# Fuck Petrucci's Rock Discipline Makes Me Want to QUIT!



## WayneCustom7 (Dec 23, 2005)

Ah, man even his little warm up tunes ROCK. There should be a warning label on the front. Warning, Self Esteem may IMPLODE!


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## Scott (Dec 24, 2005)

Indeed. I consider it to be my bible, in DVD format.


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## Nik (Dec 24, 2005)

WayneCustom7 said:


> Ah, man even his little warm up tunes ROCK. There should be a warning label on the front. Warning, Self Esteem may IMPLODE!



I think that is the opposite of what Petrucci intended when he made it.

I personally found it inspiring and it made me practice like crazy. Actually, I had my guitar for a while and it had started to gather dust and it wasn't until I saw Dream Theater live that I got serious about guitar and I have put in daily practice since that day.

JP's Rock Discipline is one of the very-best instructional DVDs ever made because it's not a video just for him to show off *cough*Yngwie*cough* but he actually teaches you practical things.

The footage from G3 on that is a downer though. Damn I want a video of Jaws of Life live


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## Shawn (Dec 24, 2005)

I felt the same way when I first got that DVD. Now, I love it. Just take your time, Wayne. I also felt the same way about Eric Johnson's Instructional vid. Both videos for me have been the best. Im still pluggin' away at both of them.
At least with JP's, I have the booklet to go with it. I don't have the booklet to go with EJ's vid.


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## Metal Ken (Dec 24, 2005)

WayneCustom7 said:


> Ah, man even his little warm up tunes ROCK. There should be a warning label on the front. Warning, Self Esteem may IMPLODE!




Just keep in mind the thing about the metronome. How he says to practice slow and speed up? just do that.


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## FoxMustang (Dec 24, 2005)

WayneCustom7 said:


> Warning, Self Esteem may IMPLODE!


That's pretty much always my first impression when I try to learn any Petrucci song. Happens every time, I just have to work through it. The first time I nail it, I'll end up practicing harder to be able to do it again repeatedly


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## SevenatoR (Dec 24, 2005)

I kinda had the "I quit" reaction the first time I went through it. BUT...unlike most instructional vids, once I managed to fumble through the exercises and examples, I saw IMMEDIATE results in my own technique. I think those maddening left hand exercises are the work of the devil. But I'll be damned if they don't produce results.


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## WayneCustom7 (Dec 24, 2005)

Hahahaha! Thanks guys...I guess, I don't know how to say this without coming off as appearing silly, but at my age and with my commitments it just seems like way too much. I was just kidding about the quitting part, but whether or not I commit to this, well that's something that I really need to think about. Perhaps I'll start with the small stuff, then work in some of the other stuff.


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## zak (Dec 24, 2005)

have any of you checked out any of Rusty's Chops From Hell instructionals? You see results before you can finish playing the example at 1/32 of the speed that Rusty shows.


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## Shannon (Dec 24, 2005)

Yep, I've had the Petrucci for years now (just upgraded to the DVD version recently). Upon the first viewing I thought, _"You gotta be kidding me?"_  

But then I sat down with guitar in hand & started tackling one section of the video at a time. I noticed immediate results. John puts his lessons in such a way that ANYONE can understand what he's trying to convey. Making very complex sounding long runs is as simple as connecting a couple of small phrases. He shows how to add "color" to a chord, where most would play a standard barre chord. All the nutty shit he plays begins to make sense to a novice. At the beginning of the video, he shows all kinds of stretching techniques to do before playing. To this day, I still do these stretches before every show & it definately works! 

There are times where I feel I've hit a creative rut. When that happens, I re-visit this video. It'll remind me of some techniques I had forgotten, or just inspire me to write better. Either way, I still feel this is the best rock/metal guitar instructional video out there. 2 hours of non-stop inspiration combined with lessons anyone can understand.


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## Papa Shank (Dec 24, 2005)

I think it's a shame his Young Guitar lesson couldn't have had a similar feel to it that his Rock Disipline did, both are great but Rock Disipline is what I consider the benchmark.


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## SevenatoR (Dec 24, 2005)

Shannon said:


> Yep, I've had the Petrucci for years now (just upgraded to the DVD version recently). Upon the first viewing I thought, _"You gotta be kidding me?"_
> 
> But then I sat down with guitar in hand & started tackling one section of the video at a time. I noticed immediate results. John puts his lessons in such a way that ANYONE can understand what he's trying to convey. Making very complex sounding long runs is as simple as connecting a couple of small phrases. He shows how to add "color" to a chord, where most would play a standard barre chord. All the nutty shit he plays begins to make sense to a novice. At the beginning of the video, he shows all kinds of stretching techniques to do before playing. To this day, I still do these stretches before every show & it definately works!
> 
> There are times where I feel I've hit a creative rut. When that happens, I re-visit this video. It'll remind me of some techniques I had forgotten, or just inspire me to write better. Either way, I still feel this is the best rock/metal guitar instructional video out there. 2 hours of non-stop inspiration combined with lessons anyone can understand.



Yeah...I remember the first time I watched it and JP starts talking about posture and all this stuff that I never thought about. I'm thinking "yeah, right"...but that and the stretches make a world of difference. I was shocked, and like Shannon, I now do them before every rehearsal, show or extended practice session.


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## Digital Black (Dec 24, 2005)

Shannon said:


> Either way, I still feel this is the best rock/metal guitar instructional video out there. 2 hours of non-stop inspiration combined with lessons anyone can understand.


Agreed.


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## BCrowell (Dec 24, 2005)

Yeah man, I feel the pain. I had the SAME reaction when I watched it the first time. Especially when he'd play things SLOW (Which was already beyond me) and then FAST(which made me cry). 

