Lars Ulrich, drummer for Metallica, spoke about his playing style
In an interview with the Polar Music Prize , Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich spoke about his unique way of playing drums.
“For me, it’s always the music and the band that come first. The drums, or the guitars, or whatever else is going on, is just part of a bigger picture. So what you always have to do is leave your ego at the door and do your best for the song, for the music, for the sound in general.”.
What has always been most interesting to me about drumming is: How do you fit it in? (…) I've never been very interested in skill. 'Wow! This guy is so good!' Yes, he's good, but that doesn't mean he can make it work within a group. (…)
I always saw the drums as a group instrument. I was never very interested in playing alone – you know, sitting in a basement, practicing drum solos for hours on end, that's not for me! So, being in a band, writing songs, making records, being part of a gang, being part of a band, that always fascinated me.”
Asked by Rhythm magazine in 2008 how he felt about being called a poor drummer, Lars said:
“You wake up one day and you are who you are, whatever that means. It hasn’t bothered me for about 15 years. I’m not Joey Jordison, I’m not Mike Portnoy, and I have nothing but love, respect, and admiration for all those guys. When I hear some young guys, they amaze me with what they can do with their feet and their stuff – but it’s not something that makes me feel, ‘I need to feel better about myself, so I’m going to learn to do with my feet what they do.’ I’m not a particularly accomplished drummer, but I’m very, very, very good at understanding the role of the drums alongside James Hetfield’s guitar. I guarantee I’m the best guy in the world at that, and that’s enough for me!”
