Learn how to play "Wet Sand" by Red Hot Chili Peppers on the Guitar

In this lesson, we'll learn how to play Wet Sand on the guitar. This is a fantastic song featuring the amazing John Frusciante. The album it's from is packed with some of his best guitar work. The song has many layers, so I've simplified some parts to make it easier to learn. However, we'll also see a couple of variations for each part, especially the pre-chorus. It's a multi-part lesson, so be sure to check out part 2 and the solo of Wet Sand as well.

Understanding the Song

To really get into the song's groove, I encourage you to seek out versions with just the guitar or the guitar and bass. This will give you a deeper understanding of the song. I'm showing it to you for one guitar part and will point out sections where it could be played one way or another. This is a song where my transcription skills were really put to the test. But don't worry, I've got it pretty close. The best way to learn this kind of tune is one step at a time.

Breaking Down the Chords

We'll start off really simple by getting the chords right. The chords for the verse are simply G for one bar, then D for a bar, E minor for a bar, and then B minor for a bar. This sequence repeats. When we move to the bridge, the chord progression changes to E minor for two bars, G for two bars, D for two bars, and E minor for two bars. This sequence also repeats.

Building Up the Rhythm

Once you have the basic chord sequence under your fingers, we'll look at the rhythm patterns. We'll then add in the fills and the variations on the chords. The rhythm pattern is a sixteenth-note straight pattern. It's not particularly difficult if you remember to keep your hand moving. Keeping the hand moving is important, especially when shifting from playing fills back to strumming. It's one of the challenges of this song, but definitely worth the effort!

Basic Rhythm

D . . . D . . U . U D . . U D U
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a

Bridge Rhythm

D . . . D . . U . U D . D . . U . U D . D . . U . U D . D . . .
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a

Chorus Rhythm

D . . . D . . U D U D . D . . . D . D . . . D . . U D . D . D .
1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a 1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a

Practicing with the Song

A good practice is playing along with the rhythm of the original recording. Rhythm is crucial when you're learning a song like this. If you can't keep the rhythm steady on its own, you'll struggle to add the fills in later on.

Once you've got that rhythm right, it already sounds like the song. That rhythm is very distinctive, and with those chords, we're nearly all of the way there.

Practice, listen, and play along. As you get better, add in the fills that you hear in the song. Remember, these fills go in the rhythm, so you have to figure out from the basic pattern where to break off to do the fill.

Wrapping Up

Learning to play Wet Sand is a bit of a journey, but it's a rewarding one. The song's distinctive rhythm, layered chords, and fills make it a joy to play on the guitar.

Don't forget to check out the video lesson, where you'll see all these elements in more detail. Remember, practice makes permanent, and most importantly, have fun!

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