EW EUROS) Cover photo by Ken Settle Bet Per CEL eet raat60 Discography 61 Guitar Notation Legend Page Title CD Track 4 Introduction 5 Kurt’s Sound 7 — The Songs 7 The Recording 8 Smells Like Teen Spirit 17 13 Come as You Are 813 17 Lithium 14-17 | 21 Ona Plain 18-21 26 (New Wave) Polly 22-25 | 29° Heart Shaped Box 26-0 34 Rape Me 31-36 40 Dumb 37-42 4% Penny Royal Tea 43-46 48 All Apologies 47-60 52 About a Girl 51-56 85 The Man Who Sold the World 57-62INTRODUCTION When Nevermind was released in 1991, it all but nailed the coffin shut on the dying metal scene of the eighties. Seemingly overnight, “grunge” had become America's new craze, and the members of Nirvana were hailed as the heroes of a new generation, The first single from the album, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” became nothing short of an anthem to misunderstood youth everywhere. Seattle instantly became the musical hotspot of the ration, and the music industry stood up and took notice in a big way. Within months, bands like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and Alice in Chains became household names. Gone were the hair extensions, spandex, and headbands of the eighties; in their place came flannel, flannel, and more flannel. Ironically, the anti-fashion “grunge look” became the fashion of the day, and it didn’t take long before designers began charging an arm and a leg for clothes that most people would have stored in boxes in the basement or attic. By all accounts, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain was utterly unprepared to fill the poster-boy role he had unwillingly assumed. This was to become all too clear in the years to come. Kurt Cobain was born on February 20, 1967 in Hoquaim, a small town southwest of Seattle, Washington. The family soon moved to the logging town of Aberdeen, where Kurt grew up. His father, an auto mechanic, and his mother, a cocktail waitress, divorced when he was seven, and Kurt was said to have never recovered from the feeling of aban- donment dealt to him by his father. Struggling to find his place and labeled by “jocks” as an outcast for his interest in music and art, Kurt dropped out of high school and eventually moved to Olympia in 1985. Itwas there that he met bassist Chris (Krist) Novoselic. Kurt and Chris played with various members at this time and recorded Bleach in 1989 for Sub Pop, an independent Seattle label. This recording featured Jason Everman on additional guitar duties and Chad ‘Channing on drums. (Dale Grover also played drums on three tracks.) Soon the group set- tled into its final lineup consisting of Kurt, Chris, and mult-instrumentalist Dave Grohl on ‘drums and backup vocals. By 1991, the band was receiving quite a bit of recognition in England, and eventually Geffen bought out their Sub Pop contract and signed them. ‘Nevermind shot to #1 on the charts and redefined the term “overnight success,” selling 10 million copies and turning the band into instant millionaires. Shocked by the life- changing turn of events and coping with stomach ulcers, Cobain turned to drugs to ease the pain. Meanwhile, the desperate and naked personal lyrics of songs like “Smells Like Teen Spirit"“Come as You Are” ‘In Bloom,’ and Lithium” earned Cobain the “poet of a new generation’ ttle within the band's quickly-growing mass of followers. On February 24, 11992, Kurt married Courtney Love in Hawaii. (Kurt wore his pajamas during the ceremo- ny) Later that same year, Geffen released a compilation of rarities called Incesticide, con- sisting of earlier recorded material, which went on to reach platinum status. ‘After a worldwide tour in support of Nevermind, the band recorded and released their second full-length studio album, In Utero, for Geffen in 1993. Although the sales were only half that of Nevermind, the album was still an enormous success, reaching #1 on Billboard and producing the hits “Heart Shaped Box; “Rape Me;" and “All Apologies." The ‘mood of In Utero, more harsh and abrasive than Nevermind, was reportedly an attempt by the band to shake some of the inauthentic fans that had jumped onto the bandwagon over the past year. The dichotomy of simultaneously living and detesting the rock-star image constantly tortured Kurt, turning his life into an inescapable contradiction. In November of 1993, Nirvana toured in support of In Utero and filmed an acoustic performance for the popular "MTV Unplugged” program. MTV Unplugged in New York, while lacking many of the band's biggest hits, went on to become another big success, again reaching #1. The singles from this album included “About a Girl""The Man Who Sold the World,” and “All Apologies” Throughout his tumultuous ride of stardom, Cobain had tried several times, unsuc- cessfully, to kick his drug habit. His worsening depression became unbearable, and on March 4, 1994, he was left in a coma after a failed suicide attempt in which he swallowedapproximately fifty prescription painkillers. After being released, he was admitted to a detox program in Los Angeles, but he fled after only a few days. On April 5, 1994, he took his own life with a shotgun. The effect of Nirvana's music on the record industry and the general public is pal pable. They undeniably changed the face of popular music, fashion, and ideologies around the world; many have dubbed them “the Beatles of our generation.” While others may debate such a claim, one thing is certain: though (as of this writing) nearly a decade has passed since their arrival on the scene, their influence is still undeniable. Dave Grohl has since enjoyed great commercial success fronting his band Foo Fighters, while Chris Novoselic has remained active with his band Sweet 75. Though the loss of Cobain is viewed as one of rock's greatest tragedies, his music lives on in the hearts of fans every- where, and the message of his lyrics still resounds as clearly as ever. KURT’S SOUND Central to the Nirvana sound was Kurt's guitar tone. Contrary to public opinion, Kurt did not search for crappy-sounding instruments or take an apathetic approach toward his sound, He was constantly searching for the right guitar and other equipment to suit his needs. (Granted, sometimes he just needed equipment that could survive a good beating Cn stage.) Here we'll ake a look at some of the elements that helped to define the Cobain guitar tone. Guitars In the early Nirvana years, Kurt could usually be found playing a Univox Mosrite copy called a “Hi-Flyer” These guitars usually had maple fingerboards and single-coil pickups, although he usually had these replaced with humbuckers. It was with this guitar that he recorded Bleach. A similar guitar to this can be seen in the “Heart-Shaped Box" video. The guitar that would eventually become Kurt's favorite is the Fender Mustang, With his advance for the Nevermind album he bought several of these, including his favorite, a 1969 Lake Placid Blue “competition” model. This is the guitar featured in the Video for “Smells Like Teen Spirit” It featured two black single coils, a white mother-of- earl pickguard, and a matching headstock. He had the bridge replaced with a Stewart MacDonald Gotoh Tune-O-Matic. Many of his other Mustangs had the bridge pickups replaced with humbuckers—usually Seymour Duncan JB Hotrails. Other guitars he bought with the advance money included a red Fender Jaguar, which he used quite a bit, and some Japanese Strats (again, he