Author Topic: Things you have learned from Dream Theater technically-wise. (Read 6092 times)

MS394 · « **on:** June 14, 2009, 08:59:34 PM »

What are musical concepts, techniques or ideas you have learned from watching and hearing Dream Theater?

Personally, in drums, Dream Theater (and Rush) made a huge impact on me regarding odd time signatures. I couldn´t get the concept of it until I heard these bands. I also now try to create some more creative drum parts for songs, and look for ways to incorporate musically the whole drumkit (much like Mike Portnoy, but of course not as good as him

) I also learned a lot about more complex chords and progressions from Dream Theater.

icysk8r · « **Reply #1 on:** June 14, 2009, 09:05:04 PM »

Quote from: MS394 on June 14, 2009, 08:59:34 PM

What are musical concepts, techniques or ideas you have learned from watching and hearing Dream Theater?

Personally, in drums, Dream Theater (and Rush) made a huge impact on me regarding odd time signatures. I couldn´t get the concept of it until I heard these bands. I also now try to create some more creative drum parts for songs, and look for ways to incorporate musically the whole drumkit (much like Mike Portnoy, but of course not as good as him ) I also learned a lot about more complex chords and progressions from Dream Theater.

all that is bolded. lol.

PlaysLikeMyung · « **Reply #2 on:** June 15, 2009, 09:32:38 AM »

I learned to play with three fingers for fast sixteenths/triplets. I also learned to tap more.

Sigz · « **Reply #3 on:** June 15, 2009, 11:46:55 AM »

Not much tbh. The vast majority of my guitar skills have come from learning Between the Buried and Me and Protest the Hero. Though I first got down alternate picking (just the habit of going down and up, not with any real speed) from learning the first riff in the instrumental part of Sacrificed Sons.

Ultimetalhead · « **Reply #4 on:** June 15, 2009, 12:31:07 PM »

Metropolis and Constant Motion both gave me good rhythmic skills and some great alternate picking techniques. I was able to analyze Metropolis as a musical piece, which opened up doors for writing my own stuff. (Especially solos)

Fuzzboy · « **Reply #5 on:** June 15, 2009, 07:37:43 PM »

Many things, but one that sticks out is using bigger chords to make the band sound bigger since I'm the only guitarist.

Summers · « **Reply #6 on:** June 16, 2009, 11:55:44 AM »

I agree with time signatures, I find it really comfortable to play in unorthodox timings and stuff now.

MetalMike06 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 16, 2009, 02:32:23 PM »

They've been my favorite band almost since I started guitar. So most of my technique has come from learning their songs. Though one thing that always stuck out to me, aside from all the technicality, was how Petrucci often adds a fifth under the root of a power chord. Adds a lot of depth to the chord, and I pretty much always play a power chord that way, when appropriate of course.

5 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 17, 2009, 02:08:21 AM »

Quote from: MetalMike06 on June 16, 2009, 02:32:23 PM

They've been my favorite band almost since I started guitar. So most of my technique has come from learning their songs. Though one thing that always stuck out to me, aside from all the technicality, was how Petrucci often adds a fifth under the root of a power chord. Adds a lot of depth to the chord, and I pretty much always play a power chord that way, when appropriate of course.

Same here. Makes a typical power chord in standard tuning sound so much heavier.

Scard · « **Reply #9 on:** June 19, 2009, 04:45:06 AM »

I learned how to count and feel out odd measures and my 3 finger playing got a lot better. They also influenced me to get a 6 string bass.

nightmare_cinema · « **Reply #10 on:** June 19, 2009, 01:05:32 PM »

Nothing technically since I'm not much of a player anymore, but theoretically... I guess dream theater helped to solidify some things in my mind to do with time signatures. I've always been interested in that kinda thing in music theory and knew all the official stuff before I heard dream theater, but dream theater's music really helped sort some things out like that in my head, just a huge level of comfortableness with the different things...

actually I wonder if I'm just writing this for the sake of participating in the thread, I don't know if they've necessarily taught me anything... but I know that I massively enjoy the fact that they try loads of different techniques and explore the depths of what's possible in music theory, instead of sticking to 4/4 like most bands do. I remember the sheer joy of figuring out that bit around 8 minutes or whatever in beyond this life of the 17/8 guitar (I know it's split but still the entire riff is 17/8), something about working that out made me really geekily excited

austin · « **Reply #11 on:** June 22, 2009, 07:05:45 PM »

Odd Time Signatures are the most obvious to me; all the other people at school have trouble with 6/8 when I'm constantly tapping out 11/8, 9/8, and 13/8 stuff with my fingers and toes.

