not only a chord , a chords that is grunge , he addead a taste of obscurity and grunginess to it cause he's soul is grunge hahaa , made his imprint and updated the power chord such a legend
I learned guitar playing Nirvana. Most of their stuff is easy to play, but there's alot more than meets the eye. It may be easy, but there's alot of little techniques and intricacies in Cobain's songs that you don't even realize. When I started learning more techniques down the road, I realized I had been doing some of them already and didn't even know it. When someone I know starts playing guitar and asks me what to learn first I always recommend Nirvana.
I think it's just him being a sloppy guitarist. And that's fine. Nirvana wasn't really about his guitar playing anyway. It was about his inventive chord progressions, great melodies, and evocative lyrics.
Well yeah, that's why it's "his sound" - he literally can't play the chords the right way, so he always does these suspended voicings, and just wrote the music around that. perfect example of playing to your strengths.
I agree with ya on the Cobain Chord because I usually play my power chords Hetfield style with my pinky so I can stretch another fret if I want to. But if I do play them with my third finger I usually play them like cobain did. A lot of the time there isn’t a lot of difference between my power chords and my A shaped barre chords if I use my 3rd finger. But great job if your able to pick that out just by ear.
USMC Young Gun hetfields powerchords are most genuine for me aw, he even plays his a barre with his pinky. As i write this, i gotta try that out as well i think...
@The Thing That Should Not Be, I genuinely didn’t realize he used his pinky on the barre chords but that’s really cool to know and I might have to practice it some more now. I’ve tried it before but seemed to have a hard time getting the B string to ring out and not mute it.
I do the same thing but with my pinky. I have tiny hands/fingers and I have had to utilize my pinky way more than most guitarists because of it, so in a way its a positive thing because most guitarists just don't use their pinky much and it really hinders them, the pinky may be a weak finger but it's an extra finger nonetheless and it gives you an extra 1/3rd to rhe mix of possibilities compared to just using the first 3 fingers, I use it all the time for solos and use it to bend a lot for chords
DullBull what I usually do is use the power chord and mute the other 4 strings and what happens is that the B and e slightly rings out due to my hap hazard muting and it sounds kinda cool, I’m dubbing it the Brodz chord
Something I really like about this channel: "Hey this is Mike from the art of guitar, today we're gonna talk about X" Straight into it! No 30secondes intro thing or whatever. Love it!
Thanks for the video! Kurt's music considered to be simple, but when people start playing it, it has a lot of small things that need a lot of attention. If you don't have the details then you don't sound like Cobain. That's awesome! Kurt said he didn't know how to read music and didn't know the names of the chords. Anyway he was a great musician. Love him. 💙👍🎸
This is definitely a real thing - I discovered this little secret on my own a few years back. It's so subtle in between his chords transitions and chicka-chickas, but it absolutely makes it more "Nirvana". It comes and goes from his sloppy technique - he was an awesome rhythm player, but wasn't some sort of technician. That whole barre across is a bit of a lazier - or more efficient - way to play the chord and Kurt wasn't trying to be a guitar player - he was being a songwriter - whatever got him to the next chord easiest was the way he went. I think it's pretty cool how it developed into his style because it ironically creates a little haunting dissonance to each of the songs he employs it in, and what can be more Nirvana than that?
This was def a thing in grunge, not only in Nirvana songs. I noticed the same in the first chord of Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden, only difference compared to Smell Like Teen Spirit is the drop D tuning making it look like you’re putting a whole finger on a fret instead of a power chord. Thanks for the video!
I like playing power chords like its just so much easier playing with 2 fingers instead of adding the pinky, plus the Cobain chord thing happens to me too unintentionally, but sometimes I do it on purpose, it sounds really nice even if you're not playing smells like teen spirit.
Coming from keyboards and just learning guitar for fun at an old age (I think every guitarist should learn basics of keyboards just to help make sense of chord voicings and the basics of harmonies and intervals) this is an obvious use of SUS4 chord and I think too few guitarists know when and how they can use SUS4 and SUS2 chords; They're very helpful and I think of them as "tension" chords that land somewhere emotionally between an empty fifth, aka "power" chord, or the too-obviously-emotional major and minor chords. I like them because they also don't feel too "jazzy" either, which can distract from the rawness of certain genres of music. Great observation and great ear!