replaced the bridge pickups with humbuckers). He stocked up on Mexican Strats as well, but these were mostly used for smashing at the end shows. On the Nevermind tour, Kurt also occasionally used a Tele that had been painted blue (it was originally a sunburst). Kurt would remain partial to Fender guitars throughout the rest of his career, but he did have a few guitars custom-made for him. One of them is the Ferrington, built by Danny Ferrington in 1992. This guitar was based on a Mustang, but featured a few alter- ations. The body was made of basswood, and it featured a maple neck and rosewood fret- board. Ithhad a Gibson-style bridge, which stayed in tune better than the original Mustang bridge. It featured heart-shaped inlays on the fretboard, two single-coils and a humbuck- er in the bridge, and a Mustang-style pickguard. The slide switches normally found on a ‘Mustang were replaced by a toggle switch. Kurt was reportedly very fond of this guitar and claimed to use it only for recording. ‘The second custom-made guitar of note is the Jag-Stang. This was a collabora- tion with Fender based on the Jaguar and Mustang. It featured a Dimarzio humbucker in the bridge and a Texas Special single-coil in the neck position. It is unclear whether Kurt was in favor of these guitars being mass-produced, as this did not occur until after his death‘As for acoustic guitars, Kurt used a 12-string Stella Harmony—it only had five nylon strings on it that had never been changed—for a few songs on the Nevermind album, including “(New Wave) Polly” and “Something in the Way.” The strings and tuners were replaced and this guitar was used again on the In Utero album. The Stella was even- tually replaced with an Epiphone Texan, which served as one of his main acoustics. For the “Unplugged” alum, he used a late fifties Martin D-18E, This became his other main acoustic used for ive shows. It featured two pickups and three control knobs, but Kurt had ‘a Bartoloni 3 AV pickup installed because the stock pickups were designed for nickel strings, not bronze-wound. Amplification In the early days, Kurt used Randall heads and a Sunn-Beta Lead head to drive various cabinets, including a 4x12 Peavey and a 2x12 BF Bullfrog. Around the time of ‘Nevermind, Kurt began using a Mesa Boogie Studio Preamp and a Crown power amp to drive a variety of Marshall cabinets. Kurt has said in interviews that he turned the midrange all the way up on his preamp. He eventually replaced the Crown power amps with Crest power amps, on account of their ability to withstand Nirvana's violent stage antics. Kurt used this setup for the latter part of the Nevermind tour through the entire /n Utero tour. Other amps used for the Nevermind alum included a Fender Bassman and a Vox AC30 for some clean tracks. ‘Another amp he frequently used was an early eighties Fender Twin Reverb. This ‘amp can be heard on In Utero and MTV Unplugged in New York, though itis uncertain as to whether it can actually be heard on Unplugged. (It is believed to have only served as Kurt's monitor.) Effects Distortion Pedals Kurt regularly made use of several different distortion pedals in addition to the amp gain. Perhaps the most commonly used one is the Boss DS-1 Distortion. This pedal was used on Bleach and Nevermind. He also made use of a ProCo Rat Distortion and an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff fuzz pedal on a few songs. For the Nevermind tour, Kurt switched to a Boss DS-2 Turbo Distortion pedal and continued to use this as his main distortion through the recording of In Utero. This pedal was also used for distortion on the Unplugged album. His settings for this pedal were reportedly as follows: Level all the way up; Tone at about 11 o'clock; Distortion usually all the way up; and the last knob was set to “non-turbo.” During the recording of In Utero, he also began experimenting with the Tech 21 Classic Sansamp pedal. This became his dis- tortion of choice throughout the entire In Utero tour. Chorus/Flange/Phase Without question, Kurt's most frequently used chorus pedal was the Electro- Harmonix Small Clone. It was used on probably every album and tour at some point. During the In Utero tour, Kurt also used an Electro-Harmonix PolyChorus for the solo of “Heart Shaped Box.” ‘Occasionally on tour, Kurt made use of an MXR Phase 100 pedal, as on the song “Curmudgeon” He also briefly made use of an Electro-Harmonix EchoFlanger on tour.- | THE SONGS The songs in this book come from the following albums: Nevermind ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit," “Come as You Are;"“Lithium,’ ‘On a Plain” incesticide “(New Wave) Polly" In Utero “Heart Shaped Box,” “Rape Me,’ *Dumb,"“Penny Royal Tea,’ “All Apologies” MTV Unplugged in New York “About a Girl” “The Man Who Sold the World” THE RECORDING Doug Boduch: guitars Tom McGirr: bass Scott Schroedl: drums Recorded at Sleepless Nights, Madison, WI Follow the audio icons (@) in the book to keep your spot on the CD. The track icons are placed after the figure numbers at the top of each figure. Featured guitar parts are panned hard to the right, so they can be isolated for study or panned out so you can jam along with the band. When more than one icon appears after a figure, the first track listed is a recording of the figure in full, and all other tracks are notable guitar parts played at a slower speed.SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT Nevermind Words and Music by Kurt Cobain, Chris Novoselic and David Grohl Figure 1 - Intro The first single from the Nevermind album instantly became a radio and MTV sta- ple; overnight, everyone was talking about this new song called “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by this band called Nirvana. The song perfectly captured the growing apathy and angst of ‘America’s youth during the early nineties, and millions related to its message. The pro- duction of the song no doubt played an integral part in its success. The slick, glossy pro- duction of the metal genre had been replaced with a raw, “grungy” approach. On account of this, the term “grunge” became the new catchword of the day, and a revolution in pop- lar music was imminent. Ironic as it may seem, at its core, “Smells Like Teen Spirit” (reaching #6 on the pop charts), along with most Nirvana songs, is a pop song. Loaded with hooks galore, the song perfectly fits within the confines of the classic pop arrangement, including concise verses, pre-choruses, and a memorable chorus. The sections are clearly delineated and unam- biguous in length or substance; in short, the song is catchy as hell. The ability to blend bril- liant pop craftsmanship with such emotional poignancy is no doubt largely responsible for the band’s mass appeal. Certainly one of the most memorable riffs of the nineties (and perhaps in the his- tory of rock), the intro to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” consists of barre chords and muted per- cussive strokes strummed with a dry, half-dirty tone. The Fsus4, 8, Aysus4, and D> shapes make up only half of this riff; the muted clicks in between the chords are equally as important. At the end of the second repetition, a second guitar joins in with full distor- tion on the D> chord, and the mayhem is underway. The two-measure riff (Rhy. Fig. 1) is repeated four times at full band volume. (Note: the G/A chords at the end of certain mea- sures are incidentally sounded