John Petrucci
John Petrucci

A violin neck is much smaller than the guitar's, so it's much easier to play wide intervals on one violin string. On the guitar, you really have to stretch to play them.

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

Music is great, because you can do that pretty much until you drop.

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

As a guitar player, you never stop learning, never stop honing your skills.

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

I don't have very eclectic tastes in music.

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

Definitely an important aspect of my playing is keeping my hands in sync.

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

I used to have these reoccurring dreams that I played guitar, which I thought was so bizarre. It all sort of fit together at some point, and I said 'I want to play guitar.'

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

I do remember one of the first great experiences of going to Europe was playing in Rome hearing the people sing our music so loud. It was louder than the music we were playing.

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

Before Dream Theater took off I used to teach a lot, and one of the things my students often asked me was how to apply the chromatic scale to practical playing situations. You see, their other teachers would give them chromatic warm-up exercises without providing any explanation of how important and versatile this scale actually is.

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

We are very, very fortunate to have built a career based on playing the kind of music we play. In a lot of ways, it's a very eclectic style. It's not pop; it's not mainstream; so the fact that we have been able to have the career that we have had internationally, with all the success we've had, it's like a miracle. It's amazing.

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

Of all the things that can frustrate a guitarist the most, it's the nagging feeling that he's not reaching a certain level of proficiency as quickly as he should.

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

I have seen Tommy Emanuel play; my wife and I went to see him and he just melted my face off. How do you play guitar like that? There are so many people that play at a ridiculous level and I sit there watching them and I'm like, 'Wow, wish I could do that.'

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

We love what we do. We're passionate about making music and as composers; that's just who we are.

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

Dream Theater has never been a band that hit at a particular fashionable point and said, 'OK, that's basically it.'

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

For me, it's always easier playing with a drummer.

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

The best way to learn sweep picking is to first isolate the right- and left-hand techniques, master them separately and then coordinate them.

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

I'm grateful that as part of the Ernie Ball family, I'm able to connect with my fans in such a meaningful way and hopefully inspire guitar players to up their game!

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

Before you can apply chromatic ideas to scales and arpeggios, you have to get the chromatic scale itself under your fingers. You should learn it up and down the neck, and become comfortable with the fingerings.

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

The style of music that we're playing, this progressive metal style, has always been an upstream battle for us. We don't usually get a lot of commercial exposure.

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

We're a band that really... It's important to us to write music and put it out there and to work together.

John Petrucci
John Petrucci

We record Dream Theater shows and I'll sit on the bus and listen to my playing - what worked, what didn't. A lot of times it's embarrassing and humbling, but that's what you have to do to get better.