RHCP was formed in California in 1983. And since then, they have made amazing alternative funk rock music with their authentic fusion style. The band has recorded 13 studio albums until now and has so many fans all over the world.
This band happened to work with big labels like Capitol Records, EMI, Warner Bros, and Enigma over the years! RHCP is one of the biggest rock bands that Rick Rubin, the greatest producer, has ever worked with and recorded several albums together.
All 4 members of the band have different stories, each with a unique character. The most famous band member is Flea, the crazy bassist, who plays amazingly. Chad Smith plays the drums, and Anthony Kiedis sings the great vocals. And John Frusciante! The problematic and genius guitar player of the famous band.
Each one of the songs has the tab links below, and you can easily go through the links and see how the guitar compositions can be played and learned accordingly.
So, good luck with all these beautiful tunes from the legendary band. Listen to the records attentively before you start practicing or learning. Try to hear how they play and what kind of guitar tones and setups they engage with first.
Californication
This tune is the most popular RHCP song ever! The band released it in 2000. Who can forget the video-game-a-like music video of this tune? You can find it on their same-titled album, and the other beautiful songs in it will be discussed below.
The sound and the attitude is almost defining the band’s musical style. The song starts with its iconic arpeggio melody. The tune’s composition is based on it, and there is a great guitar solo besides that. You can easily play this one. Let’s go!
Otherside
This song was released in 1999 and is another big hit by the band. They collaborated with Warner Bros. and Rick Rubin on this one. The album Californication features it.
There is a main melody that you have to play throughout the song, especially in choruses. And a couple of progressions with two-note chords are available. An electric guitar with mild distortion would be enough to rock this song.
Dark Necessities
This beautiful tune was released in 2016. The producer on this one was Danger Mouse, and this collaboration sounds great. Don’t miss their 2016 album, The Getaway!
Josh Klinghoffer is playing the guitars on this one in the absentia of Frusciante. How he plays also fits the musical approach of the band. The song consists of funky rhythms and simple melodies.
Scar Tissue
1999 was a huge year for the band in terms of hits and fame. This tune again appears on the album Californication and is another famous tune that I also like to play by RHCP.
The tune has beautiful guitar melodies and very simple but amazing lead solos. It is so fun to play this one. Mind the chorus section to play the fifth chord right.
Snow (Hey Oh)
You can find this track on their album Stadium Arcadium from the year 2006. I can’t believe that so much time has passed after its release. It’s a great alternative rock album.
The song goes with a great Frusciante melody. It makes you feel perfect while playing. Because it sounds complicated, it’s also very easy to learn how to play.
Can’t Stop
The fantastic funk rock, a rap rock album of the band By The Way, features this great track. It was from 2003, and it became a huge success for RHCP.
Both the sound and the compositions are unbelievable on this album. Written in the key of Em, this tune includes various riffs and rhythm parts with basic finger positionings.
Dani California
This 2006 track was awarded in Grammy’s as the best rock song of the year and the performance by a band with vocals. The album Stadium Arcadium features it.
The song’s music video shows the band members playing iconic rock bands and artists from history. It has simple funky rhythms and alternative rock elements that you can learn quickly.
Under The Bridge
In 1992, the band released this magnificent tune with their album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. They worked with Rick Rubin on this one. The tune never gets old after old these years.
The song has genius guitar compositions. You can see how great guitarist Frusciante is. It includes funky chord progressions with little licks and melodies here and there.
By The Way
This alternative funk-rock song was released in July 2002. It appears on RHCP’s same-titled album. Frusciante has written most of the compositions and musical arrangements on this album.
The song contains two or three-chord progressions with a funky strumming pattern. He uses rhythms with ghost notes throughout the tune. Frusciante is just amazing on this one.
The Zephyr Song
I love the old music videos of this band; they look mesmerizing. This tune again appears on the album By The Way. The band released it in 2002.
The tune begins with a guitar intro. Frusciante plays various arpeggios on this track and simple chords with complex finger positionings on first look. There is also a little solo before the bridge.
