Red Hot Chili Peppers › If You Have To Ask Guitar Tab

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Send "If You Have To Ask" Ringtone to your Cell Phone

From: Didier Thizy 


If You Have To Ask 
Red Hot Chili Peppers

Intro and Rhythm:
e:-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x--|-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x--|-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
B:-6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-x-6--|-6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-x-6--|-6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-
G:-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-x-5--|-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-x-5--|-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-
D:----------------------------|----------------------------|-----------------
A:----------------------------|----------------------------|-----------------
E:----------------------------|----------------------------|-----------------



e:x-x-x-x-x--|-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-7-7|
B:x-6-x-x-6--|-6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-x-6-6|
G:x-5-x-x-5--|-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-x-5-5|
D:-----------|----------------------------|
A:-----------|----------------------------|
E:-----------|----------------------------|



The chorus is played with two guitars:

e:------------x------------------------|-------------------------------|
B:------------x---10/13----------------|-------------------------------|
G:------------x-------------8/12-------|-------------------------------|
D:--8--10-----x---------------------8--|--10----------8-------8---8----|
A:-------------------------------------|-------------------------------|
E:-------------------------------------|-------------------------------|



e:----------11-------13b14r13----------|------------11-----13--13b14r13--11|
B:--13----------13-----------------13--|---13-----------13-----------------|
G:-------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
D:-------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
A:-------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
E:-------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|

         
Then there's a bridge part:         
 
G9  Gb9  F9  C7  Ebmaj9  Bb7  D7#9   
 
Repeat those chords again, then twice more with some left hand muting.
 

Go to this solo, with the rhythm in the background:

e:-------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
B:-------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
G:------13r12--10--12b14---|-------------13r12p10--|--------10b12---10~----|
D:-------------------------|-----------------------|-12~-------------------|
A:-------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
E:-------------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|



e:----------------------|--------------------------------------------|
B:------------13r12--10-|-----10~------------10---------10--------10-|
G:----------------------|-12----------13b14------13b14------13b14----|
D:----------------------|--------------------------------------------|
A:----------------------|--------------------------------------------|
E:----------------------|--------------------------------------------|


                                                       feedback
e:-------------------------|--------------------|--------------------------|
B:-------------------------|--------------------|--------------------------|
G:----13b14----------------|--------------------|--------------------------|
D:-------------------6r5p3-|--------------------|------------------x--x/--|
A:-------------------------|---5~----2b3r2------|--------------------------|
E:-------------------------|--------------------|--x-----x--x/-----------|



e:-------------10---------|----------------------------------------|
B:---------13-------------|----------------------------------------|
G:-12b14------------13r12-|--10~------12p10------10h12p10------10--|
D:------------------------|--------0---------12------------12------|
A:------------------------|----------------------------------------|
E:------------------------|----------------------------------------|


                                                                 hold
e:---------5--8--10-------------------------------------|-----------|
B:-------------------13--10----------10-----------------|-----------|
G:-12b13----------------------12b14------12--10~--12p10-|--12b13----|
D:------------------------------------------------------|-----------|
A:------------------------------------------------------|-----------|
E:------------------------------------------------------|-----------|



   bend
e:-----------------------------|--------------------------------------|
B:--13--13--13--13--13--13--13-|--15p13-------------------------------|
G:-----------------------------|--------------------------------------|
D:-----------------------------|-----------15--12---------------------|
A:-----------------------------|----------------------8--10--8----8--|
E:-----------------------------|--------------------------------------|
  


e:--------------------------------------------------|
B:--------------------------------------------------|
G:--------------------------------------------------|
D:-----------10-11-12----------10-11-12----------10-|
A:--10-11-12----------10-11-12----------10-11-12----|
E:--------------------------------------------------|


  
e:-------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B:-------------------------------------|-13b15-------13~-----------------|
G:-------------------12b14r12p10-------|--------------------13r12p10-----|
D:11-12-----------10-------------------|------------------------------12-|
A:-------10-11-12----------------------|---------------------------------|
E:-------------------------------------|---------------------------------|



e:--------------------------------|------------|
B:--------------------------------|------------|
G:-10h12--------------------------|------------|
D:--------15-12-11-10-------------|------------|
A:--------------------12--11-108-|-b9--------|
E:--------------------------------|------------|

