DREAM THEATER Guitarist JOHN PETRUCCI On Realizing That Tone Comes From The Guitar Player - "Once I Played Through JOE SATRIANI's Rig; I Didn't Sound Like Joe At All, I Sounded Like Me"

00:00 Sunday, 4 December 2022

Dream Theater guitarist John Petrucci recently spoke with Guitar World shared his top three tips for better guitar tone. Following is an excerpt from his rundown.

Realize That Tone Comes From You

Petrucci: "This is a little existential, but I swear by it. The guitar is a tactile instrument. You’re using the flesh of your hands to interact with it, and regardless of everything else you use, the sound you make comes from you. Every guitarist sounds different, and that’s because every guitarist is different. That’s the beautiful thing about playing the instrument.

I remember being on a G3 tour with Joe Satriani. I’ve always been so enamored of him – his skill and his tone. One day I asked him, 'Can I play through your rig?' And the funny thing was, once I played through his rig, I didn’t sound like Joe at all – I sounded like me. And I was hit with the realization that, because the guitar is a tactile instrument, so much of the tone came from my touch. That’s something very important to keep in mind. Try to understand how you affect the tone of your guitar. It’s your gift. Embrace it and use it. No matter what else goes into guitar playing, you are the most important thing that you bring to the table."