by lifting off the fingers while fretting a new chord, Struggling to recreate this exactly as written will be counterproductive.) % ° Fig. | Intro. Driving Rock 4 = 116 Foust Bb GIA Absust Db GIA = : aan All ignts Contralee ana Agmigrorod by EMI VIRGIN SONGS, INC. 8 AIFights Heserved Intemational Copyright Secured ~ Used by Permission Sr ine Full Band Slow Demo Gin meas. 1-2 Db Gi Th?as aise ee eae Foust GIA Absust GIA Absust Ry. Fig ed Ry. ig MAnkmamMe Ramee Figure 2 - Verse and Pre-Chorus After the attention-getting intro, the dynamics drop dramatically for the verse. Here, Gtr. 2 drops out, and Gir. 1 plays a simple, memorable two-note figure (Riff A) with ‘a chorused clean tone. The C/F diad is allowed to ring over all four chords, creating a sparse, eerie backdrop for Kurt's cryptic lyrics. Notice the question-and-answer phrasing of the vocal melody; the D>-C half-step move at the end of the first two measures is answered at the end of the fourth measure by an A>-G half step. This question-and- answer phrasing is also evident in the chorus. During the pre-chorus, Gtr. 2 joins Gtr. 1 for a hypnotic, droning riff consisting of the alternating notes C and F in quarter notes. The tone here is distorted and still affect- ed with a chorus. Combined with the two-note “hello” refrain in the vocals, the section cre- ates a sense of great anticipation in the listener. This is heightened with Dave Grohl's drum fil n the final two measures, assuring us that something is about to happen. QI eee *N.CAPS) (Bb5) (AbS) (DbS) (FS). (Bb5) (AbS) (Db5) — i x — A = 5. FD BbS) cabs) rs) 5) «Bb5) (ass) wes) a Se SS) 9 (FS) (BbS) (AbS) (Db5) (FS) (BbS) (AbS) (Dds) ia af Ca Ge a aa —— She'so - ver = bored. and self - as- sured. Oh no, 1 know. a dirt, y word. -Pre-Chorus 13 (F5) (BbS) (Ab5) (DbS) (PS) (BbS) (Ab5) ge SSS sss “vrng = = a= hel- lo, how low «Dbs) (abs) Sp «Dbs) «F5) (Bbs) (abs) Se SS : dering === (D5) hl - lo, — Withthe lights {2 wide Figure 3 - Chorus and Bridge The chorus consists of six repetitions of Rhy. Fig. 1 played by Gtrs. 1 and 2. Again, the question-and-answer phrasing in the vocal melody is present, exploiting the halt-step motive for a structurally cohesive effect. After the chorus, a four-measure bridge is heard, based on the repetition of a two-measure power-chord rif. In measure 13, the chromatic power chords of F5-E5-F5-G'5 are answered by a raunchy whole-step bend from Bb to ©, doubled by the vocal. Measure 14 consists of the same F5-E5-F5 move, this time answered by power chords B> and A>. This two-measure riff is repeated verbatim except {or the addition of a chromatic passing AS chord in between the B and A> at the end 9 measure 16. GIA_Ab: Fig.3 Chorus in 1 wR 1 oe Foust Bb GIA_Absust Db Spt EEE it's less dan GIA. Foust Bb gimus, Here we are now, enter tain ge pid Bb oe and conta = D> Eee Here we are now GIA Foust Bb GIA_Abs sous cen ter tain Bb ptf hts AELiee GIA__Absust Full Band Slow Demo Gus. 182 meas. 13-16 Db OGIA cor 1 feel stu ust, Bridge 13 FS EF FSGbS N.C. FSICESIBFSICBbS AbSC/E FS ESF5G53 N.C SIC ES/BFSICBbS AS Abs SSE Figure 4 — Guitar Solo, Interlude, and Third Verse ‘After the second chorus and bridge, at 2:52, Git. 3 enters with the guitar solo. This, is essentially a restatement of the vocal melody in the verse and pre-chorus. The distort- ed tone is compressed and treated to a heavy chorus, creating a warbling, underwater ‘effect. Throughout the solo, techniques such as slides and bends are employed to lend a vvocal-like quality. At the end of the solo, the final tonic note (F) is Sustained for a four-mea- ‘sure interlude backed only by a bass guitar. This note is held throughout the final verse and allowed to feed back, generating the notes Di, C, and EF. QI revs Siow Demo Ls eee Fores > 7 eas «Bousd Bb GIA Absus4 Db GIAFsus4 Bb GIA Absusd pe dS, = or Foust Bb GIA Absust Db GA Fuust Bb GIA Absust Db GIA St Foust Bb GIA Absust Db GIA Faust Bb GIA Absust (SASS Nis PS "Faust Bb GIA Absust Db GIA Foust Bb GIA Absusd Db GIA eS Pe aS 3 = 6 |— cs ++ = Interlude N.CAFS) (BOS) (Abs) (bs) (3) (Bb5) (Abs) (D5) =a a a NCHS) (BbS) (abs) (D5) abs) was) hs) SSS ee == eget geet paee ereeat Pee eel ala a ace: Db . (BbS) (AbS) (Db5) (FS) (Bb5) (AbS) (Dbs) epee einige =, iz | “= - OP Ctorts or E pitches Db eCOME AS YOU ARE Nevermind Words and Music by Kurt Cobain Figure 5 - Intro and Verse ‘The second single released from Nevermind immediately and effectively demon- strated the diversity of Nirvana as a band. Contrasting the violent and explosive angst of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” “Come as You Are” (#32) casts a dark, pensive mood with evoca- tive lyrics and a steady, hypnotic beat. This is not to say, however, that it doesn't have any- thing in common with “Teen Spirit” “Come as You Are” is similarly filed with hooky riffs, catchy melodies, and ear-catching shifts in dynamics. The tune is another pop master- piece, blending memorable elements with a pithy, emotional delivery. The intro begins with another unmistakable guitar rif. Cobain had plenty of guitar hooks within him, and this one certainly stands out as one of his finest and most memo- rable, Played with a clean tone and treated to a flanging effect, the two-measure Riff A suggests the harmony of Fém-E5. The beauty of this riff lies in its elegant simplicity; there's nothing difficult or contrived-sounding about it. One could almost use the word “graceful” to describe the way it smoothly connects the F¢ note and the E note by way of the chromatic Fs, After two repetitions of the riff unaccompanied, the band joins in, (Note: Kurt tuned his guitar down one whole step for this song.) ‘The verse is sung over four repetitions of Riff A, with a variation on the final mea sure of the fourth repetition. Here, Kurt opens the riff up to a full E chord to signify the coming pre-chorus. Notice again the succinct structure of the vocal melody: four nearly verbatim repetitions of a four-measure phrase. Grr ‘ Fig. 5 2 Slow Demo Full Band meas. 1-2 ish D-C Intro Moderate Rock J = 120 NC(F¢m) (5) Fem) (ES) 1 an) far aa sree & ag fend tA — as 6 a a ip kt epg po pats (F#m) (E5) (F&m) _ES) Bs rf ora te Sos fae (© 1991 Ell VIRGIN SONGS, INC. and THE END OF MUSIC [Al Fights Coatoleg ans Administored by EMI VIRGIN SONGS, INC. Al Fights Record Intematoral Copyright Secured” Used by Parmision 13Fem) (eS) tm) (eS) gis It teptet t frteen opt oH a Take a rest asa friend asan old San Spe Figure 6 - Second Chorus and Bridge In the chorus, Kurt creates an effective and supportive rhythm guitar part over the repeated “memoria” melody. The chords consists of Fésus4 and A; notice how the sus- pended 4th of the F# chord (B) is resolved to the tonic note of the following A chord. This Creates a hook within what would otherwise be a common F#m-A chord sequence. Use your thumb to finger the low F# note for ths riff; the rest of the voicing can then be easily ‘managed with your first, third, and fourth fingers. ‘After the second chorus, we come to the bridge. At this point, a fully distorted Gtr. 2 joins Gir. 1 for a two-measure progression of Bsus4-Dadd9. These two chords possess ‘a mediant relationship; i.e., they are a 3rd apart. This is a favorite device of Cobain’s and ‘can be found in many of his songs. The two guitars compliment each other to create a huge wall of sound. Notice the similarities here to the chorus. We stil have the suspend- ed 