His exercises are excellent though, down to his warm-ups, which I still use today. 

Sure allot is still beyond me...but I try. It's VERY hard for those of us with FAMILY, KIDS & work on top of it all. We feel we'll die before we can reach the level we desire.

Just gotta remember....why are you doin' all this. Most of us will never be guitar playin gods, and even fewer will get noticed. Ya just gotta take the lessons with perspective...


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## WayneCustom7 (Dec 24, 2005)

BCrowell said:


> Yeah man, I feel the pain. I had the SAME reaction when I watched it the first time. Especially when he'd play things SLOW (Which was already beyond me) and then FAST(which made me cry).
> 
> His exercises are excellent though, down to his warm-ups, which I still use today.
> 
> ...


Well put!


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## DTUNED7 (Dec 27, 2005)

WayneCustom7 said:


> Hahahaha! Thanks guys...I guess, I don't know how to say this without coming off as appearing silly, but at my age and with my commitments it just seems like way too much. I was just kidding about the quitting part, but whether or not I commit to this, well that's something that I really need to think about. Perhaps I'll start with the small stuff, then work in some of the other stuff.



I agree with you Wayne at this point in the game its all about just enjoy playing so most of the stuff I learn is fairly simple mainly because of age and commitments also ,alot of the guys in this forum are naturally gifted musicians and alot of the harder stuff is easier for them to pickup,I envy you young guys with time play your ass's off


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## 7stringninja (Jan 12, 2006)

John Petrucci has been the single most inspirational guitar player, to me personally, that I have yet to hear.

Everytime I see him play, whether it be on Rock Discipline, live, or on a live DVD; the form and grace that this man exhibits, shows me what a human is capable of.

Obviously, no one person can be the "Best Guitarist in the World". It's all a matter of opinion. But I can say this, each and ever album and song that Dream Theater (or any of JP's other various recordings) has ever released, has each served in its own way as a bit of inspiration to myself.

I daily go through my DT tab collection and pick out sections and passages to work on certain elements of my playing. For example - The heavy intro on "Panic Attack" is a fairly straight forward rhythm, but if you use alternate picking (I think that's the only way possible), when the riff repeats, you will find your pick to be "inbetween the strings" when you switch from the 7th to the 6th string (or 6th to 5th as heard on the recording - Ernie Ball Silhoutte Bariton).

And if Rock Discipline only taught me one thing (it's taught MANY MORE) it taught me the importance of the metronome. I rarely play without one.


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## chris9 (Jan 13, 2006)

i thinks its one of the best dvd,s ever thats where i learnt how to pick every note using the 1 note per string technique the guys is great.
i still think it is the hardest thing to do its way harder than sweeping and he has it nailed.


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## distressed_romeo (Jan 13, 2006)

Yeah, ONPS alternate picking's a bit of a lost art these days...I've been working at it a lot recently and it's really made me think about the mechanics of alternate picking.
Rock Discipline is indeed awesome...I've also gotten a lot out of the warm-ups and approach to practicing there. JP's the kind of guy who really suits the instructional video format as he's a really experienced, articulate teacher, unlike some famous guitarists...anyone seen Allan Holdsworth's not-very-instructional-at-all video?


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## chris9 (Jan 13, 2006)

distressed_romeo said:


> Yeah, ONPS alternate picking's a bit of a lost art these days...I've been working at it a lot recently and it's really made me think about the mechanics of alternate picking.
> Rock Discipline is indeed awesome...I've also gotten a lot out of the warm-ups and approach to practicing there. JP's the kind of guy who really suits the instructional video format as he's a really experienced, articulate teacher, unlike some famous guitarists...anyone seen Allan Holdsworth's not-very-instructional-at-all video?



yeah i agree the only onther dvd,s i have learnt from are the rusty cooley ones my 4 note per string stuff is mint now thanks to him


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## Pauly (Jan 13, 2006)

Whenever I pick up my guitar for the 1st time during the day I ALWAYS warm up with the RD exercises, it's become almost automatic.


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## distressed_romeo (Jan 13, 2006)

Brett Garsed's video and DVD are great for four-note-per-string stuff as well, and both have some great concert footage.


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## distressed_romeo (Jan 13, 2006)

pauly-bobs said:


> Whenever I pick up my guitar for the 1st time during the day I ALWAYS warm up with the RD exercises, it's become almost automatic.



Me too...cut my warm-up time in half when I first discovered them.


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## jim777 (Jan 17, 2006)

Petrucci's "Wild Stringdom" book and CD (not DVD) is also great, if not even better. It's usually pretty cheap used on places like Amazon. Definitely, definitely worth the price of admission.

jim


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## Mat JB (Jan 23, 2006)

7stringninja said:


> For example - The heavy intro on "Panic Attack" is a fairly straight forward rhythm, but if you use alternate picking (I think that's the only way possible)



Dude, that riff is possible with all downstrokes.


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## distressed_romeo (Jan 23, 2006)

jim777 said:


> Petrucci's "Wild Stringdom" book and CD (not DVD) is also great, if not even better. It's usually pretty cheap used on places like Amazon. Definitely, definitely worth the price of admission.
> 
> jim



Definitely...covers more musical examples and less exercises...the two complement each other nicely.


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## 7stringninja (Jan 25, 2006)

Mat JB said:


> Dude, that riff is possible with all downstrokes.



Yes, I do agree. The riff itself is possibly all downstrokes. I can pretty much do it, pretty sloppily though, so I know it can be done cleanly. 

BUT, can it be played continuously with all down-strokes? Being consistent throughout the song, so that similar patterns are played this way as well?

Almost anything is possible, it's just a matter of consistancy. I mean, we're all destined to have carpul-tunnel eventually, why speed up the process?  

 - ninja*


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