Why This Incredibly Simple Solo is One Of The BEST

[@samuraiguitarist]

For a deep dive into storytelling through soloing check out www.samuraiguitartheory.com/p/the-craft-of-soloing and use promo code "CALIFORNICATION"

[@AxxLAfriku]

OH NOOOOOO!!! Most people agree that my vids are the worst on KZbin. I agree to disagree. Please agree to disagree with the haters, dear sam

[@joeb3590]

Can we do this with can't stop as well?

[@MikeDavid_Davideos]

I'm glad someone in KZbin (you, Samurai Guitarist) made a video about this guitar solo. Chords are in Aminor (key) but the solo uses Amajor... Yes it's blues but in a "mysterious" way

[@ProtoJazz]

Really great video. It inspired me to learn the solo and also to buy all your lessons

[@esteban.r11]

I'm still waiting for the Californication videogame

[@hanreality.7266]

It’s going to be a blast! I’m not sure they can run that fast these days though..

[@SethPlaysBass]

i was wondering about that.

[@Christopher-md7tf]

Lol I was so mad at that video as a kid. "Dude, that is not at all how video games work!!!" haha

[@leonbrown7911]

Holy hell! Burnt in my mind from youth

[@bubswildchild]

I still remember the part where he runs through a brothel..

[@ldahui]

The solo from Wet Sand is so full of feeling, power, emotion.. so much at the same time, one of the best solos ever in my opinion

[@jager9022]

Same with Minor Thing for me

[@shaneharrington3655]

Wet Sand outro solo is my favorite solo of all time. Would love to hear your take on that too…

[@chrismartin3197]

I think wet sand has a real (?) harpsichord (?). That’s what makes it. It is awesome.

[@shaneharrington3655]

@@chrismartin3197 Yep, gorgeous harpsichord in right ear, highly emotive guitar solo in the left ear. The result: total transcendence!

[@davidvonderhaar4394]

Oh god that ones so good

[@davequiquegg]

It’s such an incredible crescendo. Honestly Wet Sand is such a joy to play too, it’s got so much feeling that when you hit the end you’re absolutely flying. I cant believe how simple it is but the change in tone just works.

[@greenandblue3809]

yeah! my favorite solo of all time! still makes me crywhen i listen to it

[@HofTheStage]

Great video, I especially appreciate the storytelling parts. I agree with what you said about simplicity, both in music (soloing or not) and in that flower story. I think that the Russian novelist Fyodor M. Dostoyevsky said it best: "People who can speak well, speak briefly." That being said, his novels were always these hugeee books, like 600 pages long at least - but he still had a point :)

[@studioberkah]

Why i always see you everywhere. Stop following me dude

[@Hello_there_obi]

"Especially in Michigan" has a beautiful outro solo that's so melodic. It's a very underrated solo.

[@enkita8234]

I think it’s actually omar rodriguez on that one😂

[@thedemonicdoge21]

Yes!!! One of favorite outros of all time! If you loved that you might also love minor thing and time from the by the way album

[@thedemonicdoge21]

@@enkita8234 Yeah you’re right online sources say that Omar Rodriguez wrote the solo to that but I believe the outro was written by John himself.

[@enkita8234]

@@thedemonicdoge21 to me it sounds like they’re both playing on most of the song Like john playing chords, than omar joining in in the solo, and playing all those fast arpeggios while John shifts to that beautiful melody at the end

[@6Romaner6]

I really like John’s electronic music, but I didn’t know that he is also a very famous guitarist!

[@Keilaido]

Assuming that this is serious; yeah, Frusciante was the lead guitarist for RHCP for a good while and he is an absolute master on the guitar, hence why he went by "Trickfinger" when he left to do his solo stuff. Also Brand E is one of my favorite pieces of music that he's done, his skill range is incredible.

[@tj03297]

@@Keilaido pretty sure its a joke

[@Keilaido]

@@tj03297 I would hope so, but you can never know for sure when it's over text. Instead of doing the whole "funny troll" bit I decided to share a bit of my love for Frusciante, figured it'd be a better use of time.

[@tj03297]

@@Keilaido yeah for sure, didnt mean to come across the wrong way

[@Hello_there_obi]

I feel like you're going about life backwards hhahaha

[@mattiamalena7773]

My absolutely favourite is wet sand. The solo and the way they arrive at the solo, is incredible

[@LegitGundy]

Agreed, kind of an underrated song tbh.