I've just figured something out, I was watching one of your vids and my dad's girlfriend said that you are the brother of one of her friends! Small world I guess.
Yeah, the interesting thing though is that the next chord after the sus4, is precisely the chord of the 4th note, so upon playing Fsus4, he then plays B (which is F’s sus4 note), and upon playing G#sus4, he then plays C#, likewise, building kind of a subtle connection within the chord progressions... unintentionally I bet but still somewhat interesting in the way it all sounds musically...
Shmicah Sure it’s, ok if he’s sloppy guitarist, because the music is all about the feeling, The home demos are some of my favorite tracks because you can really feel the emotion
@@Shmicah1235 he wasnt a visionary he just saw the art of simplicity, kinda like how most people think abstract art is kinda dumb because anyone can paint shapes and sploches but people still find deeper meanings, basically he just played what he wanted and people really liked how he turned something as simple as 4 power chords and made headbanging songs. i guess people are inspired because you dont have to be a genius to make good music
I agree with u %100 , I’m a big fan of nirvana and I love playing there music and I try to play it the exact same way I see Kurt playing it on his live shows so I seriously concur. Kurt never really had any formal guitar lessons, I’m pretty sure he says on 1 of his interviews he only ever took a week of guitar lessons in his whole life , he was just a 1 of these musical geniuses and so creative and just played what sounded good if u know wat I mean
@@edithwallflower nah its true, even dave grohl said he was certain cobain never had any formal training but during the recording of nevermind kurt went for one vocal lesson but decided it was a waste of time and never went back....you can tell by his style that hes self taught....absolutely zero formal training!
Love the Videos man, the cobain chord is definitely a thing and I started playing power chords like this as well now haha, it's so much more fun and you really get that "nirvana tone" in there, which is absolutely beautiful!
I agree 110% he does bar with the ring finger but I dont think the sound was intentional cause it is inconsistent. Thats actually how I learned to play power chords. 2 fingers, full strum, and bar like u do for a one finger A chord. Wasnt international for me either it was just the easiest way for me starting out.
A couple weeks into my guitar journey I learned how to play power chords the normal way, but after watching this video and six months later this is how I play my power chords I don't know if that's a bad habit but it's a lot easier to maneuver
Considering live recordings where it's more prominent and the fact that you can also hear him sometimes playing what appears to be major triads when he plays power chords starting on the 5th string (even when it wouldn't make much sense harmonically), it was obviously part of Cobain's sound (however unintentional)
This kinda reminds me of what I call the Weezer power chord.. which is playing a power chord but with the 5th on the low E string. For instance playing a D like - - 7 7 5 5
I like to play like that. I always called it a double octave power chord. I have played around with power chords adding extra notes and such. I also like to do this, it's like stacking two of the same power chords on top of each other... - - 9 7 7 5 Im sure these have an actual name, just never tried to find it. Probably a variation of a Sus chord. But it's more punk that way. Haha
This kind of power chords (with the extra low 5th) gives more “juice” to the ones played further down the neck. If the guitar is the only instrument during a section of a particular song, it kinda “replaces” the bass.
He just played the E barre chord with 3 fingers,barring 2 with his ring finger. He also uses it as a reference point for guiding up n down the fret board.
You're absolutely right, and I do hear that. Kurt had lots of "Cobain Chord" sort of thing though, since 100% accuracy and flawless technique was the opposite of what he was going for. I used to know a few of them off the top of my head when I listened to them constantly, but I can't think of any specific moments anymore. He does a lot of stuff like this on Unplugged, though.
It's true, it is a thing. That 'aery', kinda 'space-ish' sound of the sus4 chord is all over the place in Nirvana's discography. Another pretty obvious example I can think of is on You Know You're Right, during the verses, that sus4 adds so much of a different feeling than just a regular power chord. Very nice video!(and that Jaguar looks really nice btw!)
