CST Approved
Breaking The Girl is track three off the Red Hot Chili Peppers' massively successful 1991 album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik. The guitar part (on which I will focus) is unlike most of the others on the album, as it is played on an acoustic guitar, and uses more conventional chord-based ideas.
The Peppers' guitarist, John Frusciante, actually plays the song on a 12-string acoustic instrument, detuned one semitone: Eb, Ab, Db, Gb, Bb, Eb. A 12-string guitar is not essential - some chorus will help a 6-string guitar emulate the sound to some extent. Also, detuning is not necessary unless you want to play along with the CD, and even then, you could also put a capo on the 4th fret and transpose the tab given below.
At some points in the song, there are evidently two guitar parts. I will tab them both as necessary, although you can get away with only playing one part, which leaves the sound thinner and less rounded.
The strumming rhythms are quite syncopated and hence hard to tab, so refer to the album if in doubt. The song is in 6/8.
I am aware that this tab will be too wide for some displays - I apologise for any inconvenience, but I can't compress the notation or split it up any further without making the tab useless to everyone.
Notation
Pull-off Slide Fret-hand muting
------ -9\7-- ------
--8p7- -9\7-- --x---
--9p7- -9\7-- --x---
------ ------ --x---
------ ------ ------
------ ------ ------
Chords
C G Am Fmaj7
x o ooo xo o x o
====== ====== ====== ======
||||1| |||||| ||||1| ||||1|
||2||| |1|||| ||22|| |||2||
|3|||| 2||||3 |||||| |34|||
Tab
INTRO (twice):
Am B/A Am7 D/A E6/A A
-----------------------|-----------------------|---------------------------|----9---9--9---9---9---9--|
-2---2-2--2----2--2--2-|-4--5---5-5----5--5--x-|-7---7-7-------7--7--7-----|-9--10--10-10--10--10--10-|
-2---2-2--2----2--2--2-|-4--5---5-5----5--5--x-|-7---7-7-------7--7--7-----|-9--9---9--9---9---9---9--|
-2---2-2--2----2--2--2-|-4--5---5-5----5--5--x-|-7---7-7-------7--7--7-----|-9--11--11-11--11--11--11-|
-0---0-0--4p0--0--0--0-|-0--0---0-7p0--0--0----|-0---0-0--9p0--0-----0---0-|-0--0---0--0---0---0---0--|
-----------------------|-----------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------|
VERSE 1:
I am a man cut from the know
rarely do friends come and then go
she was a girl soft but estranged
we were the two our lives re-arranged
Am B/A Am7 D/A E6/A A
-----------------------|-----------------------|---------------------------|----9---9--9---9---9---9--|
-2---2-2--2----2--2--2-|-4--5---5-5----5--5--x-|-7---7-7-------7--7--7-----|-9--10--10-10--10--10--10-|
-2---2-2--2----2--2--2-|-4--5---5-5----5--5--x-|-7---7-7-------7--7--7-----|-9--9---9--9---9---9---9--|
-2---2-2--2----2--2--2-|-4--5---5-5----5--5--x-|-7---7-7-------7--7--7-----|-9--11--11-11--11--11--11-|
-0---0-0--4p0--0--0--0-|-0--0---0-7p0--0--0----|-0---0-0--9p0--0-----0---0-|-0--0---0--0---0---0---0--|
-----------------------|-----------------------|---------------------------|--------------------------|
PRE-CHORUS
C G Am C G Fmaj7
Feeling so good, that day. A feeling of love that day.