4th resolving down a whole step: only here it's transposed up a 4th. This clever rework- ing of previously heard material is another trait of thoughtful composition. After the bridge, the intro riff is restated, this time with a distorted tone (not shown). > Full Band Slow Demo Git meas. 1-2, oy = ae A rie = et 14Bsus that pet don't LG iz fee - erg fEGiiy fbggai fig] ——— : = s SoFigure 7 - Guitar Solo Over Riff A, Gtr. 3 enters with a chorused, distorted tone and restates the vocal melody. This same approach can be found in “Smells Like Teen Spirit” The entire solo is played on the G string, lending continuity to the tone. Notice again the use of slides and bends to infuse a vocal quality into the lines. The same phrase is played verbatim four times; hey, ifit ain't broke, don't fix it! or sme } Gia meas. 14 Guitar Solo LEa - E 1 NCFEm) (ES) (Fem) {ES) (ES) ata : SES 7 ¢ a Le ce a w E 4 oe i +o we e * 16LITHIUM Nevermind Words and Music by Kurt Cobain Figure 8 ~ Intro and Verse “Lithium,” lke several other Nirvana songs, seems to have its feet in two different worlds. If someone were to hear just a sample of the verse and then a sample of the cho- rus, they probably wouldn't think for a minute that they were listening to the same song, The tune seems to perfectly blend the prominent elements of “Come as You Are” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit” featuring a steady moderate beat and an explosive chorus. The intro begins similar in fashion to “Come as You Are” with an unaccompanied clean-tone electric for four measures. Here, though, Kurt's playing is less riffy and more chordal. The four-measure progression of E-Gt5-C#5-A5-C5-D5-B5-DS is a classic example of one of Kurt's most commonly-used songwriting devices: modal mixture—i.e., ‘mixing parallel major and minor modes. Things start off in measures 1 and 2 harmlessly enough, with all four chords derived from the E major scale (E-F-G#-A-B-C-D?). In measure 3, however, we see the two non-diatonic (outside the key) chords of C5 and DS. These two chords are "borrowed" from the parallel key of E minor (E-F#-G-A-B-C-D). It's highly unlikely that Kurt was thinking in terms of modal mixture when he composed this song, as he wasn't a schooled musician and couldn't read music. His ear, however, certainly favored this type of chord relationship, as he makes use of this device many times in his songs. This progression (Rhy. Fig. 1) continues under the verse. Notice the mixture of muted and un-muted attacks, slides, and rests throughout the figure, creating an inter- esting and rhythmically dynamic texture. For the final measure of the verse, Gtr. 1 kicks on the distortion and is doubled by Gtr. 2 for the BS and D5 chords preceding the chorus, fies = lowrohig DO Sit meas. 4 Sat. 1 (clean) (E) GHS #3, “SSF gads°33 + ras * = o_ Gts CHS AS cs Ds (SS ere ame - MAPS jo ss ° + * te re —— (© 1991 EMI VIRGIN SONGS, INC. and THE END OF MUSIC AllRights Controlag and Aminstores by EMM VIRGIN SONGS, INC ‘AI Fights Fesored Intemational Copyright Secured ~ Used by Permission 7ces: AS = bs B Hees oro Aes pts ty) a Sapa as aE " {oe Ces ss bs 8 D = # 5 is eee ee ae ce ss my we sPeeSe oe ite eet Pa OA b peti : at 7 SEE Figure 9 - Second Chorus and Bridge The chorus is built on the same progression as the verse, but the sections hardly sound alike. Gtrs. 1 and 2 are fully distorted, while the drums and bass are pounding away at deafening volume to support Kurt's one-word sing-a-long refrain of “Yeah." The third time through the progression, the vocal melody is varied with a short diatonic descent {E-D#-C?), successfully refreshing the section while simultaneously signaling the end of the section. ‘The bridge is built upon a repeated two-measure progression of A5~C5. If this relationship sounds familiar, there's good reason. This same mediant relationship was used in the bridge section of "Come as You Are.” In fact, the sections are even built upon the same degree of the tonic scale. In “Come as You Are” the bridge section begins on BS, the Ath in the tonic key of F# minor. In “Lithium,” the bridge section begins on AS, the 4th of E. The harmonic rhythm, or duration that each chord lasts, is different, however. Here, the chords are changing every two beats; in “Come as You Are” they each lasted a full measure. Occasionally Kurt will precede the AS chord with an ascending three-note bass riff on the sixth string: E~G-G#. This helps to lend weight to the AS chord and also helps 18to keep things interesting. Speaking of keeping things interesting, listen to how Chris Novoselic accomplishes this by way of playing varied eighth-note fills throughout the sec- tion. Though the subject matter in the vocals obviously calls for repetition, with the sheer length of this section, there's a chance that it could begin to sound stale, Novoselic’s inventive bass playing helps to keep the listener interested and drives the section forward. The section comes to close with a measure of DS and a measure of BS. Fig. 9 Chorus ES Geer cus 1ea RA Fie Full Band ‘Slow Demo Gira. 182 meas, 1-4, isa BS GES cas, ti = era 19gee Se SS $a SS 0 a : etON A PLAIN Nevermind Words and Music by Kurt Cobain Figure 10 — Intro and Verse One of the most unique-sounding songs on the Nevermind album, “On a Plain’ presents some of Kurt's finest modal-mixing moments, Combining inventive melodies with a lively beat, the tune bears a resemblance, in originality and feel, to some early Beatles songs. The intro is nothing short of bizarre. It begins abruptly with a swelling of feedback. Immediately following is a free-time lick based on a first-inversion B triad. It's hard to tell ‘exactly how this lick is fingered, as it sounds so incidental, as if someone is just haphaz- ardly letting their fingers tap random notes on the fretboard. The notes, however, aren't random. The contradictory mood created here is present throughout the song. After the intro, the verse kicks in right away with the full band—a rarity for Nirvana. The song is in the key of D major, and the verse consists of four two-measure phrases. We begin with a two-measure progression of D-G-F-E5-F5-E5 that repeats. The rhythm part here consists of a distorted Gtr. 1 strumming open-position chords (D and G), barre chords (F), and power chords (ES and FS). Notice the non-diatonic F chord, borrowed from the parallel D minor mode. This creates an interesting duality; it almost sounds as though the melody is based on the major scale while the harmony is based on the minor. ‘The fact that Kurt makes this sound so effortiess is a testament to his strength as a song- writer, ‘After the repetition of this two-measure phrase, we hear a different two-measure phrase consisting of D-C-B5-AS. These chords could be analyzed as part of the D Mixolydian mode (D-E-F#-G-A-B-C). This is followed by the first two-measure phrase, creating a miniature ABA form within the verse.This entire eight-measure form is then repeated (not shown), creating a sixteen-measure verse. QD] rere ‘Slow Demo Git meas. 15, 13 Fig. 10 Intro Freely BosyD# (18) DE 1© 1901 EM VIRGIN SONGS, INO. and THE END OF MUSIC Al Fights Contes ana Aanunigtered by EMI VIRGIN SONGS. ING. [AI Rights Reserved Intemational Copyright Secuted Used by Permission 21ES FS ES G F SS id ¥ SJ o ¢ a with oot any words % amp Maat ; t HEE t + i tft tt Say Sa Aaa { = eee F BS FS ES D G FPSS edt pg Phin: what should 1 er. Hote