A Conversation With… John

Petrucci of Dream Theater

Brought to you by: guitar.com
Progressive rock fans know John Petrucci as one of the leading
figures in techno-guitar mastery. His fretted prowess has been amply
displayed through the years with his band Dream Theater, and on
occasional solo jaunts he's made, such as during the 2000 G3 tour
with Satch and Vai. If you haven't heard John play, there's just one
thing you need to know: The guy f*#@in' shreds, man!
And while you're digging out your much rotated Dream Theater discs,
you need to know that Favored Nations has just released a cool duet
performance, recorded live, that John did with Dream Theater
keyboardist Jordan Rudess. Titled An Evening With, it's a rare look at
both guitarist (schooled at Berklee College of Music) and keyboardist
(educated in music at The Juilliard School) relying heavily on their
musical training, and their celebrated improvisational skills, because
the performance was almost totally unrehearsed!

In this detailed Guitar.com interview, John talks about winging it live

with only charts and a few hand-written notes for guidance, his recent
change of gear to update the Dream Theater guitar sound, his recent
Japanese guitar clinics, and his upcoming solo disc.
Guitar.com: Hi John, how are you?
John Petrucci: Good man, how are you?
Guitar.com: Doing well. I was just looking at your Favored Nations
microsite. Cool Stuff. So are you at home today?
Petrucci: Yeah, I'm home for a couple months, then back out.
Guitar.com: I see you just did some clinics in Japan.
Petrucci: Yeah, I did a couple over there for Ernie Ball and Mesa
Boogie.
Guitar.com: What goes on at an international clinic?
Petrucci: Pretty much the same thing. In Japan they're definitely more
over the top. They had four Boogie stacks and 20 guitars. But
otherwise it's pretty much the same thing, except there's a translator.
It's really nice.
Guitar.com: A lot of the guys over there probably speak English,
right?
Petrucci: Yeah.
Guitar.com: Are they any more or less specific with their questions?
Petrucci: No, not really. It's pretty much the same types of questions
all around the world.
Guitar.com: What kind of questions do people ask you in clinics?
Petrucci: A lot of times they want to know how I write. They want to
know how I play specific parts to certain songs. Or they have
questions about what I'm talking about - I do a lot of teaching - so they
might have specific questions like, 'How do you do this.?' 'How do you
get speed?' You have your small amounts of questions that have
nothing to do with music, like, 'Why did you cut your hair?' Stuff like
that.
Guitar.com: This new CD that you and Jordan have put out on
Favored Nations, An Evening with, you actually recorded in 2000,
correct?
Petrucci: Right.
Guitar.com: And this was an unrehearsed performance, pretty much
living on the edge
Petrucci: It really was. The idea of playing the show was presented to
us while we were on tour. I remember being in Paris, and Jordan
telling me about it. His wife produces shows at this small theater in
New York, and it was a benefit concert she wanted to put on. And she
had asked, 'Do you think Dream Theater would be interested in doing
this?' And we decided that it might not be the proper environment, but
the two of us could do something. And then we started talking about
doing a little improvised duet show, and how we should approach it
from a jazz standpoint. We'd have a jazz setting where we would play
some pre-determined jazz heads, or melodies, and then just improvise
throughout the middle, and then have some cues to come back. So
that was the basic concept of the show.
Guitar.com: So you guys wrote a bunch of tunes the week before?
Petrucci: Yeah. We wrote them on tour, we'd get together in the hotel
room on different days. I remember being in an airport waiting in line
and Jordan was like, 'I've got this cool idea!' And he'd tap it out, and
write it out the first time he had a chance. We did it that way.
Guitar.com: Did you have charts at the gig?
Petrucci: Yeah we had charts. Jordan had a lot of charts. I had some
notes, a couple charts, some chord progressions - stuff like that. It
really wasn't rehearsed, so we had to make sure we knew what we
were doing.
Guitar.com: You both went to Berklee, right?
Petrucci: Jordan went to Juilliard, and I went to Berklee.
Guitar.com: And you'd probably highly recommend that to any young
musician?
