Red Hot Chili Peppers – Give It Away

Give It Away drum sheet music – a note-for-note accurate transcription of Chad Smith's drum part on Red Hot Chili Peppers' “Give It Away”, from the album Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991). Every groove and fill is written out exactly as recorded, in a clean, print-ready PDF.

About Give It Away drum sheet music

“Give It Away” was the first single from Blood Sugar Sex Magik, the album that made the Red Hot Chili Peppers worldwide stars. It won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance with Vocal and remains one of their signature songs.

This is Chad Smith at his funkiest: a hard-hitting groove with a loose hi-hat feel throughout, locked tightly with Flea’s bass. The part is all about attitude – the open, sloshy hi-hat, the punchy backbeat and the fills that push the band along. Perfect for drummers working on funk-rock feel.

A drum transcription taken from the original recording

Every bar of this Give It Away drum transcription comes from the original recording. Instead of an approximate groove with a couple of fills, you get the whole drum part – so if you need Give It Away drum notes that sound like the record when you play them, this is the version to use.

The sheet music is professionally engraved and easy to read on a music stand or on a tablet. Each part of the song is clearly labelled, and repeats with first- and second-time endings keep the layout compact, so you spend less time turning pages and more time playing.

Song facts

• Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Album: Blood Sugar Sex Magik (1991)
• Drummer: Chad Smith
• Style: funk rock

What you get

Your Give It Away drum sheet music download includes:

• The full song, transcribed note-for-note from the original recording
• Clearly labelled song sections
• Professionally engraved, print-ready PDF
• Instant download after purchase

How to practise Give It Away on drums

Here is a practice plan that works well for Give It Away:

1. Listen with the sheet music. Notice the loose hi-hat feel – it is part of the groove.
2. Practise the groove slowly. Get the hi-hat and kick pattern even.
3. Work on the hi-hat sound. Keep it slightly open and loose, like the record.
4. Lock in with the bass. Sing Flea’s bass line while you play.
5. Play with the record. Match the attitude, not just the notes.
6. Record yourself. Check your groove stays tight under the loose sound.

Why note-for-note sheet music?

Learning Give It Away by ear or from a free tab usually means guessing the details – which fill goes where, what the hi-hat is doing, how a section ends. Accurate sheet music takes the guesswork out: the rhythms are exact, the song structure is clear, and you can focus on playing instead of decoding.

Who is this sheet music for?

Give It Away drum sheet music suits intermediate drummers who love funk rock, Chad Smith fans and Chili Peppers cover bands.

About Chad Smith

Chad Smith joined the Red Hot Chili Peppers in 1988. His mix of funk, rock and hard-hitting groove powers albums such as Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Californication and Stadium Arcadium.

More Red Hot Chili Peppers drum sheet music

Want more than one song? The Funk & Groove Drum Sheet Music Collection includes Give It Away together with other songs, at a lower price than buying them one by one. You can also get other Red Hot Chili Peppers songs one by one: Otherside, Around The World, Under The Bridge and By The Way. See them all on the Red Hot Chili Peppers drum sheet music page.

Frequently asked questions

Is it the complete Give It Away drum part?

Yes. The whole song is transcribed note-for-note from the record, including every fill, as heard on Blood Sugar Sex Magik.

Is Give It Away drum sheet music a tab or real notation?

It is real drum notation on a five-line staff, the standard way drum parts are written. If you are used to tabs, it is worth the switch – notation shows the rhythm exactly, which tabs can’t.

How is the sheet music delivered?

As a PDF download. The link shows up as soon as you complete checkout and is emailed to you as well.

How do I get the loose hi-hat sound in Give It Away?

Keep the hi-hat slightly open with your foot so the cymbals wash together. The sheet music shows the groove, and the record shows the sound.

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