--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Jordan [Ruddes], he learned that way, and…" description: "\"Jordan [Ruddes], he learned that way, and that's what he knows how to do. That's how he kind of approaches all music, whether it's to learn a cover son..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/john-petrucci-2141_approach_jordan-ruddes-he-learned-that-way-and-th_645451.png" --- # Jordan \[Ruddes\], he learned that way, and that's what he… ![“Jordan [Ruddes], he learned that way, and that's what he knows how to do. That's how he kind of approaches all music, whether it's to learn a cover song that we're going to play, or to review Dream Theater music - he always uses charts. That's what he knows. I really rely a lot more on memory.” quote by John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/john-petrucci-2141_approach_jordan-ruddes-he-learned-that-way-and-th_645451.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/john-petrucci-2141_approach_jordan-ruddes-he-learned-that-way-and-th_645451.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/john-petrucci-2141_approach_jordan-ruddes-he-learned-that-way-and-th_645451.png) > “Jordan \[Ruddes\], he learned that way, and that's what he knows how to do. That's how he kind of approaches all music, whether it's to learn a cover song that we're going to play, or to review Dream Theater music - he always uses charts. That's what he knows. I really rely a lot more on memory.” [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. Describes a musician’s reliance on memory and chart‑based learning to master complex music, emphasizing personal methodology. **In simple terms:** He uses charts and memory to learn and perform music. Key Takeaway Use charts and memory to master complex pieces. Themes music learning memory Mood analytical motivational Type instructional inspirational When to use this quote - instrumental study - band rehearsals - solo preparation - music theory Key Concepts cognitive science musicianship practice techniques Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance chart use with improvisation? - What strategies improve recall under pressure? A Different Perspective Relying solely on memory can limit adaptability in live settings. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Cover songs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cover-songs/) [Dream](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dream/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Song](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/song/) [Theater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theater/) ## Related quotes > [Music has many uses and I think the most perfected use that music has is one of a healing quality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ornette-coleman/music-has-many-uses-and-i-think-the-most-perfected-use-that-music-has/) [Ornette Coleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ornette-coleman/) > [ We used to rehearse and that's where the roots of Dream Theater formed. Y'know, we used to play cover songs and jam to \[Iron\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/we-used-to-rehearse-and-that-s-where-the-roots-of-dream-theater/) [John Petrucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-petrucci/) > [To me living and music are all the same thing. And I keep finding out more about music as I learn more about myself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mccoy-tyner/to-me-living-and-music-are-all-the-same-thing-and-i-keep-finding-out/) [McCoy Tyner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mccoy-tyner/) > [“One must learn to love.— This is what happens to us in music: first one has to learn to hear a figure and melody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/one-must-learn-to-love-this-is-what-happens-to-us-in-music-first-one/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Notes don't make music until you learn to insert silence between them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-folds/notes-don-t-make-music-until-you-learn-to-insert-silence-between-them/) [Ben Folds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-folds/) > [My father was not really into popular music; I had to learn about that for myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-rundgren/my-father-was-not-really-into-popular-music-i-had-to-learn-about-that/) [Todd Rundgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-rundgren/) > [Always try and play with as many people as possible, even if it's not your style of music, because you will learn a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joey-jordison/always-try-and-play-with-as-many-people-as-possible-even-if-it-s-not/) [Joey Jordison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joey-jordison/) > [I tell my students, 'It's an important tradition and you have to go back and hear this music and learn its language all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-mclean/i-tell-my-students-it-s-an-important-tradition-and-you-have-to-go/) Jackie McLean > [My music, you learn from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boosie/my-music-you-learn-from-it/) [Boosie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boosie/) > [“Through music you learn not to care about the color of someone’s skin. