EVOLUTION OF SOUND
A LOOK AT THE PLAYING STYLES OF RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS GUITARISTS OVER THE DECADES, FROM HILLEL SLOVAK AND JACK SHERMAN TO DAVE NAVARRO, JOSH KLINGHOFFER AND THE BAND’S FOREMOST SIX-STRINGER, COVER STAR JOHN FRUSCIANTE
LINEUP CHANGES CAN signal life or death for a band, but over their long career, the Red Hot Chili Peppers have repeatedly and successfully bounced back from personnel shifts with a new dynamic and refreshingly accessible sounds. Numerous distinguished guitarists have stepped in throughout the years to tour and record with the band, but what stands out is how each player encompasses the style of his predecessors while introducing elements relevant to current musical trends.
In the Eighties, Jack Sherman and Hillel Slovak helped forge the Chilis’ signature funkrock style and sound while reflecting elements of punk and contemporary Eighties pop. John Frusciante maintained the “funky punk” vibe into the Nineties while embracing the intensity of the hugely popular grunge scene. After Frusciante’s first departure in 1992, Dave Navarro brought a more straight-ahead rock sound to the band while identifying with the Nineties alternative rock movement. On Frusciante’s initial return in 1998, the band took a more commercial approach, with a greater focus on radio-friendly hit songs.
Josh Klinghoffer hopped aboard in 2009 and, while maintaining the wide palette of sounds established by his predecessors, also contributed psychedelic textures reminiscent of an aggressive Jimi Hendrix. And, as we all know by now, Frusciante holds the reins once again in 2022. Check out the following in-thestyle-of tab examples for insights into how each of these players has developed the Chili Peppers’ signature sound.
FIG. 1: JACK SHERMAN
One of Sherman’s go-to approaches with the Peppers was to octave-double a single-note bass riff. This adds sonic depth, by thickening the arrangement and presents the riff in different registers simultaneously, creating a powerful sound. Take care with the timing here by listening to the placement of the bass notes and drum hits that coincide with the guitar notes. The two quarter-step bends add sass to the guitar phrase and are properly performed by pulling the string slightly downward.
FIG. 2: HILLEL SLOVAK
Slovak often presented elements of commercial
Eighties pop songs through his tasteful use of tone-enhancing effects with his guitar sounds. Use heavy compression and reverb to recreate the vibe here. Also, be sure to maintain a steady tempo, especially during the rests, as it’s all too easy to rush into the 16th-note rhythms that follow. The sliding double-stops are best performed with a ring-finger barre.
FIG. 3: JOHN FRUSCIANTE (EARLY ERA)
In the early Nineties, Frusciante introduced a grungy edge to the band’s sound by adding intensity to the strumming patterns, often using more overdrive in his guitar tone and letting some open strings ring together with fretted chords and strummed octaves. Use a heavy pick attack and wide strums to create the desired wide-open sound here. And when fingering the strummed octaves, be sure to mute the unused D string with the inside of your fret-hand index finger as it frets the notes on the A string.
ON FRUSCIANTE’S RETURN IN 1998, THE BAND TOOK A MORE COMMERCIAL APPROACH, WITH A FOCUS ON RADIOFRIENDLY HITS
“What I like about John is, what he plays is really simple, totally direct and just literally works for the song. This makes people connect with it really quickly and easily. There is a certain honesty about is playing that also shows the flaws as well as the brilliance. I like his tone because it’s quite classic and it sounds like he really likes Jimi Hendrix, which is always a good starting point. What he does is different from everyone else… he is just him, and his vibe and personality comes out through the playing. It doesn’t sound like a technically brilliant virtuoso; he sounds like a musician with a lot of soul and feeling. I would say my favorite song by him, just for being a real standout track, is ‘Under the Bridge.’ It’s simple, honest and really moving — three things that are very difficult to capture in a single guitar part.”
— ACE (SKUNK ANANSIE)
“What instantly stood out to me about John’s guitar style was that it was so diverse. His tasty, clean, melodic riffs, crunchy funk rhythms and big, screaming guitar solos really showcase his abilities, and that’s been inspiring to me, a guitarist who loves all kinds of music and sounds. To pick one piece of work is challenging, but I really love his work on ‘This Velvet Glove.’ It’s got those nice clean riffs with that funky crunch guitar providing a great rhythmic change. Basically anything by John seems to float my boat.”
— ROY OLIVER (CAPITAL THEATRE)
“There is an instrumental track on To Record Only Water for Ten Days called ‘Ramparts’ that has owned a small piece of real estate in my subconscious since I was 13. Clocking in at roughly 70 seconds, the recording is rather sparse, just multiple layers of John’s signature simple yet hugely emotive guitar playing. This song in particular was a big influence to me at that time because I had just acquired my first pedal, a Boss RC-20 Loop Station, and began making short instrumental recordings myself.
I’ve always been drawn to some of John Frusciante’s solo home recordings and those of artists like Daniel Johnston for the same reason. They capture a certain sense of intimacy — as if nobody was intended to hear them. You can feel that the music was made purely for the sake of expression.”
— PAT CASSIDY (THE DISTRICTS)
Navarro adapted the band’s sound by often using a more compressed, overdriven rock guitar tone and less of the dynamic funk nuances of the previous players. For this riff, set your gain higher and keep your pick attack consistently hard. This establishes a much thicker and more aggressive tone. And, when playing the strummed octaves, follow the same frethand string muting advice detailed for the previous example.