meant is that true musicians don’t just focus on their own instrument; they focus on the music as a whole. It’s not just about showing skill or playing fast. It’s about being in conversation with the rest of the band. A drummer who listens closely, supports the groove, gives space when needed, and knows when to hold back or push forward, that’s someone making music, not just keeping time. That’s the difference between just playing and communicating a feeling through rhythm.
But communication doesn’t come without discipline. Billy Cobham spoke of this when he said and I quote, “Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”
For all the looseness and feel in great drumming, there’s structure holding it up. Behind every effortless fill are thousands of repetitions, muscle memory layered over years. You have to have clear goals and outcomes in your practice sessions, for example, in order for that to translate into an actual “feeling” on stage or on a record.
Steve Gadd, who has played with some of the greatest names in music, once said, and I quote, “Playing with other musicians is the key. It’s about listening, not just playing.”
My old drum teacher used to say this all the time. “Listen more than you play.” By listening, especially in a live setting with other great musicians, a lot of those practice techniques actually come out. Because you’re able to start making better connections in your brain while you play.
There’s also a deeper musical connection in that kind of listening. Elvin Jones, whose work with Coltrane redefined jazz drumming, believed, “The only thing that matters is that you feel good when you play.”
For him, the emotional core was non-negotiable. And when you hear him, you feel it. He was connected deeply to the music, and that feels good compared to just going through the motions.
What else? That’s where Neil Peart’s words come to mind: “What is a master but a master student?”
It sounds a little cheesy, but I do like the quote. Peart, a technician and a storyteller behind the drums, understood that the pursuit never ends. Mastery isn’t a destination; it’s the habit of curiosity.
These quotes stick out to me throughout the years because they are kind of like hidden philosophies, spoken by people who gave their lives to drums.