Petrucci: You know, it was great. It was an awesome environment for
me. I went straight out of high school, and when I was 17, all I wanted
to do was play guitar. And the only thing I had in my mind was that I
was going to be a professional musician. So it was just the right
environment. And to be in Boston, which is a great city and which is
full of many colleges and young kids, and to be around that many
people that were at the same point in their lives, who played guitar or
whatever instrument - it was just perfect. It was a great environment.
Guitar.com: Do you still use a lot of what you learned at Berklee? Do
you read music?
Petrucci: Yes, I read music.
Guitar.com: Do you still use that regularly?
Petrucci: Not as regularly as I did when I was studying in school.
Since I'm in a band, and I'm not usually in situations where I need to
read, it doesn't come up as often, and I don't rely on it as much.
Jordan, he learned that way, and that's what he knows how to do.
That's how he kind of approaches all music, whether it's to learn a
cover song that we're going to play, or to review Dream Theater music
- he always uses charts. That's what he knows. I really rely a lot more
on memory. I'm definitely not as good of a sight reader as him, and I
definitely don't rely on it.
Guitar.com: What about when you're just working on something new
at home?
Petrucci: Yeah, sure. There's many different ways. If I'm not in an
environment where I can record, it's great to be able to write
something down, to be able to know how to do that, to be able to write
notation. You grab a piece of paper and there it is. It's the cheapest
recording equipment you can buy: a piece of manuscript paper and a
pencil! (laughs)
Guitar.com: So your next tour dates are in July, in Europe?
Petrucci: We're going to Italy for three shows. We've already toured
Europe. But this is a separate, three-show, kind of outdoor venue
thing. It's a cool little summer thing. And then we're on tour with Yes
starting in August, through the U.S. That should be cool.
Guitar.com: I imagine Steve Howe of Yes was a solid influence of
yours?
Petrucci: Oh absolutely.
Guitar.com: Have you played with Steve or Yes before?
Petrucci: Yeah, I have actually. He played with us. We did a cover
show awhile back at Ronnie Scott's in London. We did a Yes medley
and he came up and played it with us. It was awesome.
Guitar.com: What was in the medley? Do you remember?
Petrucci: It's hard to remember. We had "Machine Messiah" in there,
and. I can't even recall what we played. It was a whole bunch of songs
that we put together.
Guitar.com: Let's talk about your gear a little bit. What made you
decide to switch from the Mesa C+ amps to the Road Kings?
Petrucci: I wanted something different. I'd been using the C+ amps for
a long time, and I love them - they're one of my favorite amps ever.
But on this album I wanted - there were a couple reasons, actually.
One is that I wanted a more aggressive sound, some more teeth and
hair. The C+ is a very tight, focused amp. I wanted something that
was a little bit more spread, and a little more mushy. That was one
reason. The second was that I wanted to get more of a current sound
into the band. The C+ is vintage at this point, and it definitely has a
certain sound to it. I wanted something that was going to keep Dream
Theater in more of a current musical landscape, as far as being the
producer and producing the type of album I wanted to hear. And the
third reason was wanting to have the lead sound be more creamy.
That's something that you kind of can't get out of a C+, and I always
had to switch to a Dual Rectifier or a Mark IV for a lead sound, or I
would add distortion or something. But with the Road King, and with
the Rectifier series, it automatically has enough creaminess and gain
as far as leads. I wanted to have that all in one.
And one more reason is because I wanted something that was overall
more versatile. With the Road King amp, you're able to switch power
tubes and speakers and do all these different things. And I didn't want
to have five different heads in my rack. And there's something about,
when you do the type of setup that I have, unless you have a
dedicated amp to a dedicated speaker and you're actually switching,
you have to use the same power section of the main head that you're
using. So if I used the C+ and used a Rectifier for the lead sound, I'd
still be going through the C+ power section. But with the Road King I
can change, I can add a tube if I want something to have more
headroom or be fuller, or have more tightness. Or I can go to a
vintage setting if I want it to be more squishy. So it was more versatile
in that sense.