I know this video is three years old at this point but I was watching some Nirvana videos recently and was wondering if maybe Kurt would use his middle finger on major barre chords on the low E string and the minor on the A string? Obviously Kurt never uses his pinky finger for barre chords but it does look like occasionally he does use his middle finger. What do you think? Do you see him do this on any songs? I saw a video of “Drain You” that looked like he utilized his middle finger but I could be wrong!
I am a left-handed guitarists like Kurt was. I do that as well sometimes. Especially on my 7-string where I will bar strings 2, 3 and 4, two Frets up with my pinky. You can play the lowest two strings like a normal power cord or with strings 6 and 7 barred with the first finger.
Nulla da dire. Sei un grande. Non so se l'avrei mai scoperto non ascolto nirvana generalmente ma hai ragione, bel modo di andare dentro le cose. Anche l'esercizio sugli accordi ogni tanto va fatto. Scavare dentro alle note. O semplicemente sentire una canzone metterla e suonare, nel senso rifarla di getto, sforzarsi di suonarla alla prima, alla fine ce la fai a tirare giù qualcosa, anche solo a capire come funziona qualche passaggio e perché no magari scoprire anche queste cose particolari
I cannot post a photo on RUclips but it’s quite as simple as that. Check Hal Leonard official music sheet. Fsus4 / Bb / Absus4 / Db. No power chords. You have to use the 1333 in all the four chords. In the first and in the third chord you get a sus4, in the second and in the fourth you get a major.
I didn't realize that people played Nirvana songs not like this. My guitar teacher taught me those songs like this back in '95. Although I have found over time I tend to strain my wrist when playing on thin necked guitars, i also have to wear a wrist brace when playing these chords for long periods of time. Thick necked guitars also help.
Nah your 100% right on this one. Don't think it was a deliberate choice he made just an effect caused by his playing style. Because it comes and goes with no real pattern. Iv'e done the same thing watched tones of Nirvana live and noticed Kurt's 3rd finger would lay across the fret. He pushes his finger into the string rather than use the tip of his finger to fret. The stray note is there and adds so much to the chord. The more you dive into Kurt's playing and song writing the more you realise he was an amazing musician and deserves more credit. He does get unfair/bad rap at times which is unfair, he learnt everything by listening to music, even if he had no idea what he was doing, just that it sounded good. Now I'm off too listen to some Nirvana.
It’s a F5 Sus 4 chord that starts Teen Spirit. What’s cool about that chord is that it still doesn’t have a 3rd so it’s not minor or major. Which is one of the coolest things Cobain did was never really letting the you know if the song was major or minor.
Is it me or does he look like he also presses his middle finger to that third string you say he presses with his ring finger? Like its not doing anything but he may do it for extra pressure or familiarity from doing bar chords.
I actually play the power chord the same way. I also play an inverted power chord that way gives it a much fuller sound. It also is easier to play in my opinion.
I agree. I think it's one of those sloppy playing techniques that just struck gold. Also, I find on smells like teen spirit, I get a more correct sound if I start on an up stroke on both power chords on the 6th string. The first and third power chords in the riff. Try that and tell me what you think. I've seen him play it like that on some of the live videos
A suggestion for a different video, the riff after the solo on Ignominious and Pale by Necrophagist. I think that even people who hate that style of music would be amazed at it. I have never heard anything like it. It starts as a slow almost sludgy long riff, but with repetition continually adds elements to it until it is moving at light speed.
Its like we say the "Jimmi Hendrix chord", played with the thumb. Something unusual for the most guitarist but Hendrix made this his own "thing" and thus the Cobain did the same.
1333 , just a sus 4 w the emphasis on the lower notes. Another secret chord is the heavy bleach chord. 122. It's basically just a rush chord . It's just natural if you play your power chords that way.
