Guitar Songs, Tabs & Lessons

4 Non Blondes

1 guitar song · Tabs, Lessons & Tone Guide Alternative Rock

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What’s Up - Guitar Cover

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Band Overview

4 Non Blondes were a San Francisco-based Alternative Rock band that rose to fame in the early 1990s with their debut (and only) album "Bigger, Better, Faster, More!" released in 1992. The band featured vocalist Linda Perry, guitarist Roger Rocha, bassist Christa Hillhouse, and drummer Dawn Richardson. While Linda Perry's powerhouse vocals tend to dominate the conversation around this band, the guitar work of Roger Rocha is a hidden gem for intermediate players looking to expand their acoustic and electric rhythm chops in the context of 90s alternative rock. From a guitarist's perspective, 4 Non Blondes sit at a fascinating crosspoint between Folk Rock strumming, blues-rock riffing, and the grunge-adjacent alternative sound of the early 90s. Roger Rocha's playing leaned heavily on open chord voicings, arpeggiated patterns, and tasteful use of dynamics. He wasn't a shredder by any stretch, but his parts serve the songs beautifully. The guitar work on "What's Up" alone is a masterclass in how simple strumming patterns and well-chosen chord voicings can carry an iconic song. Learning their material teaches you how to be a supportive, musical guitarist rather than a flashy one. Difficulty-wise, 4 Non Blondes material is very accessible for beginner to intermediate players. The chord shapes are mostly open position (A, Bm, D, G for "What's Up"), and the strumming patterns are straightforward but require a good sense of dynamics and feel. The real challenge isn't technical complexity; it's making these simple parts sound full and alive. If you're a newer guitarist looking for songs that sound great around a campfire or in a band setting without requiring years of practice, 4 Non Blondes is an excellent starting point. For more experienced players, their songs offer a chance to focus on tone, touch, and the often-overlooked art of rhythm guitar.

What Makes 4 Non Blondes Essential for Guitar Players

The guitar part for "What's Up" revolves around four open chords (A, Bm, D, G) played in a steady strumming pattern. The key to nailing it is maintaining a consistent downstroke-heavy rhythm while letting the dynamics build naturally from verse to chorus.
Roger Rocha often used a mix of acoustic and electric guitar tones on the album, layering clean electric arpeggios underneath strummed acoustic parts. Learning to blend these two textures is a valuable production and arrangement skill for any guitarist.
The band's sound relied on open chord voicings rather than barre chords or power chords, giving the guitar parts a jangly, resonant quality. Pay attention to letting strings ring out fully rather than muting them, which is essential for capturing their open, airy tone.
Dynamic control is everything in 4 Non Blondes songs. In "What's Up," the guitar stays relatively restrained in the verse before opening up with harder strumming and fuller voicings in the chorus. Practice controlling your attack from soft fingertip strums to aggressive full-arm strokes.
Roger Rocha occasionally incorporated bluesy single-note fills and hammer-on/pull-off embellishments between chord changes. These small legato flourishes add personality to otherwise simple progressions and are great exercises for beginner players developing their fretting hand dexterity.

Did You Know?

"What's Up" uses just four chords for the entire song (A, Bm, D, G), making it one of the most popular campfire and beginner guitar songs of all time. Despite its simplicity, it reached the top 20 in over 40 countries.

Linda Perry, while primarily known as the vocalist, was also the band's chief songwriter and occasionally played guitar during writing sessions. Her songwriting instinct for simple, effective chord progressions directly shaped the guitar parts.

Roger Rocha recorded his guitar parts on "Bigger, Better, Faster, More!" using a combination of acoustic guitars and clean-to-slightly-overdriven electric tones, keeping the focus on midrange warmth rather than heavy distortion.

The album was produced by David Tickle, who had worked with Stevie Nicks and Split Enz. His production approach emphasized layered acoustic and electric guitar tracks, giving the record a lush, full sound despite the relatively simple chord progressions.

After the band dissolved in 1994, Linda Perry became one of the most successful songwriter-producers in pop music, writing hits for Pink, Christina Aguilera, and Gwen Stefani. Her understanding of guitar-driven songwriting carried directly into her production career.

"What's Up" is frequently confused with being titled "What's Going On" due to the chorus lyric, making it one of the most commonly mis-searched songs in guitar tab history.

The Bm chord in "What's Up" is one of the first barre chord challenges many beginners encounter. Countless guitarists have learned their first barre chord specifically because of this song.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Bigger, Better, Faster, More! album cover

Bigger, Better, Faster, More! 1992

This is the only studio album 4 Non Blondes released, so it's the definitive place to start and finish. "What's Up" teaches you dynamic strumming and open chord mastery, while deeper cuts like "Train" and "Superfly" offer bluesy rhythm guitar patterns and slightly more complex chord movement. The entire album is a great workout for rhythm guitar fundamentals and learning how to make simple parts sound huge.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Roger Rocha was primarily seen with steel-string acoustic guitars for the band's signature open, folky sound, alongside Fender-style electric guitars (likely a Stratocaster or Telecaster) for the cleaner electric layers on the album. For recreating the "What's Up" tone at home, any decent dreadnought acoustic or a clean-set Stratocaster will get you in the ballpark.

Amp

The electric guitar tones on the album are clean to lightly driven, suggesting a Fender-style tube amp (such as a Twin Reverb or Deluxe Reverb) set to a clean channel with the volume pushed just enough to get a bit of warmth and natural compression. Nothing heavily saturated; the emphasis is on clarity and chime.

Pickups

The jangly, articulate electric tones on the record point to single-coil pickups, consistent with a Strat or Tele setup. Single-coils in the neck or middle position give you that glassy, open quality that sits perfectly underneath an acoustic guitar layer without muddying the mix. If you're using humbuckers, try splitting them to coil-tap mode for a thinner, more transparent sound.

Effects & Chain

4 Non Blondes kept the effects chain minimal. A touch of reverb (likely spring reverb from the amp) and occasional chorus or light delay on the electric parts, but nothing dramatic. The tone was driven by the natural acoustic resonance and clean amp warmth. To replicate it, go straight into a clean amp with a splash of reverb. If you want to add subtle color, a gentle chorus pedal (like a Boss CE-2 or similar) on the electric parts can thicken things up.

Recommended Gear

Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Roger Rocha's Strat delivers the jangly, articulate single-coil tones that layer perfectly beneath 4 Non Blondes' acoustic arrangements. Its glassy neck and middle position pickups provide the transparent, open quality essential to their signature sound on tracks like 'What's Up.'

Guitar

Fender Telecaster

The Tele's bright, cutting single-coils complement Rocha's clean electric parts with clarity and chime. This guitar's twang sits ideal in the mix without competing with the acoustic layers that define the band's folky-alt-rock texture.

Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb's natural spring reverb and warm tube compression give 4 Non Blondes their signature clean, spacious tone. Pushed just enough for natural harmonic coloration, it's the sonic foundation for their lightly driven, articulate electric textures.

Amp

Fender Deluxe Reverb

This amp provides the same clean, chimey warmth as the Twin but in a more compact package with equally lush spring reverb. It captures the band's emphasis on clarity and natural amp compression without heavy saturation.

Pedal

Boss CE-2 Chorus

A subtle chorus pedal thickens 4 Non Blondes' electric guitar layers with gentle modulation, adding subtle depth without overwhelming the acoustic-forward mix. This minimal effect choice reflects the band's restraint in keeping tone transparent and song-focused.

How to Practice 4 Non Blondes on GuitarZone

Every 4 Non Blondes song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice What’s Up - Guitar Cover