Guitar.com: And you can do all that with a footswitch?
Petrucci: It's all assignable. It's all switches on each channel, so when
you switch the channel, it's whatever is assigned. So if you have four
6L6 tubes and a certain speaker and a certain mode on the amp, it
just changes at that point. It's pretty cool.
Guitar.com: That is pretty cool. I know with Train of Thought you
started exploring some alternate tunings. Were some of those tuned
down, as a lot of newer bands are doing these days?
Petrucci: Exactly. They're not alternate as in being open tunings or
really experimental at all. They're just that the guitar is tuned down a
step or two steps or whatever. And again, in producing this album I
wanted the sound of the album to be able to fit into a more
contemporary sonic state, but I wanted the style to be Dream Theater,
which is always consistent. And I think we did just that. It has the
heavy sound to it, and at the same time, musically, really the
signature of the way that we write music.
Guitar.com: What tunings did you use most? Was more of the album
down one step, or was it down two steps?
Petrucci: The majority is down two-steps. There are three songs that
are tuned down to C. One song is tuned down to D, and one is tuned
to E-flat. And then I used a seven string on the other one. There are
actually no songs that I played on my normally tuned six-string.
Guitar.com: Now these are standard, not drop-tunings, correct?
Petrucci: No, they're standard. Every string tuned down either one or
two steps.
Guitar.com: And you used some heavier strings?
Petrucci: Yeah. I experimented a bunch with Ernie Ball in getting the
strings to not flop around too much, but at the same time not to be too
thick to where you're playing telephone cables.
Guitar.com: So what were you using on those C tunings?
Petrucci: I changed it a lot, but it was something like .012, .015, .018,
.030, .040, .050 - something like that. Even during the tour I changed
it. I think I used a normal set of 12s on the C guitar. I keep changing
and experimenting.
Guitar.com: I did an interview recently with Rene Martinez who was
Stevie Ray Vaughan's guitar tech, and he told me something
interesting. Everybody knows that Stevie used 13s, and Rene said he
did, but he was just killing himself with it. And Rene said he had
eventually convinced Stevie to switch down to 11s, and that maybe
toward an end of a tour, he might jump up to the 13s.
Petrucci: Yeah, I can totally relate to that. You might be able to get a
certain sound, and in the studio you certainly look at things under a
microscope a lot more. You might hear more warmth out of a thicker
string gauge. But in the practical world, like with us, we're playing "An
Evening With" so it's three hours of music, and our music is pretty
challenging as far as the technical aspect. And I found after awhile
that I was killing myself. Real thick strings - your hands start to get
fatigued. As much as you practice, and as much experience as you
have, and as long as you've been playing, there is a fatigue point
during the show, as with anything that's physical. So I wanted to
basically pace myself better. It's a balance between getting the right
string gauge that's thick enough where it sound good, and not rubber
bands - but not too thick where your hands start to get real tired.
Guitar.com: So what about these "Not Even Slinky" strings that Ernie
Ball has now, was that where you went with this?
Petrucci: That's too heavy for me. That's a little bit too heavy. They
sound really good
Guitar.com: I meant for the drop tunings you used in the studio.
Petrucci: For the studio they didn't have those sets made up yet, so I
just made my own. We just experimented. I'd call up and ask Dudley's
opinion and he'd send me things. The bridge has to be sitting right
and sometimes it's hard to get the action the way you want it when the
strings aren't the right gauges. It's really hit or miss.
Guitar.com: Do you prefer a lower action?
Petrucci: Yeah, absolutely. You know it's kind of weird because the
higher action, it feels better, and sounds better - it certainly feels
better for playing rhythm parts, and big heavy chords and open parts,
'cause there's no fret buzz or anything. And it's cleaner and tighter. It
sounds better as far as the notes, because you have more thickness
and more string. But the low action is definitely more conducive to a
more fluid playing style.
Guitar.com: Right.
Petrucci: You have to kind of hot-rod the guitar if you're going to play
a certain way. You can't win a race in a jalopy.
Guitar.com: Tell us about the OLP guitar I see mentioned on your
website?
