Ritchie Blackmore

A lot of blues guitarists play with only three fingers, and they can't figure out certain runs that require the use of…

— Ritchie Blackmore

The only way you can get good, unless you're a genius, is to copy. That's the best thing. Just steal.

— 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…

— Ritchie Blackmore

I don't play by those rules; I'm my own worst enemy sometimes. There's something in me that has to go against the…

— Ritchie Blackmore

I've always played every amp I've ever had full up, because rock and roll is supposed to be played loud. Also, that's…

— Ritchie Blackmore

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

One of the reasons I took up the guitar was I didn't want to speak to anybody. I really felt uncomfortable speaking…

— Ritchie Blackmore

What's the point of re-releasing an album? The original sounded good, why change something about it?

— Ritchie Blackmore

Playing a Fender is an art itself. They're always going out of tune.

— Ritchie Blackmore

The cello is such a melancholy instrument, such an isolated, miserable instrument.

— Ritchie Blackmore

I don't see myself as such an important guitarist.

— Ritchie Blackmore

I can imagine that Rod Stewart likes giving autographs because he's pure showbusiness.

— Ritchie Blackmore

If a ballet dancer falls over, it's knowing how to get out looking clumsy that counts.

— Ritchie Blackmore

I don't put myself on Jeff Beck's level, but I can relate to him when he says he'd rather be working on…

— Ritchie Blackmore

I think a lot about death more than life, because we're going towards death.

— Ritchie Blackmore

Hendrix inspired me, but I was still more into Wes Montgomery. I was also into the Allman Brothers around the time of…

— Ritchie Blackmore

Simplicity is the key.

— Ritchie Blackmore

When you've toured for about 10 years like me, you end up feeling like you're always waiting for somebody or something. The…

— Ritchie Blackmore

Sometimes if I'm not playing well on stage, I'll purposely play even worse; I'll tear it apart, because I'm so disgusted with…

— Ritchie Blackmore

Johnny Winter is one of the best blues players in the world. He's very underrated.

— Ritchie Blackmore

When you're recording, if you're not really clean in your playing, it sounds like a mess.

— Ritchie Blackmore

Everything I do is usually totally spontaneous.

— Ritchie Blackmore

They used to complain at school that I looked out of the window for long periods of time - that sums up…

— Ritchie Blackmore

Pete Townshend used to crash chords and let the guitar feed back. He's overrated.

— Ritchie Blackmore

I don't use the twang bar anymore. It's become too popular.

— Ritchie Blackmore