Flea Reveals He Still Takes Music Lessons

Flea revealed he still takes music lessons. The legendary Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist spoke to Bass Player magazine and explained how he looks back at the band's past and his individual musicianship: “I’m always discovering things, y'know, and trying to develop. I like to think that the best parts of myself back then, I’ve kept, and that I’ve gotten rid of the bits that I don’t need. I’ll try to add more essential parts and I’ll get better.”

He went on to say, “Y'know, I really want to be a good jazz bass player — that’s something I really want to do, whenever I get the time. I was studying with someone for a little while, around the time I finished tracking on the last Chili Peppers album. I was studying jazz with this girl whose husband plays saxophone on our record, just working on trying to play through changes on walking bass, because upright bass is the most comforting sound to me. I remember when we were tracking Californication, we were all sitting around the studio lounge, and John (Frusciante) was asking everybody in the room, 'What’s the real comfort music that you put on and it’s like breathing?' I realized that for me, it’s jazz, mostly because I liked it when I was a kid.”

Fleas shed light on how he maintains his bass chops: “When we’re on tour, I’m playing so much. We’re playing gigs all the time, and I play scales for an hour before every show. Something about the Chili Peppers is that never for a second have we ever taken the audience for granted, or thought 'We’ll just go out and play the hits.' I always take every show as a sacred moment, as part of a mission of being alive. So I keep my chops up. I’m ready. I’m ready!”

Guitarist John Frusciante told us a while back that Flea literally lives and breathes music: “Flea's been practicing the bass more than I've ever seen him practice it in my life. In his whole life he's never learned songs by people and lately he's been learning Joy Division songs, and David Bowie songs, and Beatles songs on the piano.”

Red Hot Chili Peppers next perform on June 4th in Seville, Spain at Estadio La Cartuja De Sevilla.

UPDATED: Red Hot Chili Peppers North American dates tour dates (subject to change):

July 23 – Denver, CO – Empower Field at Mile High (with HAIM and Thundercat)
July 27 – San Diego, CA – Petco Park (with HAIM and Thundercat)
July 29 – Santa Clara, CA – Levi's Stadium (with Beck and Thundercat)
July 31 – Los Angeles, CA – SoFi Stadium (with Beck and Thundercat)
August 3 – Seattle, WA – T-Mobile Park (with The Strokes and Thundercat)
August 6 – Las Vegas, NV – Allegiant Stadium (with The Strokes and King Princess)
August 10 – Atlanta, GA – Truist Park (with The Strokes and Thundercat)
August 12 – Nashville, TN – Nissan Stadium (with The Strokes and Thundercat)
August 14 – Detroit, MI – Comerica Park (with The Strokes and Thundercat)
August 17 – E. Rutherford, NJ – Metlife Stadium (with The Strokes and Thundercat)
August 19 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field (with The Strokes and Thundercat)
August 21 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre (with The Strokes and Thundercat)
August 30 – Miami, FL – Hard Rock Stadium (with The Strokes and Thundercat)
September 1 – Charlotte, NC – Bank of America Stadium (with The Strokes and Thundercat)
September 3 – Philadelphia, PA – Citizens Bank Park (with The Strokes and Thundercat)
September 8 – Washington, DC – Nationals Park (with The Strokes and Thundercat)
September 10 – Boston, MA – Fenway Park (with St. Vincent and Thundercat)
September 15 – Orlando, FL – Camping World Stadium (with The Strokes and Thundercat)
September 18 – Arlington, TX – Globe Life Field (with The Strokes and Thundercat)
September 25 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life Festival
October 7, 8, 9 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Music Festival – RHCP performance date TBA
October 14, 15, 16 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Music Festival – RHCP performance date TBA