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How Ringo Starr learned to play the drums without practicing
Born in Liverpool, England back in 1940, Ringo Starr started his musical career at an early age in 1957 and curiously learned to play the drums mainly in the spare time he had with his colleagues while he worked at a factory. Those moments were crucial to develop his technique and eventually become a member of The Beatles five years later in 1962.
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But curiously, Starr hates to practice and he revealed in an interview with Dan Rather on AXS TV (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage) back in 2018 that he really learned the drums without practicing.
How Ringo Starr learned to play the drums without practicing
“I didn’t, I hate practicing, I hate sitting there. I tried it when I first got the kit. It was the most boring thing ever, I did all my learning with other musicians, other bands. I was lucky because there was a lot of us around and we weren’t all great players. We were learning so I learned everything with everyone else at the time in Liverpool.”
“I was looking at the factory, the guy who lived next door to me in the street, worked in a factory. He was Eddie Miles, great guitarist. He was just one of those guys who could pick it up and could play anything. My best friend, Roy, had a bass, I had a snare drum and brushes. We used to play to the man at lunchtime in the basement. That’s how I started and now I’m talking to you”.
He continued:
“I never listened to the drummer, I listened to the whole thing (on records). There was an Al Green track called ‘I’m A Ram” and the guy hit the higher ‘boom, boom, tiss’, it’s like magic to me. I remember those moments, we were sitting with Klaus Voorman in this apartment we have in London. So that did, but Al Jackson, and yes I know the names and they played on great records. But it wasn’t like I was listening for the drums,” Ringo Starr said.
Besides his work with The Beatles, Starr recorded with many other artists over the decades and released 20 studio albums. The most recent one is “What’s My Name” in 2019 but since then the musician has released some EPs.