CHORUS:
Twisting and turning your feelings are burning you're breaking the girl
Am E7/B C6 G/D E7
P|0---0-0---0--0---0-0---0---|0---0-0--0---0---0-0---0--|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|10-1010-10-10-1010-10\|
A|1---1-1---1--3---3-3---3---|1---1-1--1---3---3-3---3x-|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9-\|
R|2---2-2---2--1---1-1---1---|2---2-2--2---4---4-4---4x-|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9-\|
T|2---2-2---2--0---0-0---0---|2---2-2--2---5---5-5---5x-|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9-\|
|0---0-0---0--2---2-2---2---|3---3-3--3---5---5-5---5--|7--7-7--7--7--7-7--7--|7--7-7--7--7--7-7--7-\|
1|-------------0---0-0---0---|--------------------------|0--0-0--0--0--0-0--0--|0--0-0--0--0--0-0--0--|
| | | | |
P|---------------------------|--------------------------|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|10-1010-10-10-1010-10\|
A|5---5-5---5----------------|--------------------------|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9-\|
R|5---5-5---5--7---7-7---7---|9---9-9--9---12--1212--12-|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9-\|
T|x---x-x---x--6---6-6---6---|7---7-7--7---9---9-9---9--|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9-\|
|x---x-x---x--x---x-x---x---|x---x-x--x---x---x-x---x--|7--7-7--7--7--7-7--7--|7--7-7--7--7--7-7--7-\|
2|5---5-5---5--7---7-7---7---|8---8-8--8---10--1010--10-|----------------------|----------------------|
She meant you no harm
Am E7/B C6 G/D F
P|0---0-0---0--0---0-0---0---|0---0-0--0---0---0-0---0--|1--1-1--1--1--1-1--1--|1--1-1--1--1--1-1--1--|
A|1---1-1---1--3---3-3---3---|1---1-1--1---3---3-3---3x-|1--1-1--1--1--1-1--1--|1--1-1--1--1--1-1--1--|
R|2---2-2---2--1---1-1---1---|2---2-2--2---4---4-4---4x-|2--2-2--2--2--2-2--2--|2--2-2--2--2--2-2--2--|
T|2---2-2---2--0---0-0---0---|2---2-2--2---5---5-5---5x-|3--2-3--3--3--3-3--3--|3--2-3--3--3--3-3--3--|
|0---0-0---0--2---2-2---2---|3---3-3--3---5---5-5---5--|3--3-3--3--3--3-3--3--|3--2-3--3--3--3-3--3--|
1|-------------0---0-0---0---|--------------------------|1--1-1--1--1--1-1--1--|1--1-1--1--1--1-1--1--|
| | | | |
P|---------------------------|--------------------------|8--8-8--8--8--8-8--8--|8--8-8--8--8--8-8--8--|
A|5---5-5---5----------------|--------------------------|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|
R|5---5-5---5--7---7-7---7---|9---9-9--9---12--1212--12-|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|
T|x---x-x---x--6---6-6---6---|7---7-7--7---9---9-9---9--|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|
|x---x-x---x--x---x-x---x---|x---x-x--x---x---x-x---x--|8--8-8--8--8--8-8--8--|8--8-8--8--8--8-8--8--|
2|5---5-5---5--7---7-7---7---|8---8-8--8---10--1010--10-|----------------------|----------------------|
Think you're so clever but now you must sever, you're breaking the girl
Am E7/B C6 G/D E7
P|0---0-0---0--0---0-0---0---|0---0-0--0---0---0-0---0--|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|
A|1---1-1---1--3---3-3---3---|1---1-1--1---3---3-3---3x-|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|
R|2---2-2---2--1---1-1---1---|2---2-2--2---4---4-4---4x-|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|
T|2---2-2---2--0---0-0---0---|2---2-2--2---5---5-5---5x-|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|
|0---0-0---0--2---2-2---2---|3---3-3--3---5---5-5---5--|7--7-7--7--7--7-7--7--|7--7-7--7--7--7-7--7--|
1|-------------0---0-0---0---|--------------------------|0--0-0--0--0--0-0--0--|0--0-0--0--0--0-0--0--|
| | | | |
P|---------------------------|--------------------------|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|