Sidenote: i have personally adopted this style of playing into my own guitar work, borrowed directly from Kurt Cobain. I figured out that a simple shape like a bar or otherwise across the whole neck can produce a gross muddy chord that when attacked from different approaches creates several consonant points of tonal focus the can be pulled out of the ringing dissonance within the same position, and simultaneously provides that muddy dissonance ringing in the the back. It kind of functions like a drone and allows you to do a lot with very little effort. It's actually an ingenious approach to playing that would take a lazy minded person to figure out and utilize.
I was one of those commenters, but in this video you made it sound more like Kurt. You were fretting the extra note more cleanly before, he'd kind of half-hit it a lot of the time.
i love the whole he-probably-didn't-know-this that's always tacked on to analysis of this once in a generation songwriter. he didn't do anything by mistake. he mastered his own sound through relentless experimentation and near constant exploration. "The world is nothing but a big gimmick, isn't it?"
He was right-handed. I don't know how he ended up playing left-handed, it could be his early love of The Beatles, but he wrote and drew with his right hand.
I’ve been playing power chords like that (1:23) since the beginning. But i can’t play them like Kurt lol It’s so uncomfortable to me, but I want play them like that without any (pain) problem. Nothing like learn all the ways possible to play something.
Kurt was an ASTOUNDINGLY great guitar player. The point of the instrument (in my opinion) is to create art and express yourself in an original way. His ear and songwriting with the guitar was profound. His “feel” made up for technical prowess, which is sometimes boring for non musicians to listen to anyway. Unless you are original and passionate like an EVH. I’ll personally listen to “sloppy” Cobain strum power chords over lightning fast sweeps all day.
I don't see kurt kobain as someone that had established signature techniques. I mean he did, but I doubt he thought too hard about it. He seems like someone that just enjoyed playing guitar and wanted to have a grunge band. not that there's anything wrong with establishing a "cobain chord". just sharing my opinion on the internet
@Bileven Troth: excellent comment. I know almost nothing on a technical level about music. I will say this though many people try hate on success and devalue their ability. Many say Kurt Cobain wasn't very good technically etc. Maybe he was just lazy, sloppy, and affected by drugs etc. The thing is Nirvana sounded amazing to many people. Was it all because he was sloppy, lazy and unintentionally made mistakes that often improved the sound and just kept getting lucky? Maybe Kurt Cobain didn't even know what he was doing as OP said and didn't think too much about what he was doing. Maybe it was subconscious, unaware decisions that just felt right through playing and experimentation. Generally speaking I would call him gifted for lack of a better term. Regardless it's sad that people need to overanalyze everything with the purpose to criticize. This always irritated Cobain. He never pretended to be something he wasn't and yet people still want to label him like he has been mislabeled.
When i first started playing guitar my hands were small so instead of playing power chords like a normal power chord i used my ring finger and played them likea bar chord just like Cobain
Kurt was so aggressive that even by accident he makes his own chords 😂😂😂
not only a chord , a chords that is grunge , he addead a taste of obscurity and grunginess to it cause he's soul is grunge hahaa , made his imprint and updated the power chord such a legend
I learned guitar playing Nirvana. Most of their stuff is easy to play, but there's alot more than meets the eye. It may be easy, but there's alot of little techniques and intricacies in Cobain's songs that you don't even realize. When I started learning more techniques down the road, I realized I had been doing some of them already and didn't even know it. When someone I know starts playing guitar and asks me what to learn first I always recommend Nirvana.
Altoid 84 mutting is a pain in the ass. 7 months practicing and still don’t know how to do it right.
He literally had huge hands too
how did you manage to do the Cobain chord without some kind of extreme wrist position? i have small hands too so i don't know if that's the problem
I think it's just him being a sloppy guitarist. And that's fine. Nirvana wasn't really about his guitar playing anyway. It was about his inventive chord progressions, great melodies, and evocative lyrics.
Well yeah, that's why it's "his sound" - he literally can't play the chords the right way, so he always does these suspended voicings, and just wrote the music around that.
perfect example of playing to your strengths.
Sean Peckham Perhaps he did it unintentionally at first and once he realized how it created their own timbre he stuck with it
I disagree. He was a perfectionist. Nirvana practiced 5 times a week. He had an extremely developed musical taste, and a sharp wit.
