Rating: 
Summary: bla
Review:
so many people are jocking this dvd! i just got it, and i hate it! It was such a waste of $50.
You really don't learn much from this dvd. he shows you 2 or 3 techniques and that's it. I wish if i could return it. This dvd has nothing on tony mcalpine's instuctional video, and that was made in the 80s!
all the extra are meant for you to only watch it once, BORING.
petrucci cant' touch vai or satriani EVER.
wish if i could return "rock discipline." Tehre are too many ass kissing going on for this dvd, it's not fair to those that haven't bought it yet. false representation indeed!
Rating: 
Summary: Do you have the discipline?
Review: As the title suggests, this video contains exercises to build discipline in your practice routine. Much like a personal trainer would guide a body builder, Petrucci focuses on specific areas and relatively formal exercises to improve.I noticed improvements in speed and accuracy almost immediately. It's not always fun to run scales or work on finger exercises, but Petrucci keeps it pretty lively and is a fine instructor. You won't learn a lot of Dream Theater licks or anything. This is not really a "how to play in the style of . . . " type video. But it is very useful in building speed and accuracy. You will improve your chops if you work through this and practice.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Special Features
Review: I am a huge Dream Theater fan and probably one of J.P.'s biggest fans in the world. I highly recommend this DVD to anyone who is a fellow JP fan. If you already have the video, get the DVD, the special features are great, behind-the-scenes, bloopers, G3 tour footage. Definitley worth every penny.
Rating:
Summary: A stellar approach to technique by a phenominal player
Review: I am a huge John Petrucci fan and follow all of his work with Dream Theater and all of his side projects. I have been inspired by him to push my musical boundaries and try new and sometimes difficult things. This DVD is a god-send, and let me break everything down and tell you why: Warm ups - John goes through a series of warm ups that cover your left hand, right hand, and both of them together. He plays them slow, up to speed, and furiously fast. He breaks them down into small parts, plays them slow, talks about picking technique (pick holding, attack, etc), and applies them with a metronome and/or musical backing track (so it doesn't feel like a steril exercise). Techniques - John also runs you through techniques such as legato, sweeps, tremelo picking, and much more. He also applies them to music, and intertwines them with the previous exercises given to give you a feel of progressing through the course. Theory - It is recommended you have basic knowledge of theory. John runs you through scale fragments, connecting them, and applying them to your solos. Whether you have a little, or a lot of musical experience, you can still walk away with something from this section. Inspiring Insight - John talks about setting up and allotting your practice time for maximum gain. Gives helpful hints for gathering information and creating unique practices each day that you play. He also talks about his struggles as a practicing musician and gives you tips to pass your barricades quicker and smoother. Complaint - Yeah, I have a complaint, although it's only a mild one. John kind of seems stiff during these sessions. I don't know if it was because he was nervous during the recordings or if that's how he really is. He makes a few jokes during the lessons, but they seem kinda forced. He seems to loosen up a bit during the "Bloopers Reel" when he screws up, but not really much. Final Thought - This is a very well presented DVD and John is easy to follow all throughout his lessons. It's recommended that you have a decent knowledge of music theory, but it isn't a must. All in all, this is a great tool for any musician (even if you don't know/like Petrucci's work). The bonus material is kinda subpar, but doesn't detract from the wealth of knowledge contained within this DVD. 5 stars here!
Rating:
Summary: Inspired and astonishing
Review: I bought this never having heard the name or the work of John Petrucci. Wow. What a combination... he is a quiet, friendly guy with astonishing skill and speed. He shows you what's possible, and how it's done.
Once you see this guy play, there are 3 possibilities: 1.) You'll see how good you could become, and use his advice to move in that direction; 2.) You'll see how good you could become, ignore it and go back to doing whatever it was you were doing before; 3.) You'll realize the futility of the situation, give up, and burn your guitar!
If you've been playing a while, and you've never gotten past the basics, you should look at this DVD and see what is beyond. Even if you don't make it there, using even one or two techniques John shows will probably improve your playing.
Rating:
Summary: Great...but bonus material is subpar
Review: I own both the DVD and VHS versions. This is a stellar instructional video with many examples of important techniques, such as executing a passage at fast speeds, sweep picking, legato, and how to apply scale fragments during improvisation. A chord and composing section is also included. John is a dynamite player and shares his insights on how to develop as a guitarist. This is the most comprehensive video I've seen covering the topic of how to develop the technique necessary for demanding rock or metal styles. However, I do not recommend the DVD version to owners of the original VHS version, unless they want faster selection of different segments. I was dissapointed in the bonus material they chose for the DVD; I've seen more compelling footage on the weather channel.
Rating:
Summary: Highly recommended!