Petrucci: That's my Ernie Ball signature model guitar, but it's licensed
by Ernie Ball to an offshore company, but it's been re-created in a
more economical way so that it's less expensive. But it's pretty much
my specs. Instead of buying a guitar for $2,000 or $2,500 - I'm not
sure how much these are going for - but it's maybe $300 or something
like that. It's more for beginners and stuff like that. Obviously it's not
hitting the pros. And you can't get the Piezo pickup and the color-
changing paint and the inlays and all the fancy things that my
signature guitars offer, but you can get the general feel of the guitar -
and the body style. It's cool. So many kids and parents ask me, 'What
kind of guitar can I buy?' It's a great opportunity for those people to be
able to buy a quality guitar that's not necessarily a little Fender or
whatever. It's something that's more signature.
Guitar.com: So do you plan any more clinics, through the States,
perhaps?
Petrucci: That's definitely a possibility. Usually I like to do clinics while
I'm on tour, so it hasn't come up yet. But I'm sure there will be a
couple.
Guitar.com: And what about instructional materials? I know you did
"Rock Discipline" awhile back. Do you have any plans for a new
instructional video?
Petrucci: It's something that I've been planning for awhile as a follow
up to that. I'm finishing up my solo album now that's going to be ready
and mixed by June, and actually I had plans of completing an
instructional video, kind of at the same time, so hopefully I'll be able to
do that. It's certainly been a long time since "Rock Discipline." It's
been 10 years since that came out, so it's time to do something.
Guitar.com: I'm sure your fans would love to see a new instructional
video. If you're doing something concurrent with your solo album,
would the video focus on teaching those specific riffs?
Petrucci: You know, you just kind of gave it away! (laughs) It's
certainly an idea that I had, and being in the studio, and being in that
environment and filming, and then having the material fresh. It's a solo
album, so it's all about guitar. It's all about licks and riffs and things
that you would want to teach and learn. So that is my plan.
Guitar.com: And what label will be releasing the CD?
Petrucci: I'm not sure. I have offers from a lot of labels, but I'm not
sure if I want to sign a record deal. It's my first album so I want to
retain as much as I can. I might license it or do a distribution deal, or
whatever.
Guitar.com: Elektra has first right of refusal?
Petrucci: Exactly.
Guitar.com: With the past projects you've done, like Liquid Tension
Experiment, they didn't have any problem with you recording for
another label on that project.
Petrucci: No. They gave permission. But that's something that I want
to avoid. This is my own thing. I made it, self-financed it, and
obviously the best way to retain the most profit is to not give any of it
away. That's something that you certainly learn through the years.
Guitar.com: Sure. Do you have a home studio?
Petrucci: I will, in about a month. We just moved into a new house,
and they're finishing the basement tomorrow. A home studio is part of
that plan. I'll finally have a place to work here.
Guitar.com: What are you going to set yourself up with?
Petrucci: Pro Tools. I'll have a control room and a live room and a Pro
Tools rig. And of course I've got plenty of gear to fill it with, as far as
guitars and amps and outboard stuff.
Guitar.com: What will you do for drums? Do you play drums?
Petrucci: Very badly. My main objective with a home studio - I could
get into doing full band demos - but my first objective is to cut things
like guitar tracks and solos at home. Even with Dream Theater, we
track in a big studio and everything. But when it comes to doing leads,
I don't really require a lot of studio to do that. I need a good sounding
room and a Pro Tools rig, and some Neve mic-pres, and I'm good.
Guitar.com: Does anyone else in the band have a home studio?
Petrucci: Jordan does, but it's all self-contained. I'll be the only guy
with a fully built recording studio. So they'll have to come to me.
Guitar.com: The computer age is killer for recording.
Petrucci: Yeah, I'm psyched.
Guitar.com: Are you fairly computer savvy or are you going to have a
heavy learning curve on this?
Petrucci: A heavy learning curve! But I'm not scared.
Guitar.com: Well John, thank you so much for your time, and we look
forward to seeing you out on the road this year.
Petrucci: Cool man, thanks Adam.