John Frusciante – Central (Guitar Tab)

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Chords

[Verse 1] These are rhe chords you want to use for the first verse.

           a               C               F               d
e|---------x---------------x---------------x---------------1-----------------|
B|---------1---------------1---------------1---------------3-----------------|
G|---------2---------------0---------------2---------------2-----------------|
D|---------2---------------2---------------3---------------0-----------------|
A|---------0---------------3---------------3---------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------1---------------------------------|

Each chord is played for one bar. You will get into the strumming pattern by just listening to the song. It`s not too complicated. This progression repeats itself 4 times, however after the fourth time, you want to play the d-chord longer, to let the song fade itself into the chorus. You'll probably already do it automatically. [Chorus 1] These are the chords used in the chorus. (This part will be reffered to as A)

           F               C               d
e|---------1-----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------1---------------5---------------6---------------------------------|
G|---------2---------------5---------------7---------------------------------|
D|---------3---------------5---------------7---------------------------------|
A|---------3---------------3---------------5---------------------------------|
E|---------1-----------------------------------------------------------------|

This part of the chorus is almost identical to the one of Scar Tissue, John uses progressions like these often. You strum the F for the first 3 counts of the bar. Then on the fourth count strike the C once. After that strum the d for one bar. For the other part of the chorus use these chords. (This part will be reffered to as B)

           F          C         d          F          a          C
e|---------1--------------------5----------1----------5----------------------|
B|---------1----------5---------6----------1----------5----------5-----------|
G|---------2----------5---------7----------2----------5----------5-----------|
D|---------3----------5---------7----------3----------7----------5-----------|
A|---------3----------3---------5----------3----------7----------3-----------|
E|---------1-------------------------------1----------5----------------------|

Again, strum the F for the first 3 counts and hit the C once. Then for the next bar hit the d, F, a, C once, on the 1, 2, 3, 4, so that you strike the d on the first count, the F on the second... After that you strum the d for one bar again. This whole thing is played twice, so you have A;B;A;B. However after the second B, you don't strum the d for one, but this time for two bars. [Verse 2] (reverb on, distorion on)

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------15b~-15br---------------------15~---------------------------|
G|--2~--/9~--9b-------------------2~--/9~--9b--------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

Try to get as much feedback as possible with the reverb and the distortion. If you wanna play it like John, pick the sring only twice in each segment (hitting only the 2 and the 15) and "generate" the sound of the other notes by getting as much feedback as possible. This part gets played 2 times, so you have 4 of these similar segments. For the last one, hold onto the 15 a little bit longer, again you`ll proably do it automatically. [Chorus 2] (distortion off, reverb off) = Chorus 1

           F               C               d
e|---------1-----------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------1---------------5---------------6---------------------------------|
G|---------2---------------5---------------7---------------------------------|
D|---------3---------------5---------------7---------------------------------|
A|---------3---------------3---------------5---------------------------------|
E|---------1-----------------------------------------------------------------|

           F          C         d          F          a          C
e|---------1--------------------5----------1----------5----------------------|
B|---------1----------5---------6----------1----------5----------5-----------|
G|---------2----------5---------7----------2----------5----------5-----------|
D|---------3----------5---------7----------3----------7----------5-----------|
A|---------3----------3---------5----------3----------7----------3-----------|
E|---------1-------------------------------1----------5----------------------|

Play it exactly the same as Chorus 1 [Bridge] The chord progression will now change to: [{a; G, F}3x , then one bar d] I will refer to this progression as 1 run, so 1 run = a,G,F,a,G,F,a,G,F,d. For the first run don`t play anything!

           a               G               F              d
e|---------0---------------3---------------1--------------5------------------|
B|---------1---------------3---------------1--------------6------------------|
G|---------2---------------4---------------2--------------7------------------|
D|---------2---------------5---------------3--------------7------------------|
A|---------0---------------5---------------3--------------5------------------|
E|-------------------------3---------------1---------------------------------|

Now play two runs. Strum the a for one bar, then the g and the F for half a bar. Repeat this 3x and then play the d for one bar. After playing two runs of playing, you play nothing for two runs. After two runs of playing nothing, play this (reverb on):

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------6----------------------------|
D|-------5-----5-------4-------2---------------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------------5-------------------------------|
E|----5-------------3-------1------------------------------------------------|
{                3x               }

This is congruent to the chord progression, so you play the first part three times and then one d. Do 2 runs this way. (distorion on)

e|------------------------12~------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|----9~---------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

With as much feedback as possible hold the 9 for as long as one wole run. Somewhere in between also pick the 12. Keep BOTH notes playing, they`re essentially the same. After that run, play this:

e|--12~------------------|-12-----------------|-12------------------13--15/17|
B|--------15--13--12-----|-----15--13--12-----|-----15--13--12--15-----------|
G|--------------------14-|-----------------14-|------------------------------|
D|-----------------------|--------------------|------------------------------|
A|-----------------------|--------------------|------------------------------|
E|-----------------------|--------------------|------------------------------|

Try to kind of "merge" the 12~ from the part before with the first note of this part [Solo] (reverb off) For the whole solo the progression from before continues. For the beginning of the solo, its important to start at the G and not the a of the run

e|----------------------------------15b-15brp13------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------14---------------------------|
G|--------14p12-14brp12h14-14------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|---------------------------------------15/17-------------------------------|
B|-----------13-15-15b-13-13h15~---------------------------------------------|
G|-----12/14-----------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|--------16b-16brp14---12h14h16p14p12h14---12h14h16p14p12h14----------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|---------------------------------------------15--15--15--15--15--15--15/17~|
B|---------------------------------------15/17---17--17--17--17--17--17------|
G|--14p12-----12h14--12h14h16p14p12h14~--------------------------------------|
D|-------12h14---------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

e|---19br--17------------------8---------------------------------------------|
B|--------------------------------10-----------------------------------------|
G|----------------7br--5--7/9------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------------|

This is the essential part of the solo after that i would recommend you, to improvise, since thats the best way to truly get into and learn the song. Here are some notes/tips for the improvisation part: We're in a, so you can use our "basic" pentatonic scale, I´ll also list some other notes/ideas you can use

e|--5-----(7)8----|--12---13---15---17---19---20-|----------------------------|
B|--5--(6)---8----|--12---13---15---17---18---20-|--15---17-------------------|
G|--5------7------|--12---14---16---17---19---21-|--17b--19b------------------|
D|--5------7------|------------------------------|----------------------------|
A|--5------7------|------------------------------|----------------------------|
E|--5--------8----|------------------------------|----------------------------|