Review: I'm a big fan of this video and found many things in it familiar already to my playing style, yet more refined and articulate. It's helped me re-assess some problems with soloing and iron them out. And watching JP play guitar is never a bad thing. :) All I want to know is, where's the next one?!
Rating:
Summary: WOW!!
Review: I'm not a fan of Dream Theater. In fact, I haven't even heard anything by them. I bought this DVD based on comments left by other buyers and I'm so glad. IT ROCKS!!
Clear, fun, and thorough.
Great advice on stretching, warming up, practicing, technique, speed, etc. This was an excellent buy.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: I've always been a fan of John Petrucci's playing in Dream Theater and Liquid Tension Experiment, and when I purchased his Wild Stringdom book, I thought the DVD wouldn't have much new information. That didn't stop me from getting it, and it turned out that I was wrong. In fact, if you've read Wild Stringdom, this is the perfect supplement. There isn't much information overlap - most of the exercises are completely different and new. There's also new information that wasn't covered in the book. Mr. Petrucci begins by showing some non-guitar warm-up exercises, and then proceeds to left-hand stretches on guitar. He also shows warm-ups for the picking hand, and then integrates the two. The warm-up section is very thorough, more so than that of most comparable videos that show only a lick or two for fast alternate picking. The other sections deal with traditional technical issues such as subdivisions of time (very useful), working with the metronome to increase speed, and sweep picking. Petrucci also thoroughly covers the subject of inside picking, and how to get comfortable with it. Afterwards, he goes in-depth on lead construction by showing how to put together scale fragments - this also encompasses left-hand legato playing. Finally, there's a section on chords, in which common "progressive" chords are covered. The examples of the techniques explained range from easy to hard for each section. They grow in difficulty bit by bit, not everything all at once. Also, Petrucci covers the considerations in coming up with your own etudes. In-between each section, Petrucci talks about how he approaches composition, playing in the band, early experiences, and stuff like that. This insight is interesting - it makes him seem more human if nothing else. Additionally, Petrucci goes over his pre-Ernie Ball setup. In the DVD section, he also talks about his new Ernie Ball guitar, as well as gives a backstage tour before a DT show. There's also a bloopers reel, where John is shows messing up several takes of various parts - such as the introduction. There is also G3 footage of John's band from the 2001 tour with Satch and Vai - these fragments are short, but the video is decent quality. This has the bang for the buck - two hours of instruction, plus the extras. The explanations are clear, and the booklet is very detailed - there are no typographical errors or anything like that. If you're an intermediate player looking to spend $50 on an instructional video by a celebrity guitarist, this is probably your best bet.
Rating:
Summary: two solid hours
Review: I've always been a fan of John Petrucci's playing in Dream Theater and Liquid Tension Experiment, and when I purchased his Wild Stringdom book, I thought the DVD wouldn't have much new information. That didn't stop me from getting it, and it turned out that I was wrong. In fact, if you've read Wild Stringdom, this is the perfect supplement. There isn't much information overlap - most of the exercises are completely different and new. There's also new information that wasn't covered in the book. Mr. Petrucci begins by showing some non-guitar warm-up exercises, and then proceeds to left-hand stretches on guitar. He also shows warm-ups for the picking hand, and then integrates the two. The warm-up section is very thorough, more so than that of most comparable videos that show only a lick or two for fast alternate picking. The other sections deal with traditional technical issues such as subdivisions of time (very useful), working with the metronome to increase speed, and sweep picking. Petrucci also thoroughly covers the subject of inside picking, and how to get comfortable with it. Afterwards, he goes in-depth on lead construction by showing how to put together scale fragments - this also encompasses left-hand legato playing. Finally, there's a section on chords, in which common "progressive" chords are covered. The examples of the techniques explained range from easy to hard for each section. They grow in difficulty bit by bit, not everything all at once. Also, Petrucci covers the considerations in coming up with your own etudes. In-between each section, Petrucci talks about how he approaches composition, playing in the band, early experiences, and stuff like that. This insight is interesting - it makes him seem more human if nothing else. Additionally, Petrucci goes over his pre-Ernie Ball setup. In the DVD section, he also talks about his new Ernie Ball guitar, as well as gives a backstage tour before a DT show. There's also a bloopers reel, where John is shows messing up several takes of various parts - such as the introduction. There is also G3 footage of John's band from the 2001 tour with Satch and Vai - these fragments are short, but the video is decent quality. This has the bang for the buck - two hours of instruction, plus the extras. The explanations are clear, and the booklet is very detailed - there are no typographical errors or anything like that. If you're an intermediate player looking to spend $50 on an instructional video by a celebrity guitarist, this is probably your best bet.
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