John Petrucci

• Alternate pick every run — Petrucci's picking discipline is his defining technical characteristic. Legato is used sparingly and intentionally
• The clean-to-heavy dynamic contrast is a Dream Theater signature — the clean tone must be genuinely clean, not slightly dirty
• Use seven-string guitar for the low chugging sections — Petrucci switched to 7-strings partly for the extended low range in rhythm parts
• Sweep picking arpeggios are used throughout his solos — practise three-string arpeggios before attempting five-string sweeps
• The Mesa JP-2C runs the lead channel at high gain but mid-forward — do not scoop the mids, the note clarity comes from keeping the midrange present
• Tone knob on the guitar at full — Petrucci never rolls back the tone. All brightness is used
• Practise with a metronome at 60% of target tempo — if the picking mechanics are sloppy at slow tempos, they will be sloppy at speed
• The neck pickup is used for clean passages and some solos — the warmer character suits the melodic sustained lead tones
• Expression pedal controls the G-System effects — having the whammy and volume on a single continuous controller is part of his live rig workflow

John Petrucci of Dream Theater is the benchmark for progressive metal guitar — combining the precision of a classical musician with the aggression of metal, switching seamlessly between pristine clean passages and brutal high-gain leads.