ey j Figure 11 - Second Chorus and Bridge The chorus begins almost identically to the verse. The harmony moves from D to G in measure 1 just as before; the difference occurs in measure 2. Here we have a Bb6 chord, again borrowed from the parallel key of D minor. This two-measure phrase of D-G5-B°6 is repeated four times verbatim. ‘The bridge, a sixteen-measure section consisting of a repeated four-measure pro- gression of F5-E5-A5-G5, is particularly Beatlesque. If you were to analyze all of these. chords, they appear to all fail within the key of A minor. Without the vocal melody, they would surely sound that way. However, once the AS is reached, its treated (as evidenced by the vocals) as a major chord, creating a subtle surprise for the listener. The guitar part in this section consists of strumming power chords in a syncopated fashion, accenting the “and’ of beat 2 of each measure along with the bass and drums. David Grohl keeps things interesting throughout the repeats with some hyperactive drum fils. In the final measure the guitar rests alter beat 3, leaving a bass fill to lead into the last verse. Full Band ‘Slow Demo Girt meas. 1-2 oa . WTF 1g a ae i PSS 23.epee eee as 58. p faddd| +— i(NEW WAVE) POLLY Incesticide Words and Music by Kurt Cobain Figure 12 — Intro and Verse Incesticide, a collection of rare previously recorded songs, was released in between Nevermind and In Utero, possibly to tide fans over during the wait for a new album. Consisting of twelve Cobain originals and three covers, the album weighed much more heavily on the punk rock side than Nevermind. The song “Polly’ appeared on Nevermind as a mellow acoustic track. However, the version on Incesticide, “(New Wave) Polly” is full-fledged punk rock. ‘The intro begins full on with the entire band. The guitar tone is fully distorted, and the rhythm part consists of strumming power chords and barre chords. The two-measure progression of E5~-G5-D5-C5, with a passing BS on the “and! of beat 4, repeats to cre- ate a four-measute intro. The verse begins in measure 5 and consists of four repetitions through the progression to create an eight-measure form. The guitar part plays a similar figure throughout. (Technical note: the E5 chords are played by fingering a standard Em chord with a first-finger barre and allowing your first finger to touch the G string, keeping it muted.) Fea tno Fast Rock 4 = 192 aS Gs OO Dm SCS Ss $ feet: fia Full Band ‘Siow Demo Get meas. 1-2 pees beh TT ps © 1989 EMI VIRGIN SONGS, INC. and THE END OF MUSIC ANI Pights Controlled and Agmisioted by EMI VIRGIN SONGS, INC. 26 AI Righis Reserved. Intemational Copyright Secured Used by Permission SS SSS eo [think Ishould get off cs BS SSBS ES Figure 13 - Second Chorus and Interlude ‘The chorus introduces the new two-measure chord progression of D5~C5-G5-B:5. Here the guitar part is made up entirely of strummed power chords in a slightly syncopat- ‘ed rhythm, The “and” of beat 2 is accented in each measure, create a similar feel to that of the bridge in “On a Plain.” The vocal melody features a descending chromatic line of C-B-B>-A, lending a shifty, unsettled tonality to the section. Theoretically, you could ana- lyze the two-measure phrase as D Mixolydian (D-E-F#~G-A-B-C) for the first measure and D minor (D-E-F-G-A-B»-C) for the second measure. In the fifth measure, Kurt varios the rhythm of vocal melody slightly with the line “Let me take a ride. Don't hurt yourself” This is followed by two more measures of the standard vocal melody to complete one large- scale eight-measure phrase in the chorus. This eight-measure form is then repeated (with some varied lyrics) to create a total of sixteen measures for the entire chorus. After the second chorus, we have a brief four-measure interlude before the last verse. This begins with an ES chord on beat ‘followed immediately by silence. For the next two and a half measures, percussive clicks are played on beats 2 and 4 (with slight varia~ tion), before the final C5 and BS chords leading back into the last verse. See oe oe ee ee Mayche she wants some wa - ter to put out the blow Dy] rem Co (we) have some seed, Let me lip eff | Sere Has Slow Demo Girt meas. 1-4 (your) din wings, — adit, Le Ft — 27(row Ry Fig net 5 vt ou BbS _ SEs DS pt peri ae Let me take a ride. (ve) got some rope, (you) have been 010 Let me tke a ride. (Don't) hurt your-selE (Don't) hurt your oo i Pol-ly = ~_S— () want some help cs () promise you (1 want some help. ee said. — (00) help may Self, (have been tn: (0) help my sel — e tt —===: 28HEART SHAPED BOX In Utero Words and Music by Kurt Cobain Figure 14 — Intro and Verse ‘After emerging from a national obscurity to a worldwide phenomenon in seem- ingly record time, life changed dramatically for the members of Nirvana. Instant celebrities with now-overflowing bank accounts, they were forced to accept the fact that nothing would ever be the same. The very thing that they openly despised, the corporate “music business,” had become an inseparable part of their day-to-day; the irony was unsettling to Cobain to say the least. The music of In Utero reflects this sentiment in many of its tracks. The tone of the album is harsher, noisier, and less succinct than Nevermind. Kurt had ‘mentioned in interviews before the release of the album that Nirvana would probably lose a lot of its fans with In Utero. Though this was somewhat true—the album did become unpopular in certain circles—in Utero was still a huge critical and commercial success, selling in excess of five million copies and reaching #1 on the charts. “Heart Shaped Box,” a song dealing with the difficulties of married life (Kurt had wed Courtney Love in 1992), opens with another signature Cobain guitar riff. Again, as with the intro‘verse riff in “Come as You Are,’ simplicity is key here. With a clean tone, Gtr. 1 arpeggiates, unaccompanied, the chords of A5, F5, and D5 in measures 1 and 2, only momentarily straying from a straight eighth-note pattern. Gtr. 2 joins in on beat 3 of the first measure, playing sustaining half notes and whole notes to fill out the lower register. The second time through the two-measure progression, Kurt begins to include the major 3rd (F#) and b7th (C) over the D chord, creating the dissonant tritone interval. This inter- val will be exploited in the chorus to great effect. The verse begins with the band’s entrance in measure 5, and Gtr. 1 continues in a similar vein as in the intro, including the F# and C notes every other time. Gtr. 2 takes on a slightly more active role, occasionally doubling Gtr. 1 in eighth notes. The entire verse consists of four phrases of four measures each, creating a sixteen-measure form. In the last measure of the verse, both guitars kick on the distortion, signaling the arrival of the raging chorus. This pairing of soft verses with distorted choruses is a staple of Nirvana's music and can be found in several of the band's songs, including “Smelis Like Teen Spirit” “Lithium? “In Bloom,’ and “Rape M Fig. 14 Dow igh Bc ab-Db-Ch-b-Cb Intro Moderately # = 100 (clan) AS FS bs as FS D [rire (© 1003 EMI VIRGIN SONGS, INC. and THE END OF MUSIC All Fighis Contoleg ana Admirigtered by EMI VIRGIN SONGS, INC. AAI Righis Reserved Intemational Copyright Secured. Used by Permission 29gr 8, pty Hhdhy eer =e “ia ca “| esees gy ths thy ee Ts bie aa ni oe ma 7 ee mr aid $ i = | em ae - a ete aes Poet a _— SE RTSI wish T could