Red Hot Chili Peppers - By The Way - Guitar Tab

About By The Way

At 92 BPM in F major, "By The Way" sits in a deceptively comfortable tempo range, but the rhythm guitar work demands real precision. The song leans heavily on tight, punchy chord stabs and a strumming feel that locks in with the bass rather than sitting on top of it. Getting that clipped, percussive quality in E Standard tuning means paying close attention to your muting technique, both palm and fret-hand, so the chords pop cleanly without washing together. The layered vocal arrangement in the recording can distract from what the guitars are actually doing, so it pays to isolate just the rhythm part and really absorb the groove. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the verse and pre-chorus sections slowed down until the muting and timing feel natural before bringing it back up to speed. Red Hot Chili Peppers built this track around a deceptively simple Funk Rock foundation that rewards a guitarist who focuses on feel over flash.

• The rhythm guitar in E Standard tuning relies on tight fret-hand and palm muting to give chord stabs their punchy, percussive character.
• At 92 BPM the tempo is moderate, but locking your strumming feel precisely with the bass line is where most guitarists need focused practice.
• Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the verse chord pattern slowed down, concentrating on clean muting before working back up to full speed.