[@anderrru]

Wetsand is my favorite solo of all time it’s so emotional

[@stefanubassani]

What about Death of a Martian? 😎

[@JubaDeMetalAlumínio]

Stadium Arcadium has some of this less famous songs that is my favorites from RHCP. God, Wet Sand is divine.

[@doomerconsumer]

agree with wet sand. my favorite off that album.

[@Boobies92545]

His solos prove that you don’t need to play so many notes to make a good solo. He expresses his emotions in his solos and a lot of people can’t do thst

[@SagaciousFrank]

Simple and minimalistic, less is often more. He lost a lot of playing ability, technique, and finger strength during his drug abuse years of not playing or practicing guitar, but made up for it with creative and memorable riffs and solos.

[@jager9022]

The solo from Minor Thing is definitely my favourite Frusciante solo, it's such an underrated solo and song, it's a shame it doesn't get that much recognition as it really is a stunning and beautiful solo (as is the outro to that song too) I'd love to see you make a video on it

[@gautiermilewski4322]

I love his solo on Can't Stop for that reason : simplicity brings out pure emotion.

[@TheSchmittable]

This was the first solo I ever learned because it's so slow and gives you enough time to think

[@hijmestoffels5171]

Scar Tissue, from the same album, is another example of John Frusciantes greatness in simplicity.

[@henrik6739]

Today I finally heard the entire Californication album for the first time! I always knew their biggest songs from the radio, but recently I really got into them. Absolutely blown away by the album, what a masterpiece!

[@plasmakord7330]

Day 1 of asking Sammy g to play his favorite riffs and tell why there his favorite. I love the vids man!

[@riaranta3150]

I second this notion 🤘🏻💯

[@OLDSACKS]

This this this this

[@sterlingpratt4901]

I would love to watch this hypothetical series, and I don't play guitar at all.

[@CessBee123]

@@sterlingpratt4901 you should totally start. You'll never regret it.

[@plasmakord7330]

@@CessBee123 yeah he should once you start it’s addicting

[@Slaouix]

The live version at Slane Castle in 2003 is probably one of my favorite live renditions of any track, ever

[@l.anthony9345]

Absolutely. Slane castle is one of the top 20 best rock concerts of all times.

[@mikesemie5028]

The way that you articulate Frusciante’s phrasing and perspective is inspiring. He’s so underrated it’s nearly a travesty but when people like you shed a light on his playing it breathes air back into his legacy

[@Zappappappappa]

The Slane Castle version intro with Flea and John bouncing off one another is peak musical chemistry. So happy John is back (Josh is a phenomenal musician in his own right but John is the musical soulmate of Flea and Chad) as he brings a melodic element that completed the band when he first joined.

[@johnmenna7391]

The chili peppers had not put out a song that could match the “under the bridge” level song until they brought John back in, I was so happy when they did. I still watch their Slain castle performance. God bless you for making this video, you are more than just a good KZbin guitarist.

[@robalderman6979]

THIS! This solo changed my entire perspective on soloing when I first heard it as an 18 year old in 1998. I never had the ability to blast out 64th note runs. JF turned it around and forced the point home that great solos are about substance and saying something, not how many notes you can play. You did a fantastic job conveying that message.

[@denizhankaraca8862]

The fact that you can look for & find a deeper meaning in this solo, although there might not be an intentional one, tells a lot. It's truly a masterpiece. Thanks for the analysis. It was also my first solo to learn on the guitar.

[@wcrb15]

Absolutely perfect breakdown.

[@TheYuke]

Frusciante is my all time favourite guitarist and when you started talking about the symbolicity of the solo it gave me goosebumps. Great video man, thank you!

[@RyanJamesOfficial]

Love seeing JF get some love from a big time music youtuber. He is a melodic/improvisational master AS WELL as being a great songwriter. Really is a special musician.

[@Jeff4014]

Frusciant'es live solos are improvised but he makes them sound as if they were thought in studio...amazing!

[@ieblack37]

This was the first solo I learned at 15 years old. When I decided to pick up guitar again at 31, it was the first thing I played. I never forgot it and it is still so enjoyable to play.