A|5---5-5---5----------------|--------------------------|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|
R|5---5-5---5--7---7-7---7---|9---9-9--9---12--1212--12-|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|
T|x---x-x---x--6---6-6---6---|7---7-7--7---9---9-9---9--|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|9--9-9--9--9--9-9--9--|
|x---x-x---x--x---x-x---x---|x---x-x--x---x---x-x---x--|7--7-7--7--7--7-7--7--|7--7-7--7--7--7-7--7--|
2|5---5-5---5--7---7-7---7---|8---8-8--8---10--1010--10-|----------------------|----------------------|
He loves no one else
Am E7/B C6 G/D F F7 E7
P|0---0-0---0--0---0-0---0---|0---0-0--0---0---0-0---0--|1--1-1--1--1--1-1--1--|1--1-1--1--0--0-0--0--|
A|1---1-1---1--3---3-3---3---|1---1-1--1---3---3-3---3x-|1--1-1--1--1--1-1--1--|4--4-4--4--3--3-3--3--|
R|2---2-2---2--1---1-1---1---|2---2-2--2---4---4-4---4x-|2--2-2--2--2--2-2--2--|2--2-2--2--1--1-1--1--|
T|2---2-2---2--0---0-0---0---|2---2-2--2---5---5-5---5x-|3--2-3--3--3--3-3--3--|1--1-1--1--0--0-0--0--|
|0---0-0---0--2---2-2---2---|3---3-3--3---5---5-5---5--|3--3-3--3--3--3-3--3--|3--2-3--3--2--2-2--2--|
1|-------------0---0-0---0---|--------------------------|1--1-1--1--1--1-1--1--|1--1-1--1--0--0-0--0--|
| | | | |
P|---------------------------|--------------------------|8--8-8--8--8--8-8--8--|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|
A|5---5-5---5----------------|--------------------------|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|
R|5---5-5---5--7---7-7---7---|9---9-9--9---12--1212--12-|8--8-8--8--8--8-8--8--|8--8-8--8--8--8-8--8--|
T|x---x-x---x--6---6-6---6---|7---7-7--7---9---9-9---9--|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|10-1010-10-10-1010-10-|
|x---x-x---x--x---x-x---x---|x---x-x--x---x---x-x---x--|8--8-8--8--8--8-8--8--|8--8-8--8--8--8-8--8--|
2|5---5-5---5--7---7-7---7---|8---8-8--8---10--1010--10-|----------------------|----------------------|
VERSE 2:
(tab as verse 1)
A B/A Am7 D/A E6/A A A B/A Am7 D/A E6/A A
Raised by my dad, girl of the day. He was my man, that was the way.
A B/A Am7 D/A E6/A A A B/A Am7 D/A E6/A A
She was a girl, left alone. Feeling no need to make me her home.
PRE-CHORUS (as above)
CHORUS (as above)
INTERLUDE (8 times):
P|------------------------|------------------------|
A|------------1-----------|------------1---1---1---|
R|----2-0-2---2---2-0-2---|----2-0-2---2---2---2---|
T|----2-0-2-------2-0-2---|----2-0-2---3---3---3---|
|0-----------------------|0-----------3---3---3---|
1|------------------------|------------------------|
| | |
P|0---x-x-x-x-----x-x-x-x-|0---x-x-x-x-13--13--13--|
A|1---x-x-x-x-----x-x-x-x-|1---x-x-x-x-13--13--13--|
R|2---x-x-x-x-5---x-x-x-x-|2---x-x-x-x-10--10--10--|
T|2---x-x-x-x-5---x-x-x-x-|2---x-x-x-x-10--10--10--|
|0---x-x-x-x-3---x-x-x-x-|0---x-x-x-x-10--10--10--|
2|----x-x-x-x-----x-x-x-x-|----x-x-x-x-------------|
CHORUS (as above)
OUTRO
PART 1: CHORUS, as above (fade out)
PART 2: (fade out)
|---12------12------12------12------------------------------------|
|---13------13------13------13------12-13---12-13---12-13---12-13-|
|------13------13------13------13---13-14---13-14---13-14---13-14-|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
How to play it
The order of the sections goes as shown above:
- INTRO
- VERSE 1
- PRE-CHORUS
- CHORUS
- VERSE2
- PRE-CHORUS
- CHORUS
- INTERLUDE
- CHORUS
- OUTRO
Some of chord changes can be a bit tricky at speed, at if you've never played any Frusciante, or indeed funk before, the 2nd guitar part in the chorus chould be troublesome, what with all the fret-hand mutings. Enjoy!