The song starts with Jordan Rudess using his Haken Continuum Fingerboard (an addition to the keyboard that allows for smooth sliding between notes)[2] and his lap steel guitar, drawing references from Pink Floyd's "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", Tangerine Dream, Marty Friedman's Scenes, and Queen's "Bijou".
Octavarium also pays homage to progressive rock bands such as Pink Floyd by having a runtime of 24 minutes and exploring many complex rhythmic and melodic ideas.
Beginning with a lengthy Continuum / lap steel guitar solo by Jordan Rudess, this section is told from a first-person perspective.
In the live performances of the complete version of "Octavarium," John Petrucci uses his custom-made "Blue Sparkle"[3] twelve-string/six-string double-neck guitar for this section of the song.
Other songs he uses this particular guitar on are the live performances of "Solitary Shell" from Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, "Regression" from Metropolis Pt.
Full Circle is Mike Portnoy's ode to his musical influences, shown in the lyrics by several underlying references to his favorite songs, bands and more.
The enumeration using the last syllable/word as the beginning of the next reference enhances the message that everything is linked, a common theme throughout Dream Theater's albums.
By the time the song reaches the fourth repeat of the line, his voice has reached as high as G5, the highest note heard on a Dream Theater studio song from vocals, beating the famous F# in "Learning to Live" (this was later superseded by the chorus of "Build Me Up, Break Me Down" from A Dramatic Turn of Events).
When performed live as part of "Schmedley Wilcox" on Chaos in Motion, Mike Portnoy adds in additional vocal emphasis to portions of this movement.