 " Under the Bridge " is performed in 4 / 4 time in the key of A major , shifting from the key of E major after the first verse . The song marks an important shift in style for Kiedis , who had spent most of his career singing rapidly due to his limited ability to reach high notes . The song begins with Frusciante playing a moderately slow intro that the guitarist said drew heavily on the 1967 Jimi Hendrix song " Little Wing " . As Kiedis begins to sing , the guitar playing becomes more rapid until it reaches an E major seventh chord that halts the song ; the silence is broken by Chad Smith 's closed hi @-@ hat and wood block struck at a moderately fast tempo . Frusciante borrowed the E major seventh chord technique from British guitarist Marc Bolan of the glam rock band T. Rex , who initially wrote it in the song " Rip Off " from the group 's 1971 album Electric Warrior ; Frusciante lightheartedly noted that " I ripped off a song called ' Rip Off ' . I thought that was interesting . " 
