Please help with this tab

[Matty]

Hi im a begginer on guitar and i really like the red hot chiller peppers, especially By The Way.
This is why i ask for all you good people out there to help me figure out what this means.

|-xxx-xxx-xxxx-xxx-xx10xxx10xxxx|(131313)|
|-xxx-xxx-xxxx-xxx-xx10xxx10xxxx|-131313-|
|-xxx-xxx-xxxx-xxx-xx10xxx10xxxx|-121212-|
|-------------------------------|--------|
|-------------------------------|--------|
|-------------------------------|--------|

Could you please tell me what this means and which part it is in the song.
I played up to the bit where it says Overload but is this riff the part which goes

Steakknife... Card Shark... Con Job... Boot Cut

If it is i will be very happy :) because i have got stuck.
Thanks

[kai_subfusc]

all i can say is the x parts mean to mute the strings or sometihng... i cant really help in determining which part of the song is it.. i havent listened to it much and my stupid comp speakers are spoilt..grr..
well i hope it helped..

[luecke]

the x's do mean to mute the strings. place your fret hand on the strings lightly enough to stop them from ringing, but not hard enough to play any notes and strum away. it should give a good percussive sound...

and the notes in parenthesis can have a couple meanings... in general it means that those notes are not always played. ive seen that used to mean that the guitarist will finger the note, but not intentionally strum it. and it is also used if there is a repeat in the song, but those notes are only played on one of the passes through the repeat (ie. dont play them the first time you play the passage, but when you repeat and get back to it, play them ... or vice versa) ... if you cant really figure it out from the tab, use the golden rule: WHEN IN DOUBT, LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN TO THE MUSIC!

[duffhackymaster]

I think the parenthasys (i suck at spelling) are called ghost notes. I think there optional, or played lightly. If i find more about them ill tell you.

[Dax]

Luecke had it right. The notes in parentheses could be a couple different things. Usually they are played once, but not the second time (on a repeat), or the other way around.

The sheet that you have should definitly have an explanation as to what you do with them. If there is none, just do what duffhackymaster said, and ghost them. (Finger them, but don't let them take a dominent role in the sound.)

PS, Matty, when making tab, use "the code":


|-xxx-xxx-xxxx-xxx-xx10xxx10xxxx|(131313)|
|-xxx-xxx-xxxx-xxx-xx10xxx10xxxx|-131313-|
|-xxx-xxx-xxxx-xxx-xx10xxx10xxxx|-121212-|
|-------------------------------|--------|
|-------------------------------|--------|
|-------------------------------|--------|


It makes it so much easier to line everything up, and prevents other people from misunderstanding what you are trying to write. It actually looks like you want it to!

For more info read the forum rules.