fat" your fw Figure 15 - Chorus The chorus explodes to full band volume and features Gtrs. 1 and 2 playing almost identical parts throughout, with the chord progression remaining the same as in the verse. The chorus consists of three repetitions of a four-measure phrase, plus a four- measure tag on the end made up of alternating measures of F5 and D7, Notice the use of the tritone in the vocal melody, again lending cohesiveness to the composition. Other than the distort- ed tone, the guitar parts further distinguish themselves in the chorus with the inclusion of an obnoxious half-step bend from B to C on beats 2 and 4 of every even measure and beat 4 of every odd measure. This figure is repeated with slight variations through the first three repetitions of the chorus lyric. When the tag is reached at the end of the chorus, both gui- tars begin strumming straight eighth notes on the F5. For the following D5 measure, the half-step bend motive is treated to a variation. Here the B note is first bent a half step on the “and! of beat 2. The bend is then held while the note is attacked for three more eighth notes before being released and pulled off to the open G string, The guitars resume eighth- note strumming again for the FS chord, and Gtr. 1 ends the chorus with the same D7 tri- tone riff heard at the end of the verse, while Gtr. 2 sustains a DS. Fig. 15 ‘Chorus AS D: ae ia eee a co Full Band ‘Slow Demos Gus, 182 meas. 1-2 pte tn See ettteryy TRS ve got @ new com plant For - ev-er in debt 10 your price - less ad - vice. FTmeFigure 16 - Guitar Solo For the guitar solo, Gtr. 2 drops out, and the bass provides the harmony; the chord progression is the same as in the verse and chorus. As in many other Nirvana songs, the solo is based off the vocal melody. Kurt uses the “Hey! Wait!” motive of the chorus as the basis for a brief two-measure phrase played mostly on the fourth and second strings. A pedal is engaged to create a thick, fuzzy distortion. For the A chord, he plays an A on the fourth string on beat 1, then on beat 2 bends the G on the second string up a whole step to A (an octave higher than beat 1) and releases it. He moves this procedure down a whole step for the F chord, playing G on the fourth string and bending F on the second string up to G and releasing it. This procedure is then moved down a whole step once more and repeated over the D chord with one variation: the bend is only a half step (from E to F), essentially creating a D minor harmony temporarily. The two-measure phrase is wrapped up with a pull-off from C to the open B string before being repeated again, The bends on guitar, performed in an “imprecise” fashion to say the least, are also doubled by bends on the bass, lending a chaotic, clumsy sound to the section, The final four mea- sures of the solo simply consist of two strummed AS chords, each held for two measures, Fig. 16 Guitar Solo > > Full Band ‘Slow Demo Girt moss. 1-5 33RAPE ME In Utero Words and Music by Kurt Cobain Figure 17 — Intro and Verse No doubt affected by the new “rock star’ status bestowed upon him, Kurt wrote “Rape Me” in part as an attack on the media’s unscrupulous obsession with every detail of his life, The song's arrangement has perhaps more in common with Nevermind than does any other song on the /n Utero album. Of the many compositional tools that Nirvana had mastered, perhaps the most unerring was form. Their command of the prototypical pop form was displayed time and again throughout their all too brief career. “Rape Me" is no exception. The sections are even, memorable, and to the point. After four percussive clicks, the intro begins with a guitar riff in which Kurt seems to parody himself. Though the chord progression is different, the strumming pattern, tempo, and dry guitar tone all bear such a close resemblance to “Teen Spirit” that it seems an unlikely coincidence. With the subject matter of the vocals, it makes even more sense. The two-measure progression of A~C-E5-G is repeated with slight variation to conclude the intro. As the verse begins, Kurt downshifts from the active, sixteenth-note strumming style of the intro to a more controlled approach consisting of quarter notes and eighth notes. This doesn't just provide a steady pulse; it also stays out of the way of the provoca- tive lyrics. The same progression from the intro is played four times in the verse. Notice the tension created by the C? in the vocal melody against the Ct in the guitar part. At the end of the fourth two-measure phrase, as is common for Nirvana, Gtr. 1 kicks on the distortion. for the G chord and is joined by a distorted Gtr. 2 to signal the arrival of the chorus. Full Band ‘Slow Demo. Girt meas. 13, 67 Fig. 17 “Ti pb-ch-oh-e Moderate Rock 4 = 112 ery a © 1999 EMI VIRGIN SONGS, INC. and THE END OF MUSIC [Al Rights Contoled and Administered by EW VIRGIN SONGS, INC. 34 [NI Fights Reserved Intemational Copyright Secured Used by PermissionAC Bsus G A @ tp dL adit 4 nae] Figure 18 - Second Verse and Chorus The second verse, following the first chorus (not shown), is backed by the full band. In this verse, Kurt returns to the rhythmically active strumming approach heard in the intro. This serves to distinguish the second verse from the first and maintain some of the momentum gained by the chorus. In the last measure of the verse, Gtr. 2 joins in on the ES with distortion to lead into the chorus. In the chorus, Gtrs. 1 and 2 maintain the active sixteenth-note strumming pattern, both with full distortion. The form of the chorus is perfectly keeping with the Nirvana tra- dition—four repetitions of a two-measure phrase. The vocal melody is altered on the fourth repetition to signal the end of the section. Notice also how the vocal melody alternates throughout between syncopation and non-syncopation, stressing the upbeats on the lyric “I'm not the only one” and downbeats on the following “L” This creates a momentum with- in each phrase that pulls towards the nextES ae oe t JAM = = i L Pa GE AS fame] patoe¥ == D@ ES E B A G Ft %8 oe. eae) ui TQ es ir PH fot a ical HaEE | = i [ee PQ a FS 8 es = a = man = Gs Weide pea eed : ——S= PPT 4Figure 19 - Bridge Alter the second chorus, we find the bridge. Here we have a modulation to C# minor. After a measure of Ct5, AS is played for two beats, followed by the chromatic. descent G-F#-F#-E on the sixth string. This two-measure figure is repeated four times for a total of eight measures. The vocal melody, however, changes in measures 3 and 4, cre- ating a four-measure phrase that only repeats once. This blending of small- and larger- scale phrases is another Cobain trademark found often in his songs. See the verses in “Smells Like Teen Spirit” and “Come as You Ate” for more examples of this. The final four measures of the bridge serve to lead back to the home key of A by way of one measure of F5, one measure of G5, and two measures of a sustained E5. ‘Though this section may seem unrelated to the rest of the song, closer examina- tion reveals some common Cobain-isms. There are multiple devices at work in this bridge that merit closer examination. First, lets take a look at how this bridge demonstrates the concept of closely related keys. These are Keys that differ in key signature by only one sharp or flat. In this case, the home key is A major, which has three sharps: Fé, Cf, and Gt. The bridge is in the key of C# minor (or E major), which has four sharps: Fé, Ci, Gt, and Di. So modulating to the key of C# minor from the key of A major usually doesn't sound very jarring to the listener. The reason it sounds so bright in this context is because we've been hearing the non-diatonic C chord throughout the rest of the song. Thus, the diatonic C#5 chord sounds fresh and unexpected. Also, notice the interval between C# and A—a 3rd. Once again we see the medi- ant relationship at work. Kurt really favored this sound. And it doesn’t stop there. Notice the last four measures of the bridge. The F5 chord shares a mediant relationship with the previous AS chord, and the ES chord, the final statement of the bridge, shares a mediant relationship with the previous G5. Again, i's unlikely that Cobain was thinking in terms of mediants when he composed this, but i's certainly clear that he preferred this sound in his waiting. 