DarkLord_Lalinc · « **Reply #12 on:** June 23, 2009, 10:07:03 AM »

For me, it definitely had to be fast passages. I'm playing a Prog Metal band that's writing its own material right now, and there's a lot of difficult stuff to be played there, and DT definitely took its role in my playing.

MirroR · « **Reply #13 on:** June 25, 2009, 08:43:55 AM »

Time signatures were a biggy.

Progmetty · « **Reply #14 on:** July 01, 2009, 04:57:15 AM »

Nothing, they're far too advanced for me, I did however become certin that I must study music theory if I want my skills to progress.

TehFix0r · « **Reply #15 on:** July 01, 2009, 11:27:26 AM »

Obviously, time signatures. Probably inspired me to actually start alternate picking as well, which has helped a lot. Also attempting to learn to sweep, but that's going very slowly...

Oh and I bought a 7 string guitar almost exclusively to play some of DT's songs... Now I use it more than my 6 string.

Icebear · « **Reply #16 on:** July 04, 2009, 07:20:50 PM »

In a broader sense, DT's music really opened me up to all kinds of progressive stuff, and it was a major shift for me, coming from a thrash metal background. I got my hands on a used copy of IAW, and was floored.

As for the purely technical stuff, as a bass player, I'll have to agree with Scard. The three finger technique was a big thing. One thing I found really useful on Myung's instructional video, was his exercises for developing right hand stamina and consistency using different combinations. I still use those, as simple as they are.

I also think that learning DT songs, especially instrumental sections, has taught me to think about music without always breaking it down into measures. It sounds ironic, since so much of it seems to be very theoretical (as opposed to "simpler" music). But some of those long sections were so confusing when I looked at the actual transcriptions, that I felt like I was better off learning it by ear. So I would start to see it more as a melodic line or phrase, which is really useful sometimes.

ZachyDou · « **Reply #17 on:** July 04, 2009, 10:04:23 PM »

odd time signatures and playing/writting solos, mostly
but the biggest would have to be playing with greater speed, and different styles of music
ive been playing classical music for the nine years ive been playing piano, but playing dream theater and other cover songs with my band introduced me to not only listening to new styles, but playing them as well

Jamesman42 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 04, 2009, 10:12:53 PM »

-Not playing in 4/4
-Tapping (on the bass, i.e. Metropolis)
-Going faster up and down and across the fret board (guitar and bass)
-How to use different keyboard patches, most notably the synth and synth pads

TehFix0r · « **Reply #19 on:** July 05, 2009, 12:22:44 AM »

Quote from: Icebear on July 04, 2009, 07:20:50 PM

So I would start to see it more as a melodic line or phrase, which is really useful sometimes.

+1

Mave · « **Reply #20 on:** July 22, 2009, 08:48:46 PM »

I learned that Petrucci is God.

CliffEmAll · « **Reply #21 on:** July 30, 2009, 07:40:00 PM »

Quote from: Mave on July 22, 2009, 08:48:46 PM

I learned that Petrucci is God.

Actually, on a wall in London somewhere, back in the 60's, someone spray painted "Clapton is God!"

Looks like JP got some stiff competition....

NP: SUPERTRAMP ~ ...Even in the Quietest Moments

Ryan Dougherty · « **Reply #22 on:** July 31, 2009, 08:30:10 AM »

I guess I'd have to mirror a lot of what the rest of you have said but the main thing is just to know what is actually possible with these instruments, and art in general.

It's as if while listening to Dream Theater, there is someone whispering in my ear, "See what is possible? You could do that too!"

I've been writing and playing for years before hearing DT much, but later when I became a huge fan, my focus was set on accuracy and more technical ability.

I learned much of what I know from Petrucci's guitar video. It's insane when most of the guitarists you know only do down-picking... actually it's very annoying!

cheeto865 · « **Reply #23 on:** August 04, 2009, 07:57:22 PM »

"Odd" or "complex" times signatures are easier for me thanks to listening to DT. I put up some drum videos on YouTube, and my friend who is also a skilled drummer (more-so than I) said that I did a "great job with the crazy time sigs", but I never gave a second thought to it when I recorded, it just seemed normal.
Same with guitar too...I have no problem playing things like the intro to In The Presence of Enemies 1 but my guitar playing friends can't come close to it.

