Petrucci is not immersing himself in the "techniques of Steve Vai". Petrucci is predominantly an alternate picker, and Vai is mostly using legato and his own twisted sweeping (Vai's alternative picking is not really that good. Petrucci is far faster, and more accurate, and his Sweeping is just as good as Vai's. His tapping is of a different style). If you analyze their technique usage, you'll see that they are not similar at all.
And Vai never pioneered any techniques to the extent that they could be called "The techniques of steve vai", except for those whammy bar things which Petrucci does not use much.
I beg to differ with you, oh Great omnipotent and ubiquitous Debussey...
John Petrucci: Born on July 12, 1967, he grew up in Kings Park, New York and began playing guitar at age 12. Founding member of the progressive metal band Dream Theater.
He is also the band's producer and main lyricist as well as an original member of Liquid Tension Experiment with Tony Levin. John is a veteran of Joe Satriani's prestigous G3 tours along with
Steve Vai, Eric Johnson and Paul Gilbert.
Some of his
early influences include Steve Morse, Al DiMeola, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Randy Rhoads, Joe Satriani,
Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Rush, Yes, and Metallica. At age 18 after graduating from high school, he attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston along with schoolmate/bassist John Myung where they met drummer Mike Portnoy and quickly formed the nucleus of what was to become Dream Theater.
Question: How could he NOT have been influenced even later in his career having spent so much time with Steve on the G3 Tours?
We can break apart his style, note-for-note and I can show you licks that he directly copped (intentionally or unintentionally) identical to Steve's. Of course, we could debate the fact that every rock guitarist has somehow be indirectly influenced by his many mentors.
Question: By "twisted" sweeping of Steve's (good choice of words) can you break down exactly what composes those twisted arpeggios involved in the sweeps? I can understand John being more accurate, but "faster?"-- how do you figure. If John is being more accurate (this I agree upon, but they are differing chord structures) how can he be faster?
If John is also using more "alternate" picking, are you implying that legato cannot be used during this time? I would have made a comparison of alternate picking to single string picking instead... hence, the "legato"
John loves to use the huge intervallic jumps from one octave to another just as Steve Vai does. You are indicating that this is not a "Vai" technique, yet you seldom hear other guitarist using it- and consequently when you do, It reminds you of... Steve Vai.
I am not a huge fan of Petruccis. Seemingly, his fans are as insanely stuck on him as Eddies and Yngwies are on them. I like all styles. I listen to Petrucci with complete objectivity, caring the less to judge him and I hear Satriani and Vai.
Fun to debate for the sake of debate. Don't even wanna have a heated arguement over it.
They are all 'greats' in their own right