[@adriandelatorre8963]

Very good video, Sam. Frusciante is my favorite guitarist and his life experience helped me cope with a similar issue and I am also happy to say I also beat my additiction and returned to music, largely due to John. Thanks for sharing this. Great job, man! 👍

[@Dave_Mannix]

The Slane Castle is my all time favourite version of this song! The intro jam and the solo are amazing

[@neclimdul]

So confused expanding the description and not seeing the video claimed. KZbin is so weird these days. Great video! I've got a love/hate relationship with this song because of how much it was played but you're 100% right. Just a beautiful exposed solo where you really feel the emotion. The same thing that makes so many of Pink Floyd's solos great.

[@defaultname25]

I knew which solo you would be talking about as soon as I saw the title. Some of my favrioute JF is his solo stuff

[@AndyMillar]

John is not only a guitar icon but a personality icon too. I've watched enough guitar player interviews for one lifetime and John is the most authentic musician I've seen by a longshot. He values nothing more than to create new and good music and if that means leaving the Red Hot Chili Peppers, then that's what he does...twice

[@DrToffel]

Truly hoped this would be Don't Forget Me, at least my personal favorite

[@Boobies92545]

That was is good too!

[@daryldraws8083]

That's what I had in mind and Wet Sand.

[@ideitbawxproductions1880]

from what I've heard, John did a lot of the guitar solos for the Mars Volta (I think De-loused In The Comatorium until The Bedlam In Goliath). it's a wilder and slightly more technical side of his playing, often using notes from outside the scale and tampering with rhythmic expectations, but it's a perfect fit for the Volta's eccentric sound. John is a master of using sound like a painter uses brush strokes. one question I like to ask other musicians is, "if you told me about the happiest/saddest day of your life using just your instrument, how would it sound?" I always get fascinating answers. John's answer would be incredible to hear...

[@opiante]

Samurai, your analysis hits home perfectly! The story perspective you put forth really captured the place John was in at that time. I saw him about a year before he got clean and it was one of the scariest sites I've ever seen in person. To me it had appeared as if he was gone already, and when I heard his name on the news some time later I was absolutely sure that they were announcing that he passed away. But thankfully it was actually the news that he was out of rehab and back in the band. An enormous moment of releif and redemption. And this video brought that all back. Much respect.

[@jonathanattia2164]

For me Alice in Chains' junkhead solo, is the simple solo that expresses the meaning of the song the best. I feel like the melody in the verse is how awful drugs are, and the chorus and especially the solo are the highest point under the influence of the drug.

[@JohnSmith-ft4rt]

It is a beautiful solo, especially because of where he was at the time. It was also the first solo I learned and has a special place in my heart. However, for me personally, 'If you have to ask' is one of my all-time favourite solo's by any guitarist, of any band. It's simply perfect 👌

[@ChristophJakob]

Even though that doesn't really count as a guitar solo, but the ending to "Death of a Martian" has some of my favorite guitar and bass textures of all time. My favorite Frusciante solos is probably in the outro of "Wet Sand", that's just so so good.

[@ZL1LoVeR]

Got goosebumps in your read of the solo and connecting to the lyrics and back story. Whether conscious or not, John is a master of his craft and I’m so excited to hear what him and the peppers come up with for yet another rise of the phoenix that is John

[@joeobryanmusic]

I had never really seen the beauty of this solo until today, very beautifully explained. The way you talked about this truly touched my soul as a lead guitarist. Thank you!

[@BadBadGamingBBG]

I think in my opinion his best solo has got to be the Scar Tissue solo. But his live solos are really good too since they are improvised.

[@MusiCaninesTheMusicalDogs]

The first or the second one?

[@duckman8982]

@@MusiCaninesTheMusicalDogs probably the third one

[@BadBadGamingBBG]

@@MusiCaninesTheMusicalDogs the second one sorry

[@buckdancer421]

All of the Slane Castle DVD is insane Frusciante-ness.

[@BadBadGamingBBG]

@@buckdancer421 Heavily agree but my personal favorite is the Chorzow Concert for the Stadium Arcadium tour in 2007.

[@Get_Bush_wookied]

You should do more videos like this, this was great!