@Fernando SnzHuergo But on drugs, anything can happen.
listen to Frances Farmer bridge its definetely played this way on purpose
I actually like how Kurt never really used his little finger to play guitar.
Pinky = smelly
- kurt cobain, probably
Santana doesn't really use it either
@@Raspytom nope i dont either it
Lol why do you like that?
@@MaddestMousse Yeah,no ofense but there's no point on liking that
I agree with ya on the Cobain Chord because I usually play my power chords Hetfield style with my pinky so I can stretch another fret if I want to. But if I do play them with my third finger I usually play them like cobain did. A lot of the time there isn’t a lot of difference between my power chords and my A shaped barre chords if I use my 3rd finger. But great job if your able to pick that out just by ear.
USMC Young Gun hetfields powerchords are most genuine for me aw, he even plays his a barre with his pinky. As i write this, i gotta try that out as well i think...
@The Thing That Should Not Be,
I genuinely didn’t realize he used his pinky on the barre chords but that’s really cool to know and I might have to practice it some more now. I’ve tried it before but seemed to have a hard time getting the B string to ring out and not mute it.
I do the same thing but with my pinky. I have tiny hands/fingers and I have had to utilize my pinky way more than most guitarists because of it, so in a way its a positive thing because most guitarists just don't use their pinky much and it really hinders them, the pinky may be a weak finger but it's an extra finger nonetheless and it gives you an extra 1/3rd to rhe mix of possibilities compared to just using the first 3 fingers, I use it all the time for solos and use it to bend a lot for chords
@@thethingthatshouldnotbe3035 I do that too.
USMC Young Gun you can see it in the nothing else matters video when he plays the intro. Good luck!
I do the same thing, cause I'm -lazy- effective
This is a time when our lazy/sloppy-ness strikes gold.
DullBull what I usually do is use the power chord and mute the other 4 strings and what happens is that the B and e slightly rings out due to my hap hazard muting and it sounds kinda cool, I’m dubbing it the Brodz chord
I do it when my pinky is tired)
What can you do when you're singing as well. Try singing and playing Nirvana songs dumbass
Yeah you can definitely hear that extra note when he plays the SLTS intro live at readin 92
The place I hear it the best is Live at the Paramount
@@Paul-gf6kp totally agree. Also at SNL in 1992.
The cobain chord is fa... Nevermind
Oh well whatever
William Haro haha
hello hello how low
I will have my revenge on Seattle
Mate Come As You Are to my home idc
Something I really like about this channel: "Hey this is Mike from the art of guitar, today we're gonna talk about X" Straight into it! No 30secondes intro thing or whatever. Love it!
Wtf that's just how I played power chords. Maybe it's just something about being self taught.
Same. I’m self taught and I’ve always played my power chords like this
Yea I’m in the same boat
Im starting to play guitar and im self taughting me, how do you recommend me start?? and watch vids or experiment or...
So I've been playing a "Cobain chord" this entire time? Cool
Thanks for the video! Kurt's music considered to be simple, but when people start playing it, it has a lot of small things that need a lot of attention. If you don't have the details then you don't sound like Cobain. That's awesome! Kurt said he didn't know how to read music and didn't know the names of the chords. Anyway he was a great musician. Love him. 💙👍🎸
This is definitely a real thing - I discovered this little secret on my own a few years back. It's so subtle in between his chords transitions and chicka-chickas, but it absolutely makes it more "Nirvana". It comes and goes from his sloppy technique - he was an awesome rhythm player, but wasn't some sort of technician. That whole barre across is a bit of a lazier - or more efficient - way to play the chord and Kurt wasn't trying to be a guitar player - he was being a songwriter - whatever got him to the next chord easiest was the way he went. I think it's pretty cool how it developed into his style because it ironically creates a little haunting dissonance to each of the songs he employs it in, and what can be more Nirvana than that?
This was def a thing in grunge, not only in Nirvana songs. I noticed the same in the first chord of Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden, only difference compared to Smell Like Teen Spirit is the drop D tuning making it look like you’re putting a whole finger on a fret instead of a power chord. Thanks for the video!
