Learn to play "Californication" by Red Hot Chili Peppers on the guitar

In this lesson, we'll learn how to play the solo of Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers on the guitar. It's a fantastic solo by John Frusciante, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' guitarist.

Californication has a truly memorable solo. It's not just that John can shred, but he plays for the song, and that shows maturity and makes the solo so singable it sticks in your head. This makes it a great solo for learning by ear.

Learning by Ear

Learning to play songs by ear has a significant impact on your musicianship. While it can seem daunting at first, with practice and patience, you'll find yourself identifying notes and chords with ease. At the beginning of the video, you'll get a rough idea of how the solo is played from watching me play it. Give it a try, work it out yourself, and then watch the rest of the video to check what you've worked out.

The Importance of Transcribing

Transcribing music, that is, writing down the notes and rhythms of a piece of music you've heard, is an invaluable skill. It helps you understand the structure of the music and improves your ability to play by ear. If you need help with transcribing, various tools are available, such as slow-down machines, which can make the process easier.

💡 Want to learn more about transcribing? Check out my Transcribing Course!

Unison Bends

One technique you'll encounter in this solo is the unison bend, a common feature in Jimi Hendrix's music but a somewhat difficult technique. This technique involves bending one note's pitch to match another, creating an interesting sound effect. If you find this challenging, developing a good bending technique would be helpful. You can learn more about the mechanics of string bending in my Essential Blues Lead Guitar course.

Final Thoughts

I hope you'll take my advice and try to learn this solo on your own before using my lesson. Californication is an excellent solo for transcribing. Many of the Chili Peppers' songs have great solos that aren't overly complicated, making them ideal for developing your transcription skills.

I learned many of their solos when I was still getting transcribing together, and I urge you to do the same. Besides being great music and excellent guitar playing, their solos are easier on the ear than a lot of other stuff. They're usually quite exposed and not hidden among too many other parts, which is a significant advantage when you're learning to transcribe.

I hope you enjoy this lesson. I look forward to seeing you in many more lessons soon. Take care of yourselves!

👉 Want chords, tabs, and lyrics to follow along with my song tutorials? Check out JustinGuitarTabs!