Originally published in Guitar Player magazine · November 2001
Songcraft: John Petrucci
ArticleJohn Petrucci1 min read
Since forming the progressive rock band Dream Theater at Berklee College of Music in 1985, John Petrucci and his bandmates have successfully nursed the genre into the new millennium. Petrucci recently had the honor of being invited on the 2001 G3 tour with 6-string legends Joe Satriani and Steve Vai.
—Shawn Hammond
“I won’t argue with those who say progressive rock is overblown and indulgent,” says Petrucci. “That’s its nature. Prog rock doesn’t conform to any rules—and it tends to have long sections with lots of soloing and improvisation—but it lets you stretch out and develop themes. That’s what Pink Floyd did, and that’s exactly what jazz does, too. Yet people don’t call jazz self-indulgent. You have to listen before you judge.
“Our songs evolve out of a stream-of-consciousness method, and whatever sounds good is cool with us. The fun happens when we incorporate a mathematical approach, such as overlapping drum and guitar parts that are in different time signatures. Frank Zappa proved that’s where you can be the most original, because you can create songs that sound like nothing you’ve ever heard.
“Of course, writing music that moves you isn’t just about technical stuff. We’re always conscious that it’s about melody, chord movement, space, and dynamics. In other words, you can’t let your guitar chops be more mature than your songwriting chops.”
Photo caption: “As much as I’m proud to be called ‘progressive,’ I sometimes hate the term,” admits Petrucci. “It makes me think of Dungeons & Dragons, and fairies and goblins, and that’s not what Dream Theater is about.”