Around The World
This track appears on the album Californication. Warner Bros. released it in 1999, and the producer was Rubin. Don’t miss the chance to play this tune!
The band just goes crazy on this one. Even in the first 20 seconds, it will blow your mind. It starts with a bass solo, then the guitar and the drums are added.
Give It Away
Here is another track from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. This tune shows the band’s unique style very well. It is another most recognizable tune of the band.
The guitars are easy on this one. It is amazing how Frusciante can play such simple things and sound huge at the same time. Little licks, funky rhythms – another classic RHCP composition.
Tell Me Baby
The album Stadium Arcadium features this tune. With the ears and hands of Rick Rubin, they happened to record this monster track in 2005. It peaked at number one in charts in Canada, the US, and Venezuela next year.
The song is composed in the key of Am. Frusciante plays two-string melodies for most of the song. And he plays funky rhythms with ghost notes in certain parts.
Soul To Squeeze
This song appears in the movie called Coneheads. It was released with the soundtrack album of the motion picture in 1993. It received Gold certification in Australia.
Musically, this song combines different elements interestingly. It starts with a country-ish guitar intro and proceeds with a 90s-style rock sound.
My Friends
Here is a rather slow ballad rock song from 1995. Dave Navarro was playing the guitar here. It was featured on the album One Hot Minute.
The tune starts with an acoustic arpeggio intro that comes again as a based melody throughout the song. A mildly distorted electric guitar also plays melodic rhythms and great solos. Navarro did a great job on this track.
Black Summer
Yeah! Frusciante is back and plays fantastically. Here is a 2022 release recorded in Shangri-La Studios California with Rick Rubin. The tune appears on the album Unlimited Love.
Frusciante plays in half-step-down tuning here. He is playing Hendrix-style chords and progressions, playing wild solos on this one. You can hear how motivated he is.
Hump De Bump
This band’s approach to funk and rock is perfect. They can still offer something new with the roots. This tune is a 2007 release from the album Stadium Arcadium.
The song is based on a full funk progression: half barres, ghost notes, fast tempo. And the guitar tone is amazing.
Aeroplane
The 1995 album One Hot Minute features this track. Every producer the band worked with was amazing, but something was different in the records produced by Rick Rubin. He is great.
Here is another more slow-tempo funk tune from RHCP. Navarro plays the guitars. Simple, well-played classic funk rock composition with an intriguing lead solo on this one.
Desecration Smile
Here is a more folk, psychedelic rock record from the album Stadium Arcadium. The music video is special on this one. The band worked with the famous director Gus Van Sant.
The beginning of the song is based on an acoustic progression. With the second verse, the electric guitar mildly starts playing little melodies in the background and grows on it.
Goodbye Angels
This tune is from the band’s 2017 released album, The Getaway. The band proceeds its style here too. TOTA directs the musical video.
Josh Klinghoffer plays the electric guitar on this one. Incredibly, the band can still find good guitarists in the absence of Frusciante to fit the band’s music.
Road Trippin
This tune is a more folky slow ballad. It was released in 2000 and appeared on the album Californication. The band performed this only 4 times live before 2004 and never again.
It is nice to see the members playing a full acoustic song together. It is an intermediate song to play with many arpeggios and melodic chord progressions.
Sick Love
This song is a beautiful tune from 2016. The band collaborated with Elton John on this one. He performed on the record, and they had a co-writing process. You can find it on the album The Getaway.
Bernie Taupin played and wrote the guitars on this track. He used a slightly different tone setup compared to most RHCP songs. The tab below shows how to change the neck position between reverb and flanged distorted tone.
Suck My Kiss
This tune is an early funk metal song by RHCP. It is the third single from their 1992 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik.
The song has an early 90s heavy metal funk vibe, and Red Hot Chilli Peppers is the perfect band to perform it. The riffs and finger positionings aren’t hard to play. They include slides and bends, and simple strumming patterns.