When you're finished, play the rhythm twice more, but end the second one 
with this measure:

e:--x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-------------------|
B:--6-x-x-6-x-x-6-x-------------------|
G:--5-x-x-5-x-x-5-x-5h7-5-------------|
D:------------------------75-3-------|
A:-------------------------------5-3h5|
E:------------------------------------|

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Send "If You Have To Ask" Ringtone to your Cell Phone

Source: http://www.guitarmasta.net/r/red_hot_chili_peppers/299192.html

Tab Discussion, Comments, and Critiques


No Picture Spanky Lead Player	#1 by Spanky Man at Aug 29, 1971 at 2:59 PM EST
	Don't bother reading into it, the chorus sums it up pretty well.

No Picture Oliver Average	#2 by Oliver Taylor at May 12, 1973 at 1:33 AM EST
	"If you have to ask, you'll never know" is a quote from Louis Armstrong when asked what jazz was. I'm not entirely sure what that has to do with the song, but presumably something.

No Picture I BAKE YOU MUFF Average	#3 by I BAKE YOU MUFFIN at Nov 19, 1983 at 10:42 AM EST
	Flea repeats "If you have to ask, you'll never know" quite a lot in interviews and on stage.

No Picture [ßĩη& Average	#4 by [ßĩηŁ@Ðэń] at Feb 4, 1988 at 2:28 AM EST
	I think the original question asked of Mr. Amstrong, "what is swing," but yes, of course, Mr. Armstrong, famous jazz musician, and of course jazz was a strong influence with flea, the bass guitarist and the guy who set the funk grooves for the group//and of course, funk music being in the vein of jazz music, from jazz to soul to funk. Not about any particular of those genres, but just "groovin." So, essentially, while the chili peppers were always vocalizing their funk philosophy of life and music in interviews, the louis armstrong quote applies to them, too.

No Picture Josh Professional	#5 by Josh Wilson at Mar 8, 1989 at 10:26 AM EST
	don't ask, figure it out for yourself cause it's different to everyone

No Picture Brennan Wanna Be	#6 by Brennan unknown at Oct 30, 1992 at 1:52 AM EST
	this is based on a quote from some guy...if i could only remember who the hell that guy was

No Picture David Average	#7 by David Eldridge at Feb 19, 1996 at 2:59 AM EST
	The first Chili Peppers song I ever loved...

No Picture brad Average	#8 by brad everett at Mar 11, 1999 at 8:36 PM EST
	*have

No Picture Collin Average	#9 by Collin at Dec 21, 2000 at 7:21 PM EST
	I think maybe he's talking about sometime when he completely punked some bad ass guy with a "hard core" girlfriened who thaught that they we're hella hard. "Funky mother fucker will not be told to go." Maybe Ak is saying that he'll never be told to do anything becaue that is how funky he really is."Thinking of a few tabboos that I aught to kill..." Once again he's saying that he ain't perfect because he has bad tabboos, that maybe he should get rid of those because they're not so good. This is what I think. Anyone who thinks they should, should respond. By the way, this song is super hard. Lotsa attitude. I love it even to this day.

No Picture duncan_player Wanna Be	#10 by duncan_player at Jul 24, 2002 at 10:56 PM EST
	I love how Anthony Kiedis and John Frusciante's voices go so well with each other. I like how the song starts off all dark, then gets all funny and shit "funky motherfuckers will not be told to go..." I like how Kiedis says that, and I love singing John's Part "if you have to ask..." and i love the bass and guitar solos at the end, and if you listen closely, you can hear other people in the background cheering and clapping. they must have really had a good time making this album. obviously, because the Songs off BSSM, are pretty incredible....but yes i agree with ArianeTheFool on the meaning of this song.