[@dasaplays3112]

The story before the solo was recorded makes perfect sense. Thank you Samurai to make a video on this ❤

[@broj603]

John has a way of playing that just makes people feel. He plays so expressively and really shows emotion through his playing. If i had to say the best I think it would be Minor Thing, I could have Lied or Scar Tissue

[@FlorentBraquart]

Minor thing solo always gets me straight in my guts. It’s so good

[@Vivi_9]

I Could Have Lied... man everything about that song is extraordinary.

[@MisterM2402]

I Could Have Lied has some killer solos

[@fidelrivera2887]

More than once I remember being somewhere playing and someone asking "hey play the hardest thing you can" expecting some super fast flurry of notes. I start playing something super simple like the intro to Stairway but at 1/4 or 1/8 the normal tempo, real real slow while concentrating real hard. I get a puzzled reaction. I explain its so much harder for me to slow down and stretch out the notes than play fast riffs and scales. Those become about muscle memory and playing fast you can make little mistakes here and there and its not as noticable. Playing slow with clean tone... you hear everything. All of John's work on Californication is just excellent... very soulful and expressive. Huge influence on my own soloing style. Great video. Thanks

[@henrikduende]

Im so happy that you talked about Johns history. Most people dosen’t seem to know that he actually was a quite technical player before leaving the band and drowning in drugs… He is a 100% diffrent player now.

[@guitar19971]

John Frusciante is quite simply a master of his craft. One of my personal favourite solos by him is Can’t Stop. It’s so simple but really powerful.

[@dinosauria55]

Frusciante still says this album is his favourite guitar playing because he can hear that he’s playing his hardest during the record. He said he hadn’t touched a guitar for years before getting back together for some garage jams with Flea (before they asked him to rejoin) so in his words he had no skill no technique just playing the best he could with the minimal tools he still had. You can really see it in live performances at the time. The guy really struggled and he came good.

[@johnnys8393]

John Frusciante to me is the ultimate guitarist. To me his best solos are “Wet Sand”, “Minor Thing” and “Torture Me”. The first two solos are perfect examples of playing a beautiful, emotive solo while using very few notes. Torture Me is just balls to the wall shredding and accenting all the right notes. The guy is a modern day virtuoso.

[@soyburglar77]

As a guitarist, especially at the level at which Fruscante is playing, it takes big balls to write a solo like this. Most musicians in general tend to want to do things that are technically impressive and difficult to do, which is understandable. But a great musician, especially when part of a band, knows his place and only contributes what is needed in that moment/space. Fruscante, as I think we’re all aware, is a master at this.

[@mirceaconstantinescu6001]

the solo for Don't forget me from the La Cigale show is pain and happiness all mixed up into one big ball of awesomeness. that's his soul singing, not the guitar. sends shivers down my spine everytime i listen to it.

[@theartistformerlyknownasje6358]

The song was super popular back in the day 👍

[@UndarZ]

If I remember correctly John only plays a solo twice. Then decides which one sounds better. I wonder what the other version wouldve sounded like.

[@stefanubassani]

👉 Look up "Californication - Slane Castle". The man managed to rewrite it completely and make people forget about the first one 🙌

[@RPostVideos]

@@stefanubassani it's my ring tone! ❤️

[@stefanubassani]

@@RPostVideos great taste 👍 But I couldn't... I'd be at risk of letting it ring all the time 😆

[@SagaciousFrank]

@@stefanubassani , off the cuff as well. His solo from Stockholm Sweden 1999 has a really nice solo as well. I'm fact, all the solos and playing on that show he is in the zone.

[@MedalionDS9]

Yes the Californication solo is great, and one of those I learnt as a beginner... very musical... love these kinds of solos

[@baronrogers806]

I like you and your profile picture. Definitely maybe is pretty amazing

[@afaceinthestreet]

This solo is the musical version of Buddha shaking the Earth with just the touch of his hand. Truth and simplicity is king.

[@raggedrascal5463]

Feeling will always trump technical ability. Simplicity can be exquisite. On the subject of exquisite........ That Paoletti 😮

[@samharradence5689]

My favourite solo too, first one I ever learnt! So glad to see love for this one.

[@tomjunowak]

Was honestly hoping it was gonna be “I Could Have Lied” :)

[@IGotSoupProductions]

Totally agree! I still think that's one of the best solos he ever recorded.

