We've heard from 43 of the best guitarists out there--#57 is great to listen to:
John Peter Petrucci was born July 12, 1967 in Kings Park, New York. He is a virtuoso guitarist and founding member of Dream Theater. He was named as one of the "Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All-Time" by GuitarOne magazine.
Petrucci began playing guitar at age 8 because his older sister was allowed to go to bed later so she could practice the piano. But when John wasn't accorded the same privilege, he gave up guitar, only to pick it up again when childhood friend (and future Dream Theater bandmate) Kevin Moore invited John to join his band. John went to Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts along with bassist friend John Myung. It was there that the two met drummer Mike Portnoy and, along with Moore, they formed the group Majesty, which would become Dream Theater.
Petrucci's guitar playing features high-speed alternate picking, which he will mix with a slower, more passionate style. Petrucci credits the latter style to the influence of David Gilmour, elite guitarist with Pink Floyd. Petrucci will often take a riff or solo from another guitarist and incorporate it into his live performances. In addition to lead guitar, Petrucci sings backing vocals and is the only band member to have contributed lyrics to every Dream Theater album.
Petrucci is also a member of the project Liquid Tension Experiment and has played guitar for several artists including the Explorer's Club.
Petrucci released the instructional video Rock Discipline, which covers warm-up exercises, exercises to help avoid injury while playing the guitar, alternate picking, sweep picking, chords and other techniques. The book Guitar World presents John Petrucci's Wild Stringdom was also published, which includes material from Petrucci's columns that he wrote for the magazine.
In 2001, Petrucci was invited by Steve Vai and Joe Satriani to join them on the G3 guitar tour, a high honor. In 2005, Petrucci released the solo album Suspended Animation and he went on the G3 tour in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Petrucci has used several guitars, amps and special effects in numerous combinations. He has used a Dunlop Rack Wah, a Dunlop DCR-IFC Wah Controller a Custom Mark Snyder Rack Interface, an Alesis Data Dump, Randall RG100ES, a Furman Power Conditioner (x2), a Mesa Quad Preamp, a Mesa Triaxis/2:90, a Mesa Boogie Triaxis Preamp (x2), a Mesa Boogie Stereo Simul-Class 2:Ninety Power Amp, a Mesa Boogie Matrix Midi Switching, a Mesa Boogie Abacus, a Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+, a Mesa Boogie Traditional Rectifier, a Mesa Boogie Triaxis (x2), a Lexicon PCM70, a Marshall JMP1, a Roland JC120, a Mark IIB, a Mark IV, a Mark V, a Dual Rectifier, a Road King Series I, a Road King II, a Lone Star, a Samson Wireless Unit, a TC Electronic 1140 HS Parametric EQ/Preamplifier, a TC Electronic 2290 and that doesn't even scratch the surface. You get the sense that this guy knows what he wants each song and each tour to sound like and he will find the equipment to match his vision.
Petrucci's solos are beautiful to listen to because he plays with emotion and has so much knowledge and natural ability to draw from. John comes in at #57 in Inside the Rock Era's special series on The Top 100 Guitarists of the Rock Era*.
#57: John Petrucci, Dream Theater
28 years as an active guitarist
(some of his best solos)
(some of his best solos)
John Peter Petrucci was born July 12, 1967 in Kings Park, New York. He is a virtuoso guitarist and founding member of Dream Theater. He was named as one of the "Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All-Time" by GuitarOne magazine.
Petrucci began playing guitar at age 8 because his older sister was allowed to go to bed later so she could practice the piano. But when John wasn't accorded the same privilege, he gave up guitar, only to pick it up again when childhood friend (and future Dream Theater bandmate) Kevin Moore invited John to join his band. John went to Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts along with bassist friend John Myung. It was there that the two met drummer Mike Portnoy and, along with Moore, they formed the group Majesty, which would become Dream Theater.
Petrucci's guitar playing features high-speed alternate picking, which he will mix with a slower, more passionate style. Petrucci credits the latter style to the influence of David Gilmour, elite guitarist with Pink Floyd. Petrucci will often take a riff or solo from another guitarist and incorporate it into his live performances. In addition to lead guitar, Petrucci sings backing vocals and is the only band member to have contributed lyrics to every Dream Theater album.
Petrucci is also a member of the project Liquid Tension Experiment and has played guitar for several artists including the Explorer's Club.
Petrucci released the instructional video Rock Discipline, which covers warm-up exercises, exercises to help avoid injury while playing the guitar, alternate picking, sweep picking, chords and other techniques. The book Guitar World presents John Petrucci's Wild Stringdom was also published, which includes material from Petrucci's columns that he wrote for the magazine.
In 2001, Petrucci was invited by Steve Vai and Joe Satriani to join them on the G3 guitar tour, a high honor. In 2005, Petrucci released the solo album Suspended Animation and he went on the G3 tour in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Petrucci has used several guitars, amps and special effects in numerous combinations. He has used a Dunlop Rack Wah, a Dunlop DCR-IFC Wah Controller a Custom Mark Snyder Rack Interface, an Alesis Data Dump, Randall RG100ES, a Furman Power Conditioner (x2), a Mesa Quad Preamp, a Mesa Triaxis/2:90, a Mesa Boogie Triaxis Preamp (x2), a Mesa Boogie Stereo Simul-Class 2:Ninety Power Amp, a Mesa Boogie Matrix Midi Switching, a Mesa Boogie Abacus, a Mesa Boogie Mark IIC+, a Mesa Boogie Traditional Rectifier, a Mesa Boogie Triaxis (x2), a Lexicon PCM70, a Marshall JMP1, a Roland JC120, a Mark IIB, a Mark IV, a Mark V, a Dual Rectifier, a Road King Series I, a Road King II, a Lone Star, a Samson Wireless Unit, a TC Electronic 1140 HS Parametric EQ/Preamplifier, a TC Electronic 2290 and that doesn't even scratch the surface. You get the sense that this guy knows what he wants each song and each tour to sound like and he will find the equipment to match his vision.
Petrucci's solos are beautiful to listen to because he plays with emotion and has so much knowledge and natural ability to draw from. John comes in at #57 in Inside the Rock Era's special series on The Top 100 Guitarists of the Rock Era*.
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