John Petrucci recently shared his amazement at the incredible virtuosity of young guitarists emerging from social media platforms, recalling how an eight-year-old girl effortlessly played what he considered one of the hardest songs he had ever written.
Virtuosity has long been admired in guitar circles, even during times when complex playing was somewhat overlooked by the mainstream. Today, a quick scroll through Instagram or TikTok reveals an abundance of young, incredibly skilled guitarists—many of whom are just beginning their teen years. This rapid rise in talent hasn’t gone unnoticed by seasoned players, some of whom openly admit that these young virtuosos could easily outplay them.
In a recent interview with Nik Nocturnal, Petrucci spoke about the phenomenon, expressing how some of these young players, some as young as eight or ten, leave him in awe (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar).
“There’s always new ones coming along,” Petrucci said. “It blows my mind, the level of skill that some of these young people have, even though they’re only eight or 10 years old. The guitars are bigger than them. I’ll never forget… it was ‘Lost Not Forgotten,’ this section that Jordan [Rudess] and I were writing, thinking, ‘This is going to be the hardest thing we ever played in our lives.’”
He continued, “We finished it, and we were so proud of ourselves. And then, eight years later, you literally see an eight-year-old little girl smiling, playing it like it’s nothing—like playing a video game. There’s no effort. It’s crazy, the level of skill on electric guitar that these players have.”
Later in the conversation, Petrucci delved further into how resources available today contribute to the skill development of young musicians. He reflected on his own experience growing up, stating:
“Well, it probably happened because… When I was younger, I didn’t have the resources available to see how it was done. Now, obviously, there’s YouTube, Instagram, and everything where you can see how it’s all done. Back then, we had a different experience. You’d listen to the music and not even know what a bend was. You’d slow down vinyl records, trying to figure out what these guys were doing.”
He continued, “With more resources now, it’s easier for people to see how it’s done right. And as young people see their peers doing this, they think, ‘Oh, that’s the level I’m supposed to be at.’ It’s like being good at a sport when you’re young. Whatever you want to call it—competition, community, or culture—it’s like gymnastics. My daughters did that when they were younger, and I remember, if you weren’t at a certain level by the time you were eight, you were too old for it. So, that’s what it’s become.”
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