[@joshs1533]

One of the best. That song taught me the minor scale :)

[@JackFou]

That guitar is absolutely gorgeous, holy crap!

[@tompruyn3492]

I saw the title, and already knew it was californication! that solo is amazing. The first time i heard it, it completely moved me. So much emotion in John's playing.

[@mCreecher91]

This solo and the outro lead part to scar tissue and some of my favorites. John is the best, I’m so glad he’s back in the band.

[@soupinhyperspace3179]

If you've never heard the solo you've probably been living under the bridge

[@shitmandood]

I've never heard the solo and I've never heard of this guitar player. As far as solos go having heard it here, it ranks pretty low in my book. An absolute beginner with no experience should be able to play that solo.

[@_guitarjun_]

@@shitmandood do you think solos are only good if they’re hard to play? Solos are good if they sound good lmao (9:30)

[@shitmandood]

​@@_guitarjun_ As a guitar player, a simple solo is not interesting nor memorable to learn. I don't have a band around me to prop up a simple solo, lol, and playing rock song solos on your own is hella boring, IMO.

[@shitmandood]

To add to this, probably rock rhythm guitar would be more interesting...looking at the chord progression and key structure...

[@EggZu_]

To the guys who haven't heard the song before surely why not check out the song to hear the solo in context before listening to the analysis of why it's good in that context

[@zenbester2133]

John Frusciante is the main reason I play guitar My mom got me a small kids Sierra acoustic when I was 7, and around 10, her best friend's husband began showing me my favorite wrestlers theme songs on it, as well as the odd Chili's and Ozzy Osbourne song I'll never forget the night he played the first " I Could Have Lied " solo for me and my brother, after telling us it was his favorite Frusciante solo ever I still feel like both the first and outro solo to that song, are some of John's most emotional and expressive solos he's ever written, or even played From the way he bends and releases the B note on the D string just a couple seconds in to the first solo, the warm, hardly distorted tone, to the wailing emotional bends he rips in with as Anthony sings in the outro solo Maybe it's the memory and nostalgia I have attached to it.....but I really don't think another guitar solo will impact me the way the two in that song have

[@amramin2134]

Im really happy you are talking about john frusciante. I think he is one of the most overlooked guitarists ever due to the fact that his less is more approach to guitar playing. I never truly appreciated that solo until i played it. Alot more going on than meets the ear.

[@marotteinc.766]

Thank you for this video, i'd never appreciated this solo enough though it really makes me emotional when i listen to it closely.

[@moritzgiebeler1252]

Great video . My favorite solo from RHCP is from "I could have lied" I love how the distorted guitar contrasts the chill and slow vers and refrain of the song.

[@sonicobsessions947]

John is my Inspiration when playing guitar. When my friend is all about sweep/alternate picking and doing speed shredding I was there making weird noises and try to play some swells and work on how to express a lot of feeling while playing as little as possible. I can't do that fast legato or pentatonic sweep picking as fast as they can but I'm pretty sure they're all ears on what I'm doing and my technic when we are jamming or playing live.

[@o_ofigures]

Crazy how I was listening to the isolated solo track this morning then you released a video on it

[@xlheggie]

Tear is a beautiful song with a really nice, simple, solo near the middle

[@iDog-kv8nc]

This, Dani California, and Scar Tissue are three of my top five favorite solos of all time. John Mayer’s Gravity live at the Nokia Theatre in December 2007 and Clapton’s Layla at Madison Square Garden in June ‘99 are the other two in my top five. There’s something almost instinctual about each of these solos that hits me in my very soul

[@emanuelrayvillaflores7759]

I really needed this I was in a guitar solo rut but this helped me open my mind musically

[@VADEDstinkybutt]

Ive always loved how you break things down keep it up SammyG

[@bryancontreras2892]

John Frusciante technically gave us Butterfly by Crazy Town.. something to think about

[@castrucciocastracani0]

😂😂well I don't know if it is a good thing

[@jarvisa7x]

Pretty little ditty

[@xnitrorider62x]

Very cool breakdown. I dig solos like this.

[@Christopher-md7tf]

Yesss I knew it, that has always been one of my favourite solos.

