CARMINE APPICE On His Drumming Technique: ‘I Created A Drummer Style Of Volume Technique Speed, And Power Because There Were No Concert Sound Systems Yet.’

We had a splendid conversation with legendary drummer Carmine Appice, who’s played with a constellation of stars, and, of course, is a star himself. We talked about his career, his drumming technique, art, among other things. Here is an excerpt of the conversation. Read the article in full here.

“Metal Addicts: You are from a generation of rock drummers who are self-taught, but you had a classical training, am I right? I believe that this shaped the way you played the drums and gave that magical touch. Could you tell us how was your drums learning experience and how you think it influenced your technique and the way you play them? How do you feel by having influenced generations of drummers?

 Carmine Appice:  “Well, I was self-taught for about 1 year.  Then I saw a drummer my age, who was a lot better than I was. So I asked him how he got so good.  Was it just practice?  He said, no, he took private drum lessons from a guy in Brooklyn.  I got the teacher’s number;  his name was Dick Bennett.  I talked to my parents about paying for drum lessons.  They agreed, so I took the lessons for 3-4 years.  I went through all the classic books with him.  My playing improved immensely.  The lessons improved my time, my speed, my knowledge, my rudiments—everything.   I became a much, much better drummer.”

“I, also, played in all the school bands, orchestras, marching bands, jazz bands—all of it.  How do I feel about influencing other drummers? I feel blessed that I came up at a time when new ideas were being launched in music, and my band—Vanilla Fudge—was part of it.  I created a drummer style of volume technique speed, and power because there were no concert sound systems yet.  So to compete with the big amps, I had to play hard with all the technical skills and showmanship.”
“I didn’t know I was creating a new kind of drumming at the time.  I just was doing what ended to be seen and heard.  Again, I feel blessed and proud that I ended up influencing so many drummers.”