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Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow - Guitar Lesson

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Key C major
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Snow guitar lesson video
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
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Red Hot Chili Peppers Funk Rock C major
Capo Advisor 0 C major · Original key

About Snow

"Snow (Hey Oh)" is a song by Red Hot Chili Peppers from their 2006 double album, Stadium Arcadium. It became the band's third consecutive number one on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, holding the top spot for five weeks. For electric guitarists, the song is a rewarding study in John Frusciante's fingerpicking technique, featuring a hypnotic, fast-picked arpeggiated guitar riff that drives the entire track and contrasts with his melodic lead work.

  • The signature riff is built on rapid fingerpicked arpeggios, an unusual technique for rock guitar that rewards patient, deliberate practice.
  • "Snow (Hey Oh)" was the band's 11th number one on the Billboard Modern Rock chart, setting a record at the time.
  • The song appears on Stadium Arcadium, a double album released in 2006 that showcases a wide range of Frusciante's guitar styles.

How to Play Snow

Tuning: E Standard · Key: C major · Tempo: 92 BPM

The central challenge is the signature fingerpicked arpeggio riff, which runs continuously at 92 bpm throughout the song in C major and requires clean, independent finger movement rather than a pick. Most players struggle to maintain evenness across the arpeggio pattern at full speed, so isolate just that riff and use the speed control to work it up gradually, ensuring each note rings clearly before increasing tempo. The lead melodic lines over the verses and chorus are more approachable, so learn those first to build familiarity with the song's structure before committing to the demanding fingerpicking. A common pitfall is tensing the picking hand when fatigue sets in, which kills clarity on the higher strings.

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 92 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Frusciante's cornerstone instrument since Blood Sugar Sex Magik, its vintage single-coils deliver the bright, articulate snap and touch sensitivity that define RHCP's funky rhythm tone and soulful leads.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Frusciante's '60s Teles provide warmer, woodier tones than his Strats while maintaining the single-coil clarity essential for RHCP's clean, dynamic playing style across different albums.

Gibson Les Paul Standard
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Standard

Used selectively for heavier RHCP tracks, the Les Paul's thicker PAF humbuckers deliver the midrange punch and sustain that contrast with Frusciante's signature Strat-driven sound.

Gibson Les Paul Custom
Guitar

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Like the Standard, this guitar adds warmth and aggression to darker RHCP material, offering the tonal heft Frusciante needs when stepping beyond his primary single-coil aesthetic.

Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi
Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Pi

This fuzz pedal thickens Frusciante's tone beyond his signature DS-2 distortion, adding creamy sustain and aggressive character to select RHCP passages and heavier moments.

MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay
Pedal

MXR Carbon Copy Analog Delay

Frusciante uses this analog delay for slapback repeats and textural depth, adding space and dimension to RHCP's rhythmic foundation without overwhelming the band's tight, groove-focused sound.

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