“After you've practiced for an hour or so, turn down the lights and record yourself playing. Improvise and go nuts, then playback what you've recorded and listen for your strengths and weaknesses.”

American guitarist and founding member of Dream Theater

John Petrucci is an American guitarist and a founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater. He is known for his role in the band and for a career that has also included solo releases. He produced Dream Theater’s albums from Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999) onward, often alongside drummer Mike Portnoy before Portnoy left the group, and later worked alone as producer from A Dramatic Turn of Events (2011). He has also released two solo albums, Suspended Animation (2005) and Terminal Velocity (2020).