[@JustAnotherBlader]

The live solo he played on Californication in 2002 Santiago Chile is by far the most tasteful and musically compelling version he’s ever played. He really highlights the chords. It blows every other live version outta the water while retaining that simplicity.

[@nicholasgannon2379]

Solid breakdown! Thanks!

[@JoanDoe-pq5fu]

The solo from Hey gets me every time. Also pretty pedestrian, but fits the song totally perfectly.

[@billzakill1257]

The Mr Crowley solos by Randy Rhoads in my opinion are a true masterpiece of not only guitar but music

[@TonyMacaroni69_]

My favourite solo of his is probably the one at the end of "Wet Sand". it's so simple but it's one of the only solos that can actually make me cry. especially in the second half when he hits that really high bend. You can just feel him pouring out all of his emotions using his guitar...

[@BenBreard]

I have similar feelings and opinions for his solo on "I could have lied". That one holds up really well.

[@kyled348]

I Could Have Lied is my favorite RHCP solo

[@doctorfly7]

Amen!

[@thisisEHAM]

Gah, that one cries. It’s so beautiful

[@stevenstrother672]

Could have lied is such a beautiful piece of music. That whole album was the one for me! Flea got his tone down, John was becoming what he was meant to be as a guitar player, and Anthony was becoming a singer, truly amazing!

[@stevenstrother672]

Power of equality was a great solo too. The solo for could have lied gets a little deeper if done on an acoustic like the rest of the song.

[@jamesdevine-stoneman1504]

Could make a case for so many of John's solos, but the one I keep coming back to to play along with is If You Have To Ask. At first I didn't really get the spontaneous clapping at the end but now I totally do.

[@gbcr09]

What I like the most about this solo is the key change. You can really feel how it affects it by just playing the underlying harmony that happens before the solo followed by the one in F#m minor

[@ImternetExplorer]

I just started learning guitar and I’m very excited! Subscribed!

[@jakzilla95]

John has been my hero since I was 14. Great video.

[@DrBASSics10]

Outro solo of Wet Sand is my favourite solo from JF. The solo is very emotional and arpeggios from the outro was so sicckkkkk

[@mpalin11]

Great video, this is the type of content that I love to see!

[@yfz450rider39]

Frusciante is and will always be one of my favorites.

[@christophercook4819]

A guitar solo doesn’t need to be fast and face melting to be good or impressive. I’m more of a rythem guitarist myself but I’ve always preferred soul and heart driven solos and playing. This song is a bit played out but I always really enjoy listening to the solo and in my opinion John is a gem of a guitarist. Still though some of my all time favorite guitarists are Buck Darhma, Tom Schultz, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, my older brothers and Joe Satriani

[@bongo_baggins]

His outro solo for Zephyr Song live at Slane Castle damn near brings me to tears every time.

[@pathall9304]

Hello there Samurai Guitarist, I just want to say thank you for all of the immense enjoyment all of your videos provide me and many, many others, and how informative and fun they are! Thank you once again, and stay safe everyone! :) :) :) :)

[@odiec5567]

My absolute favorite solo of his is from Wet Sand, the outro to the song could not be more perfect.

[@hli1787]

What an intellectual look at John's style. Great video!

[@taylorguerin7781]

I thought this was going to be a video on the Can't Stop solo but I am NOT disappointed. Also, Californication was the first song I learned to play on my electric! Which is before I knew what tabs were so I learned it all by ear lol

[@jumpy323081]

every note is necessary in a frusciante solo and the way he does that is amazing

[@briandavid8431]

This John Frusciante guy is really gonna get somewhere some day, glad you’re highlighting small struggling artists.

[@RPostVideos]

Guessing you're joking.

[@timsellsted521]

@samuraiGuitarist RHCP is one of my favorite bands. Californication is one of my favorite albums. John Frusciante is truly an amazing guitarist. I know he rejoined RHCP again. I can't wait to hear what is next.

[@MrRazzBreeze]

For simplicity can't stop will always be my fav

[@JK-xz1lt]

This song is just one of those that just rings well in the ear. It's also the track that plays so well on a Gretsch White Falcon.

[@willmorrall2943]

One of the first solos I had ever learnt, my history teacher loves RHCP so I play lots of them for him and he loved hearing this solo.

[@leecottontail4493]

This is so great for someone trying to improve with the craft of soloing