2 > 5 TIL kiss your Full Band ‘Slow Demoe Gis. 182 meas. 7-12 a, 25 o- pen sores a Epo rep i Pop 38a : eSIn Utero Words and Mu: by Kurt Cobain Figure 20 - Verse Similar in feel to ‘Lithium’ the verse to “Dumb” features a clean-tone electric rhythm that mixes muted and un-muted articulation. There are a few elements about this song that make it stand out from the typical Nirvana song, however. First, the verse begins right off the bat—with full instrumentation; there's no intro at all, Secondly, the song does. not erupt into a distorted frenzy for the chorus. It maintains a mellow, hypnotic mood. throughout. The presence of the cello certainly intensifies this. This is not to say that there aren't any Nirvana staples in this song. The verse con- sists of, again, a two-measure progression of Esus4-A~Gsus4-C repeated four times for a nice, even eight-measure form. One thing that should be noted is Kurt's unusual pen- chant for sus4 chords. Though this is not a totally uncommon chord to be found in rock music, Kurt seemed to make it part of his signature. One look at his technique will reveal how it facilitated this type of chord. He often played barre chords built off the sixth string with his first finger and a third-finger barre, easily allowing him to access the suspended 4th with his third finger. This is perhaps most evident in the intro to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” In that riff, he makes use of two sus4 chords built off the sixth string: Fsus4 and ‘Aysus4. The color added by the sus4 is subtle, but you'd mis it if you were to play power chords instead. The verse to “Dumb' is essentially the same progression as “Teen Spirit’ — its just transposed down a half step. The ability to combine elements from two different songs—in this case, the feel and articulation of “Lithium” with the chord progression of “Teen Spirit’—into another to form a unique sound can be added to Kurt's long list of suc- cessful songwriting techniques. Dor't fail to notice the modal mixture at work again! The melody, featuring a C note, should clash with the Ct note of the A major chord below it. Somehow, Kurt makes it work. ‘Stow Demo Fig. 20 i. Geet meas. 1-2 QI rors Oo {lon egy) Eb“ Ab-Db-Gh-BH-€b Mloderately d= 114 _ =f Corp Saas 3 3 (© 1903 EWI VIRGIN SONGS, INC. and THE END OF MUSIC A Fights Controlled and Administered by EMI VIIGIN SONGS, INC 40 |Al Righis Reserved Intematonal Copyrigt Secured." Used by Permissionhe Lee = rr == Coprtp “ones The day is done, — but I'm hay-in! fun, — Tthink 'm dumb ‘or may-be just 4 — Te Seat J ——," 4 ¥ $ Figure 21 - Chorus Eight measures into the song, we reach the chorus. The chords here repeatedly move from ES to G, each held for a full measure. If the modal mixture idea has escaped you thus far, you simply can’t miss it here. For the second and fourth statement of "happy,” the melody note is a Gt! Two beats later, in the same measure, the cello continues with its melody, which begins with a Gi. I's hard to say why Kurt did this; perhaps he just want- ed to use the major 3rd while he sang the word “happy. since the minor 3rd is normally associated with “sad” Maybe he just wanted to add a quirky element to an otherwise dark. song. Whatever the reason, it's certainly ear-catching. The cello part is arranged for Gtr. 2 here, as it provides an important counter- melody to the vocal. if you have an e-bow (a device that causes a magnetic field which, when held over a string, causes it to continually vibrate, producing a consistent volume indefinitely), you might try using it to simulate the smooth tone of the cello. Notice how this melody creates a subtle syncopation by landing on the “and” of beat 4 each time, provid- ing nice contrast to the straight, non-syncopated melody of the vocal Fig. 21 Chorus 1 Esust ete - Full and ‘Slow Demos Gir? meas. 1-4 Gir. meas. 1-2 (SS Sss _— ss abe G | * aE iy] —+ Fe + (B—+ mH = $ $ aCSS al pa Figure 22 - Bridge ‘The bridge is built upon a two-measure phrase repeated four times for an eight- measure form. Again, Nirvana demonstrates their preference for classic pop form. An. eight-measure bridge became so common during the early days of rock ‘n’ roll that it became simply known as the “middle eight” The chords move back and forth each measure between B and C. Notice that B major is played here, as opposed to the diatonic B minor. This is a very commonly used substitution in a minor key, as it raises the 7th degree of the scale (in this case D) by a halt step (D}), resulting in a leading tone. This creates more tension within the progression and. therefore a sense of direction. The listener knows that this progression needs to resolve and is therefore compelled to listen. Kurt's guitar part here is comprised entirely of barre chords strummed in a slight- ly syncopated fashion, accenting the “and” of beat 2 in each measure. Occasional Ft and G notes heard on the sixth string suggest that Kurt was barring his first finger across all six strings instead of the firs five only. This creates a fuller-sounding chord, placing the Sth of the chord in the bass. In a solo acoustic setting, this can be quite effective at times. The cello continues into this section, playing long, sustained, melodies. The note choices are particularly interesting here. After playing root notes for the first two measures, an E is played over the B chord, creating a dissonance. This is resolved on beat 4 when. the cello plays A, implying a brief B7 tonality. This A note is held over the bar line into the next measure and is resolved to the note G (the 5th of C) on beat 2. This four-measure phrase is repeated with slight variation. As in the chorus, this results in an effective coun- termelody to the vocal that, though not obvious, would be missed if it weren't there. Kurt cleverly wraps up the bridge in the last measure with a syncopated vocal melody, clearly signaling the end of the section. 