Breaking The Girl
Here is a melodic ballad from the band’s 1992 album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. Kiedis wrote the lyrics for his problematic old romantic relationship.
The composition of this song is similar to Led Zeppelin ballads and gives similar feelings with a 12-string guitar. They also used a flute and a Mellotron. The chord progression is comfortable if you like to make a simpler acoustic version.
Don’t Forget Me
The song is the fifth track of the band’s album By The Way. It is a 2002 release recorded in Los Angeles, California, like many RHCP albums.
The guitar of this tune has a simple grunge vibe. Frusciante plays effortless melodies with delays and mildly distorted rhythms with a beautiful feeling. Mind the full bend and hold in certain sections.
Charlie
The song was released in 2007 with the studio album Stadium Arcadium. The band organized a contest all over the world for the fans to direct its music video in the same year.
It was composed in the key of Gm. The composition is based on three-string funk chords, simple licks, and a beautiful little solo with a great tone.
Wet Sand
The tune is the 13th track of the Jupiter side of the band’s album Stadium Arcadium. RHCP received so many awards with this album, and it became a huge success for them.
The song is based on a chord progression with basic chords. There are also little fillings and licks between changing the chords. The solo is also very comfortable.
I Could Have Lied
This tune is the sixth track of the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. This album was recorded in 1991 at the legendary studios called The Mansion.
This track has a beautiful, emotional guitar composition. I had so much fun playing it back then. The chord progression is very exciting. It is a song for an acoustic guitar and also has a seducing electric guitar solo.
Dosed
This tune is another favorite RHCP song of mine. I especially like the lyrics and the vocal melodies. It was featured on the 2003 album of the band: By the Way.
There are 4 guitar layers to this tune: Clean, Overdrive, Distortion, and Acoustic. All have elementary techniques. Solving the traffic is tricky; then you are good to go!
Universally Speaking
As the fifth single from the album, By the Way, this tune was released in 2003. You should check the cover version of Chad Smith’s daughter Ava Maybee.
This song has a Beatles psychedelia upbeat vibe. It is based on a vintage-sounding chord progression and little melodies between chords. -Vintage psychedelia, but it sounds like RHCP!
Universally Speaking Guitar Tabs
Stadium Arcadium
The same-titled album has shown the biggest influences of the band members. This band interacts with the legends of music history. It’s a postmodern art piece. You can hear so many iconic musicians in every layer of it.
The guitar composition of this tune is unbelievably easy to play. You’ll figure out its few chords and a simple arpeggio pattern in no time!
Slow Cheetah
This tune represents the band’s style shift to a softer sound. It is one of the band’s acoustic guitar-based songs. Great to see RHCP trying new stuff with its style and approach to music.
The song is written in the key of Bbm and is played with a capo on the 6th fret. John is experimenting with synthesizers as a contrast to the acoustic-based composition. You can hear them at the end of the tune.
Venice Queen
This tune is the last song of the 2002 album By The Way. Frusciante has written most of the melodies in the album. They recorded it in Cello and Chateau Marmont, California.
There is a main arpeggio-based melody throughout the song—a simple acoustic break and very simple licks and solos with a great guitar sound. The song goes wild with the acoustic progression.
We Turn Red
The 2016 album of the band The Getaway features this song. It is a beautiful album, but the iconic guitar player Frusciante is missed much. Brian Burton is also in the songwriting phase and plays the Mellotron.
Josh Klinghoffer is playing the guitar here, like the rest of the records of the album. He plays with character and still sticks to the classic RHCP structure.
Parallel Universe
This song is another favorite of mine from the album Californication. I like that it gives the more aggressive side of RHCP. It was released in 2001. Kiedis’ vocals are especially fantastic.
The tune begins with a muted picking and then evolves on it. It has one of the most distorted guitar tones of Frusciante. Heavy metal-grunge lovers should try this one!
Higher Ground
This tune is originally a Stevie Wonder song from 1973. You might recognize it when you hear it; it is insanely popular. RHCP did a metal funk cover version of this funk song in 1988.
