--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: After you've practiced for an hour or so…" description: "\"After you've practiced for an hour or so, turn down the lights and record yourself playing. Improvise and go nuts, then playback what you've recorded a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/john-petrucci-2141_go_after-you-ve-practiced-for-an-hour-or-so_2979486.jpg" --- # After you've practiced for an hour or so, turn down the… ![“After you've practiced for an hour or so, turn down the lights and record yourself playing. Improvise and go nuts, then playback what you've recorded and listen for your strengths and weaknesses.” quote by John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/john-petrucci-2141_go_after-you-ve-practiced-for-an-hour-or-so_2979486.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/john-petrucci-2141_go_after-you-ve-practiced-for-an-hour-or-so_2979486.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/john-petrucci-2141_go_after-you-ve-practiced-for-an-hour-or-so_2979486.jpg) > “After you've practiced for an hour or so, turn down the lights and record yourself playing. Improvise and go nuts, then playback what you've recorded and listen for your strengths and weaknesses.” [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Practice in low light helps focus on sound, then reviewing recordings reveals strengths and weaknesses for improvement. **In simple terms:** Record in dim light, then listen to improve. Key Takeaway Use recordings to target practice. Themes musicianship self‑assessment improvement Mood reflective analytical Type instructional self‑help When to use this quote - solo practice - recording sessions - self‑review - skill development Key Concepts audio perception feedback loops Questions to Reflect On - How does darkness affect your listening? - What patterns emerge in your recordings? A Different Perspective Self‑recording may miss external critique; seek peer feedback too. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Strengths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strengths/) [Weaknesses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/weaknesses/) ## Related quotes > [Whether I'm making my own record, or playing a guitar part, I want what I do to have an impact.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-gill/whether-i-m-making-my-own-record-or-playing-a-guitar-part-i-want-what/) [Vince Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-gill/) > [There was never going to be a right time for a band that was still recording and had health in its environment, had made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-garrett/there-was-never-going-to-be-a-right-time-for-a-band-that-was-still/) [Peter Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-garrett/) > [I started out dabbling in rock and roll; then I did playback, and I have also sung for my own songs on screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shruti-haasan/i-started-out-dabbling-in-rock-and-roll-then-i-did-playback-and-i/) [Shruti Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shruti-haasan/) > [Your life is a flashback, a question, a photograph, a statement, a story, a struggle, a chance to laugh; cause if you don't laugh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernajoy-vaal/your-life-is-a-flashback-a-question-a-photograph-a-statement-a-story/) [Bernajoy Vaal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernajoy-vaal/) > [Playback singing has always been my dream.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghana-raj/playback-singing-has-always-been-my-dream/) [Meghana Raj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghana-raj/) > [The director will be like, 'Hey, great take. Do you want to see the playback?' And I'm like, 'Definitely not.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-kenney/the-director-will-be-like-hey-great-take-do-you-want-to-see-the/) [Emma Kenney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-kenney/) > [A good trick I learnt early on is not to immediately look at playback because once you know the shot, you can see when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aidan-turner/a-good-trick-i-learnt-early-on-is-not-to-immediately-look-at-playback/) [Aidan Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aidan-turner/) > [My definition for 'playback' is being able to create a musical moment for people to have smiles and weep for joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jubin-nautiyal/my-definition-for-playback-is-being-able-to-create-a-musical-moment/) [Jubin Nautiyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jubin-nautiyal/) > [I'm not one of those actors that goes to watch the playback, after every take. I really don't like it, and I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meaghan-rath/i-m-not-one-of-those-actors-that-goes-to-watch-the-playback-after/) [Meaghan Rath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meaghan-rath/) > [I think you just assume that your memory is just sort of a video playback of your experience, but it's nothing like that at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kaufman/i-think-you-just-assume-that-your-memory-is-just-sort-of-a-video/) [Charlie Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kaufman/) > [I don't like to watch playback. But being on the set, watching the way the camera is being moved and the way the light…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-eccleston/i-don-t-like-to-watch-playback-but-being-on-the-set-watching-the-way/) [Christopher Eccleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-eccleston/) > [When I'm shooting a film, I don't look at playback. I don't go and do a scene and then hurry up and watch what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-benjamin/when-i-m-shooting-a-film-i-don-t-look-at-playback-i-don-t-go-and-do-a/) [Andre Benjamin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-benjamin/) > [I noticed you could monitor the recording that you're making, but you could also monitor the playback head. There's a little distance between them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-oliveros/i-noticed-you-could-monitor-the-recording-that-you-re-making-but-you/) [Pauline Oliveros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-oliveros/) > [In independent music, you are the badshah and there are no restrictions, which allow you to embrace your true music. Whereas in playback, your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/javed-ali/in-independent-music-you-are-the-badshah-and-there-are-no/) [Javed Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/javed-ali/) > [I prefer to have playback, but sometimes, you can't have that under most circumstances. First, it is expensive because you need a playback operator…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cromwell/i-prefer-to-have-playback-but-sometimes-you-can-t-have-that-under/) [James Cromwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cromwell/) ## More by John Petrucci > [If you practice in a focused, concentrated manner and make efficient use of your time, you will progress a lot faster than if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/if-you-practice-in-a-focused-concentrated-manner-and-make-efficient/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [In my touring rig, there's a pedal drawer, where I'm able to switch pedals in and out, going into the front of the amp.