42 | | | }PENNY ROYAL TEA In Utero Words and Music by Kurt Cobain Figure 23 - Verse and Chorus ‘A song dealing with the controversial subject of abortion, “Penny Royal Tea” also appeared on the Unplugged album as a solo Cobain performance. In this song we return 10 the familiar Nirvana formula of soft mellow verses and screaming, distorted choruses. Just as in “Dumb; the verse begins immediately here. However, the instrumentation con- sists of only one electric guitar and one acoustic. ‘The chord progression in the verse, atypically simple for Kurt, is comprised of two measures of Am and two measures of G. The presence of an actual minor chord is also unusual, as Kurt normally makes use of major, sus4, or power chord voicings in his guitar parts. The electric and acoustic play similar roles here, gently strumming the chords with a slight accent on the “and” of beat 2. At the end of measure 4 a three-note lick on the sixth string (F#G-E) helps to keep things interesting. The four-measure Am-G phrase repeats once, creating a verse of eight measures. During the last measure of the verse, the distortion is kicked on once again, paired with the entrance of the drums and bass, to signify the arrival of the chorus. With the chorus we hear a new four-measute progression of C-D-B-5. Here, both guitars join in strumming barre chords and power chords built on the fifth string. Notice the alternation of the B» note with the open A string in each second B+5 measure, helping to break the monotony of the repeated measure. Note also that the vocal harmony note over this chord is an A, creating a Bhmaj7 sound—an unlikely sonority in this context Fig. 23 fomiae Fat = f Seem ooo Ee i : i z Be | a Moderately = 114 ‘sm cD G Full Band Slow Demo Gut moss. Gre or B er op) ey tay yep) PP iia yea a Pm on my time with evs "ry one ay (© 1993 EMI VIRGIN SONGS, INC. and THE END OF MUSIC. All Fights Controtod and Acminitored by EMI VIFIGIN SONGS, INC 44 [AIPighis Reserved Intemational Copytigh Secured” Used by Permission7 TT) mer) erm TIED er yey Ss wis Sa ties ik i wee, 4A pet SASH Di-sll the Me mas in-ideof aS Ss = — = i! i =cs bs en iy? et yg 2 TTT TTR 1) d-)} Poy Pedicle Figure 24 — Interlude Alter the second chorus, we hear an interlude that seems to have one foot in lead guitar and the other in rhythm. The first eight measures take place over the chords of the verse, Am and G. Here, using a distorted tone, Kurt combines bends, pull-offs to open. strings, scalar melodies, and chordal playing all into one concise statement. He begins in measure 1 with an AS pulled off to the open D and G strings. This is followed by an A note on the G string that is bent, released, and pulled off to the open G string. In measure 2 we see a slight variation of this lick, in which Kurt bends both the A and E (string 4) notes, releases them, and pulls them off. When using heavier-guage strings (.010s or higher), bends near the nut like these require a good deal of strength in the fingers. If you can’t manage the bend with your second finger, try using your third fin- ger with your other two behind it for support. Over the G chord, he divides the two mea- sures stylistically, playing a chord figure for the first measure and a scalar figure for the second. The descending scale appears to be G major when it begins, but on beat 3 the note Ct is heard—a slight shock to the ear. The scale form could be analyzed as actually belonging to D major, but it's more likely that Kurt was just thinking in terms of the sym- metrical 3-2-0 shape for each string, On beat 4, a bluesy B-—A-G pull-off completes the descent. These four measures are repeated with slight variation. The second haif of the interlude is simply an instrumental version of the chorus. Here, however, the chord progression is only repeated twice before heading into the final verse (not shown). Dine sion Dono Fe.24 InterludeALL APOLOGIES In Utero Words and Music by Kurt Cobain Figure 25 - Intro and Verse Another song directed at the media, “All Apologies” (#45) addresses the issue of freedom of speech and the struggles of having to defend his lyrics from attacks by con- servatives. Lines such as “What else could | write? I don't have the right” clearly indicate Kurt's frustration with mass media exposure and the restrictions that come with it It's been suggested that many bands fail to ever reach the level of success experienced with their first album because of the disdain and contempt they acquire for the music business after finally becoming part of it. Although Nirvana had not fallen victim to the “sophomore jinx,” as it is commonly known, i's clear that Kurt struggled with this. ‘Another classic Cobain guitar rif, “All Apologies” makes use of Drop D tuning, (i's actually Drop D down a half step.) This tuning was commonly used by Kurt and can be found in several other tunes including “Heart-Shaped Box” and “Something in the Way” (In “Something in the Way” the guitar is actually tuned, from low to high, C-G-C-F-A-D. This is simply Drop D tuning down a whole step.) Using the open low D string as a pedal throughout, Kurt creates a memorable four-measure phrase that makes use of two favorite Cobain devices: question-and-answer phrasing and symmetrical fretboard shapes. He begins in measure 1 with an eighth-note melody on the fifth string, making use of the Ft, G, and A notes—the 3rd, 4th, and 5th degrees—in a smooth, arching contour. This is followed in measure 2 with a near identical first two beats, but for the second halt of the measure the shape is played on the fourth string, sounding the D, C, and B notes— the octave, +7th, and 6th degrees. The 6th degree here, not being part of the tonic triad, feels slightly unresolved and creates the perfect antecedent (or “question’) phrase. Measure 3 is @ repetition of measure 1 with slight variation. In measure 4, we find the con- sequent (or “answer’) phrase. Here Kurt ends the measure with F, E, and D, ‘answering’ the unresolved “question” posed by the 6th degree earlier. This entire four-measure phrase is repeated. The resulting tonality of the phrase is D Mixolydian (D-E-F#-G-A-8-C). For more examples of both of these devices, check out “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” The chord progression makes use of symmetrical shapes—the Fsus4 and B> chords in first position ‘ate moved up to fourth position to produce the Arsus4 and D> chords—while the vocal melody in the verse makes use of question-and-answer phrasing, Just as in “Come as You Are” and “Lithium,” Kurt uses this intro riff as the founda- tion for the verse. The four-measure phrase is repeated four times for a total of sixteen measures—once again, a nice, even-numbered phrase. In measure 5 of the verse a cello enters (arranged here for Gtr. 2), playing sustained notes to fill out the texture. To approx- imate the volume swells, try using your right-hand pinky (on a strat-style guitar) to roll the volume up after picking the note. Alternatively, you could use a volume pedal. As expect- ed, the end of the verse hints at things to come with the sudden burst of distortion. oe CG Gos {© 1009 EMI VIRGIN SONGS, INC. and THE END OF MUSIC All Rights Controlled and Aamictorod by EMI VIRGIN SONGS, INC. 48 [Al Righis Reserved Intemational Gopyright Secured Used by Permission Full Band, Slow Demo. Girt meas. 1-4Gs tp What else could 1 ite? 1 don’t have the right. What else are Ses ae ey Figure 26 - Chorus ‘The chorus introduces the first actual chord change in the song, Here we move to the IV chord, G. Gtr. 1, fully distorted, pounds out one-finger power chords (facilitated by the drop D tuning), while Gtr. 3 joins in with a figure that steadily undulates between C/G. and G voicings every two beats. Notice Kurt's clever variation of the vocal melody through- out this section; “in the sun" is never heard the same way twice. This continues for six mea- sures before reaching a single A5 chord sustained for two measures. The AS is repeated again, creating a ten-measure chorus—very unusual for a Nirvana song _ ss C(t.