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-gill/through-music-you-learn-not-to-care-about-the-color-of-someone-s-skin/) [Vince Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-gill/) > [My music is mostly for the music. And it gives the liberty to do anything which I want. And nobody limits me to one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/my-music-is-mostly-for-the-music-and-it-gives-the-liberty-to-do/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [When I discovered reggae music, I found I could learn more and get more from it. It change your perspective, it helps you feel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koffee/when-i-discovered-reggae-music-i-found-i-could-learn-more-and-get/) [Koffee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koffee/) > [The more I can learn about music, the more I learn about other things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/the-more-i-can-learn-about-music-the-more-i-learn-about-other-things/) [Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/) > [To study music, we must learn the rules. To create music, we must break them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nadia-boulanger/to-study-music-we-must-learn-the-rules-to-create-music-we-must-break/) [Nadia Boulanger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nadia-boulanger/) > [I needed to really pursue music and learn what I needed to learn on my own by getting in and doing it, not by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kacey-musgraves/i-needed-to-really-pursue-music-and-learn-what-i-needed-to-learn-on/) [Kacey Musgraves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kacey-musgraves/) ## 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 Approach quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [I'm in a business where there's complete anarchy. You can't control it - you can only react to it. The control that people traditionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/i-m-in-a-business-where-there-s-complete-anarchy-you-can-t-control-it/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [Ideal for the child and society in the best of times, Rudolf Steiner's brilliant process of education is critically needed and profoundly relevant now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chilton-pearce/ideal-for-the-child-and-society-in-the-best-of-times-rudolf-steiner-s/) [Joseph Chilton Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chilton-pearce/) > [I don't have any particular method, my approach is very simple. I try to understand the emotional graph of the character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pratik-gandhi/i-don-t-have-any-particular-method-my-approach-is-very-simple-i-try/) [Pratik Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pratik-gandhi/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everything, every part that you approach has to be somehow rooted in yourself. You have to somehow root everything so that it's not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/everything-every-part-that-you-approach-has-to-be-somehow-rooted-in/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [Literature transforms and intensifies ordinary language, deviates systematically from everyday speech. If you approach me at a bus stop and murmur Thou still unravished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/literature-transforms-and-intensifies-ordinary-language-deviates/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [The whole secret to mastering the game of golf - and this applies to the beginner as well as the pro - is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-palmer/the-whole-secret-to-mastering-the-game-of-golf-and-this-applies-to/) [Arnold Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-palmer/) > [The essence of Christianity...is an ever-new encounter with... the God who speaks to us, who approaches us and who befriends us!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/the-essence-of-christianity-is-an-ever-new-encounter-with-the-god-who/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [Like a morning dream, life becomes more and more bright the longer we live, and the reason of everything appears more clear. What has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul/like-a-morning-dream-life-becomes-more-and-more-bright-the-longer-we/) [Jean Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul/) > [What begins as a Utopian vision, always - always - ends in bloodshed. Because you have to force a utopia on a free people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-gutfeld/what-begins-as-a-utopian-vision-always-always-ends-in-bloodshed/) [Greg Gutfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-gutfeld/) > [The only two good words that can be said for a hurricane are that it gives sufficient warning of its approach, and that it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-atherton/the-only-two-good-words-that-can-be-said-for-a-hurricane-are-that-it/) [Gertrude Atherton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-atherton/) [Browse all 3,949 Approach quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Jordan [Ruddes], he learned that way, and that's what he knows how to do. That's how he kind of approaches all music, whether it's to learn a cover song that we're going to play, or to review Dream Theater music - he always uses charts. That's what he knows. I really rely a lot more on memory.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Petrucci" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/jordan-ruddes-he-learned-that-way-and-that-s-what-he-knows-how-to-do/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Approach" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/jordan-ruddes-he-learned-that-way-and-that-s-what-he-knows-how-to-do/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/john-petrucci-2141_approach_jordan-ruddes-he-learned-that-way-and-th_645451.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/john-petrucci-2141_approach_jordan-ruddes-he-learned-that-way-and-th_645451.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4c8/john-petrucci-2141_approach_jordan-ruddes-he-learned-that-way-and-th_645451.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Jordan [Ruddes], he learned that way, and that's what he knows how to do. That's how he kind of approaches…” — 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": "Jordan [Ruddes], he learned that way,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/jordan-ruddes-he-learned-that-way-and-that-s-what-he-knows-how-to-do/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-petrucci/jordan-ruddes-he-learned-that-way-and-that-s-what-he-knows-how-to-do/#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 } } ] } ```