The band’s fourth album, Mother’s Milk, features this wild funk track. Here below is a very detailed tab for it. Take the chance to learn this crazy song!
Strip My Mind
Here is a 2006 release by the band. It is a rather mellow song compared to most of the tunes of RHCP. The sound of the guitar is fantastic on Strip My Mind.
Frusciante switches distinctively between great setups of pedals. I love to hear the beautifully delayed guitar on the drum beats at the beginning of a song rather than the shift into more aggressive realms.
Cabron
You can find this crazy tune on the 2002 album By the Way. It’s super to see the band trying different stuff.
This tune is played entirely with an acoustic guitar. It requires a capo on the 7th fret. You can hear the Latin influences; its title isn’t coincidental.
Readymade
This song is one of the rarest tunes that Frusciante uses a Gibson Les Paul for recording. It can be found on their ninth studio album.
The tune starts with a bass groove, and the other instruments are based on that progression. It is considered a funk metal track.
The Longest Wave
This song is another soft rock track from the band’s album The Getaway. They recorded it in 2005 in The Sound Factory, Hollywood.
Josh Klinghoffer did an amazing job on this one. It has mellow arpeggio progressions through beautiful chords -an intermediate song you can play on standard tuning.
Blood Sugar Sex Magik
I love the early wild funky tunes of this band. This tune is from the 1991 release of the same-titled album.
The song has a fantastic groove and heavy metal touch to it. You can hear rap, rock, metal, and funk elements simultaneously! And you’ll never doubt that it’s an amazing track.
Blood Sugar Sex Magik Guitar Tabs
This Velvet Glove
Here is a song that Kiedis wrote for her wife and referred to John in the lyrics. They weren’t performing this tune live much, but they did on the Stadium Arcadium tour after. Klinghoffer was playing it with an acoustic.
The guitar is so much fun to play on this one. Comfortable, funky rhythms and simple melodies go throughout the tune.
Make You Feel Better
This tune appears on the second side of the studio record Stadium Arcadium. It has an upbeat vibe that I like. You’ll enjoy playing it.
The song has 5 basic chords to play for the whole tune. They are played as barres. It is based on this progression and has an easy lead solo.
Make You Feel Better Guitar Tabs
Porcelain
This track is another mellow song from RHCP’s album Californication. Don’t hesitate to check this beginner tune; it is very easy.
The tune has a very smooth progression that you melt inside. It has a very slow tempo and easy guitar strummings. Frusciante just ornaments its musical atmosphere, that’s all.
If You Have To Ask
Here is another strict funk rap metal song from the band’s 1993 album. I can’t take my ears off of this record. The grooves, the riffs, the sound; everything sounds just great! There are also disco and Friday night fever mixes of this; you should also check them.
There is a funky, muted rhythm Frusciante plays throughout the whole track. Adding the other instruments creates this crazy funky realm you can’t resist dancing to. It is also a perfect experience to be able to play this on guitar.
If You Have To Ask Guitar Tabs
Conclusion
RHCP is one of the biggest bands, combining different musical elements such as rap, rock, funk, and pop and making beautiful music. I hope you enjoyed spending time with this list, the great band, and your guitar.
As you see, the band’s music evolved over almost 40 years, and their music changed significantly. Still, they never lost their musical roots and attitude. And could create new musical stuff over the years.
Suppose you haven’t checked their newest albums. Please, do so. Because they are just as great as the old ones. Have fun!
If you found this article useful, you may want to save this pin below to your Guitar board.
Recent Posts
50 Campfire Guitar Songs To Ignite Your Next Singalong - Chords Included
Gathering around a crackling campfire with friends and a guitar is one of life's simpleest pleasures. Picture yourself strumming the chords as everyone belts out the chorus under a starry sky. From...
25 Elton John Songs you Can Play on Guitar - Chords included
Elton John, with his flair for melody and timeless appeal, has written songs that resonate with people across generations. For aspiring guitarists, his catalog offers a treasure trove of classics...