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/in-my-touring-rig-there-s-a-pedal-drawer-where-i-m-able-to-switch/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [Before Dream Theater took off I used to teach a lot, and one of the things my students often asked me was how to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/before-dream-theater-took-off-i-used-to-teach-a-lot-and-one-of-the/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [I listen to somebody like Shawn Lane, and unfortunately he is no longer with us, but I hear him playing and I am like,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/i-listen-to-somebody-like-shawn-lane-and-unfortunately-he-is-no/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [I'm a hopeless tone chaser!I love it and get into the whole thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/i-m-a-hopeless-tone-chaser-i-love-it-and-get-into-the-whole-thing/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [Definitely an important aspect of my playing is keeping my hands in sync.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/definitely-an-important-aspect-of-my-playing-is-keeping-my-hands-in/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [By adding open strings to even the simplest chords, you can create voicings that sound sophisticated, but are really easy (and fun) to play.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/by-adding-open-strings-to-even-the-simplest-chords-you-can-create/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [Sometimes just allowing yourself to noodle without any structure will enable you to stumble upon great new ideas, culminating in creating your own distinct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/sometimes-just-allowing-yourself-to-noodle-without-any-structure-will/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [Songs come alive every night and can be a new experience for someone. You might have someone in the audience who has never seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/songs-come-alive-every-night-and-can-be-a-new-experience-for-someone/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [I'm from the school of putting a lot of hours of practice into playing. But at the same time you have to write original…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/i-m-from-the-school-of-putting-a-lot-of-hours-of-practice-into/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [I have to say that our fans have been absolutely wonderful all across the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/i-have-to-say-that-our-fans-have-been-absolutely-wonderful-all-across/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [I really rely a lot more on memory. I'm definitely not as good of a sight reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/i-really-rely-a-lot-more-on-memory-i-m-definitely-not-as-good-of-a/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [A violin neck is much smaller than the guitar's, so it's much easier to play wide intervals on one violin string. On the guitar,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/a-violin-neck-is-much-smaller-than-the-guitar-s-so-it-s-much-easier/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [Using open strings is a great way to add texture and atmosphere to any chord progression.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/using-open-strings-is-a-great-way-to-add-texture-and-atmosphere-to/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [We are very, very fortunate to have built a career based on playing the kind of music we play. In a lot of ways,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/we-are-very-very-fortunate-to-have-built-a-career-based-on-playing/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) [Explore all 183 John Petrucci quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) ## More Go quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [I love going to Columbia, Missouri. That is a really underrated campus. It shocked me when I went there because I really didn't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-herbstreit/i-love-going-to-columbia-missouri-that-is-a-really-underrated-campus/) [Kirk Herbstreit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-herbstreit/) > [Intel has a very complete process that I go through any time I want to sell that ensures I have no insider information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-krzanich/intel-has-a-very-complete-process-that-i-go-through-any-time-i-want/) [Brian Krzanich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-krzanich/) > [Some shows just go away - and that's fine. They serve their purpose and their entertainment value, but there are shows that touch people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-cudlitz/some-shows-just-go-away-and-that-s-fine-they-serve-their-purpose-and/) [Michael Cudlitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-cudlitz/) > [Unfortunately, we all go through bad phases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushmita-sen/unfortunately-we-all-go-through-bad-phases/) [Sushmita Sen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushmita-sen/) > [I go out there and I work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-chubb/i-go-out-there-and-i-work/) [Nick Chubb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-chubb/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Racism is a cancer. You cannot ignore it and it'll go away. If you ignore cancer, it simply metastasizes and consumes the whole body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/racism-is-a-cancer-you-cannot-ignore-it-and-it-ll-go-away-if-you/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [As much as you want to improve or help the team, as a centre-back your job is to go under the radar and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyrone-mings/as-much-as-you-want-to-improve-or-help-the-team-as-a-centre-back-your/) [Tyrone Mings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyrone-mings/) > [I don't know what successful journaling really looks like... I think it really does look so different for everyone who does it, I'm always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gracie-abrams/i-don-t-know-what-successful-journaling-really-looks-like-i-think-it/) [Gracie Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gracie-abrams/) > [“Everywhere is home, let is go home”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzuco-hu-nh/everywhere-is-home-let-is-go-home/) Dzuco Huỳnh > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) Browse all 23,138 Go quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "After you've practiced for an hour or so, turn down the lights and record yourself playing. Improvise and go nuts, then playback what you've recorded and listen for your strengths and weaknesses.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Petrucci" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/after-you-ve-practiced-for-an-hour-or-so-turn-down-the-lights-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Go" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/after-you-ve-practiced-for-an-hour-or-so-turn-down-the-lights-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/john-petrucci-2141_go_after-you-ve-practiced-for-an-hour-or-so_2979486.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/john-petrucci-2141_go_after-you-ve-practiced-for-an-hour-or-so_2979486.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/14c/john-petrucci-2141_go_after-you-ve-practiced-for-an-hour-or-so_2979486.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“After you've practiced for an hour or so, turn down the lights and record yourself playing. Improvise and go…” — John Petrucci", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Petrucci", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "After you've practiced for an hour...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/after-you-ve-practiced-for-an-hour-or-so-turn-down-the-lights-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/after-you-ve-practiced-for-an-hour-or-so-turn-down-the-lights-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```