19 Profound Quotes by John Petrucci (Dream Theater)

Here is a collection of 19 insightful quotes by the shred guitar extraordinaire of Dream Theater – John Petrucci!

About Guitar Playing

“I really rely a lot more on memory. I’m definitely not as good of a sight reader.“

“You might pick up some influences from another type of music that you wouldn’t normally think of, but, you know, maybe as a guitar player, it will come out in your improvisational style, maybe as a songwriter it might come out in your note choices, or in your melodic choices, and it just helps to making your music that much more original and unique.”

Stay focused when you’re playing alive, so you’re not distracted by something going on.

“I do a lot of the stuff that I started out doing that I think any guitar player that’s concerned about the craft needs to do. It’s basic practicing of the basic elements. I try to practice like a well-rounded regiment of things where I can kind of do whatever I wanna do and I also have to practice the actual songs to keep that under my fingers as well.”

“When I think of a lot of the players I admire, they could always play their parts without hiding behind distortion and sustain. Put the time in. Hear your mistakes. Yeah, it sucks, it’s humbling, it makes you want to throw the guitar out the window. But if you work on your mistakes, they’ll eventually go away, and you’ll become a strong player.”

About Dream Theater

“We’re not the kind of band who writes an order abundance of songs and picks from them, we usually write for the album.”

“If someone is feeling out of sorts or detached, it’s a great time to bring them in and restate why we are here and what we are trying to do.”

“If you bring somebody into the band you are going to be with them a lot whether it’s in the studio, on the tour bus, or at dinner every night; you want somebody you enjoy being around. You don’t want an annoying guy.”

Songs come alive every night and can be a new experience for someone. You might have someone in the audience who has never seen us before and hearing it for the first time. We are aware of that.

“The good thing about playing this style that we play, you know, the progressive element of it, is that we can add in different elements of different styles. And that creates a more interesting overall sound.”

"I know we play a part in the story of progressive music, but for us, those influences are the real fathers, the ones that we were interested in." Click To Tweet

About Building a Career In Music

The only thing I had in my mind (when I was 17) was that I was going to be a professional musician. So it was just the right environment.

“I think it’s a good way to sort of build your career and even when I was a young kid, I did the same thing, I looked at these guitar players, like… I was a big fan of Steve Vai, and Al DiMeola, and said “What do those guys do?” and I found out that they went to Berklee College of music, so I was like “Well, I’m going to go to Berklee College of Music”, and you try to, like, learn from those things, so… It’s important.”

Philosophy and Inspiration

“Sometimes I’ll hear a certain approach that kinda catches my ear, like “It’s kinda cool what that guy’s doing there,” or maybe an effect that somebody’s using, or a guitar sound, or something that kinda makes me open up. But the funny thing is, I realize over time how sort of traditional I am.”

"Guitar players get inward and analytical about their playing but when you start to get positive feedback from other players it makes you think that it is coming together." Click To Tweet

“I’m from the school of putting a lot of hours of practice into playing. But at the same time, you have to write original music – that’s really important because that’s the things that’s going to separate you from everybody else, that’s going to give you your unique voice as a music that you create.”

“I don’t have very eclectic tastes in music.”

Music is a communication. It’s a two-way street. You need people to play to in order to make that connection complete. That’s the way we look at it.

“I’m realizing this more and more that it’s one thing to get involved with your own political beliefs and stand behind you believe in personally.”

Let us know which quote resonated with you the most in the comments below!