Kotowboy · « **Reply #24 on:** September 06, 2009, 02:23:22 PM »

My riff composition has improved remarkably since learning TDEN, Sacrificed Sons and Constant Motion , including efficient fingering etc, one finger per fret etc etc.

aurorablind · « **Reply #25 on:** November 28, 2009, 05:00:32 AM »

Quote from: CliffEmAll on July 30, 2009, 07:40:00 PM

Quote from: Mave on July 22, 2009, 08:48:46 PM
I learned that Petrucci is God.

Actually, on a wall in London somewhere, back in the 60's, someone spray painted "Clapton is God!"

Didn't someone cross out "is" and replaced it with "was"? He was so amazing in Cream, and when he became boring with his solo-stuff, someone had to correct it

Anyway.. Ascending sweeping and fast alternate picking is something that became much easier after learning Dance of eternity and overture 1928 back in the day..
And, obviously odd time signatures.

Bombardana · « **Reply #26 on:** November 28, 2009, 01:23:48 PM »

Myung has taught me a lot about what to play without following the guitar.

robwebster · « **Reply #27 on:** November 28, 2009, 08:41:53 PM »

They taught me to play the damn bass!

Took up bass shortly after getting really hevily into Dream Theater, and I essentially refused to play anything that wasn't a Dream Theater song. I'm moderately goodish now, and a huge deal of that is down to throwing myself in at the deep end and starting off trying to play Lie and Peruvian Skies when I was a wee 14 year old, a good 6 years ago now.

I mean obviously loads of other bass-related business has happened since, but Dream Theater led the charge. I probably wouldn't be a musician if it weren't for those guys!

PlaysLikeMyung · « **Reply #28 on:** November 29, 2009, 06:25:29 AM »

Quote from: robwebster on November 28, 2009, 08:41:53 PM

They taught me to play the damn bass!

Took up bass shortly after getting really hevily into Dream Theater, and I essentially refused to play anything that wasn't a Dream Theater song. I'm moderately goodish now, and a huge deal of that is down to throwing myself in at the deep end and starting off trying to play Lie and Peruvian Skies when I was a wee 14 year old, a good 6 years ago now.

I mean obviously loads of other bass-related business has happened since, but Dream Theater led the charge. I probably wouldn't be a musician if it weren't for those guys!

Peruvian Skies is one of the easier songs

I started off playing Scarred

It took a few weeks, but I got it

robwebster · « **Reply #29 on:** November 29, 2009, 06:27:22 AM »

Quote from: PlaysLikeMyung on November 29, 2009, 06:25:29 AM

Peruvian Skies is one of the easier songs

Aye, true that, but it's a stupendous step up from the White Stripes! Which is all I could play beforehand.

PlaysLikeMyung · « **Reply #30 on:** November 29, 2009, 06:33:11 AM »

Yeah that's one hell of a leap

My bass playing days started with Rush when I was 13. So I guess I had a bit of experience by the time I picked up a six string

ddtonfire · « **Reply #31 on:** November 30, 2009, 05:49:21 AM »

Instead of taking guitar lessons, I bought a transcription book of Images and Words.

Lunatic · « **Reply #32 on:** December 10, 2009, 12:39:11 AM »

I bought Rudess' "Total Keyboard Wizardry" book and I am following his exercises, on finger independence, etc, and his "water ripples" technique, and chord inversions. This book helped me to teach myself to improvise.

jackbauer114 · « **Reply #33 on:** December 22, 2009, 05:49:22 PM »

As far as guitar goes, ALTERNATE PICKING, also, ALTERNATE PICKING. Oh, did i mention ALTERNATE PICKING?
With drums, i learned about odd times from Porcupine Tree, but i learned a lot about double bass from Mike.
Also, John Myung got me interested in the chapman stick and touchstyle playing.

Manolito Mystiq · « **Reply #34 on:** December 23, 2009, 02:40:48 AM »

My vibrato and at times my vowel modification is quite like LaBrie's. Actually, my pronunciation problems when singing higher than around an A4 is quite the same as LaBrie's. It's a love-hate thing, because it's what I sometimes don't like that much from LaBrie. Another Day for instance. But I have the exact same thing when I go higher, unlike say Geoff Tate, who stays clear.

Guitarwise, it's alternate picking, some sweeping, and tone.
Generally (or quite Mike Portnoy + rest), it's odd time signatures, polymeteres, polyrhythms, metric modulations, and chord colouring (pedal notes, 1-5-2' 'power chords').

News: Track-by-track video for Fall Into the Light: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ezfzdMpRc0

Author Topic: Things you have learned from Dream Theater technically-wise. (Read 6092 times)