Kurt was quite an innovator in terms of melodies and writing! I'd say it's just like how Hendrix popularized the Dominant 7#9 chord
I absolutely agree with that statement he used those chords in the way no rock/blues artist would
E7#9
Jazz did that decades before hendrix though
@@Shmicah1235 Yeah, and classical did it for centuries before that.
What's your point?
@@Shmicah1235 i know I just mean for that genre
I like playing power chords like its just so much easier playing with 2 fingers instead of adding the pinky, plus the Cobain chord thing happens to me too unintentionally, but sometimes I do it on purpose, it sounds really nice even if you're not playing smells like teen spirit.
I was just about to say that sounded like Black Hole Sun.
Coming from keyboards and just learning guitar for fun at an old age (I think every guitarist should learn basics of keyboards just to help make sense of chord voicings and the basics of harmonies and intervals) this is an obvious use of SUS4 chord and I think too few guitarists know when and how they can use SUS4 and SUS2 chords; They're very helpful and I think of them as "tension" chords that land somewhere emotionally between an empty fifth, aka "power" chord, or the too-obviously-emotional major and minor chords. I like them because they also don't feel too "jazzy" either, which can distract from the rawness of certain genres of music.
Great observation and great ear!
Of COURSE that's the way it's played! And it's the only way I've played it or seen it played since the 90's
I've just figured something out, I was watching one of your vids and my dad's girlfriend said that you are the brother of one of her friends! Small world I guess.
this is a sus4 chord btw if you didn’t know
Yeah or a really sloppy power chord, I still don't understand why people think Cobain was some kind of visionary
Yeah, the interesting thing though is that the next chord after the sus4, is precisely the chord of the 4th note, so upon playing Fsus4, he then plays B (which is F’s sus4 note), and upon playing G#sus4, he then plays C#, likewise, building kind of a subtle connection within the chord progressions... unintentionally I bet but still somewhat interesting in the way it all sounds musically...
Shmicah Sure it’s, ok if he’s sloppy guitarist, because the music is all about the feeling, The home demos are some of my favorite tracks because you can really feel the emotion
@@Shmicah1235 he wasnt a visionary he just saw the art of simplicity, kinda like how most people think abstract art is kinda dumb because anyone can paint shapes and sploches but people still find deeper meanings, basically he just played what he wanted and people really liked how he turned something as simple as 4 power chords and made headbanging songs. i guess people are inspired because you dont have to be a genius to make good music
@@Shmicah1235 Do a harmonic analysis of Heart Shaped Box if you want to know, voice and guitar.
I agree with u %100 , I’m a big fan of nirvana and I love playing there music and I try to play it the exact same way I see Kurt playing it on his live shows so I seriously concur. Kurt never really had any formal guitar lessons, I’m pretty sure he says on 1 of his interviews he only ever took a week of guitar lessons in his whole life , he was just a 1 of these musical geniuses and so creative and just played what sounded good if u know wat I mean
That was a fiction he made to sound cooler, he did a bit of formal training. Not a ton though.
@@edithwallflower nah its true, even dave grohl said he was certain cobain never had any formal training but during the recording of nevermind kurt went for one vocal lesson but decided it was a waste of time and never went back....you can tell by his style that hes self taught....absolutely zero formal training!
Forever listening to Kurt interviews to help me sleep at night..
You too?
A chord named after me? Woah!
Kurt Cobain i thought you committed suicide
Why did I read it in Todd's voice from Bojack?
Hes my dad
Dude Kurt you’re still alive? I guess it was all a conspiracy! Are you gonna join the foo fighters now?
@@Jsturgill1120 Courtney Love had Kurt murdered.
1:23 - regular power chord
1:43 - ‘Cobain chord’
Great video!! It was very informational, short and to the point but you pointed something out that I can start to incorporate!! Thanks!!
Mind blown. Yes, the Cobain power chord is absolutely a real thing.
Hahahaha i love that you added "and black hole sun!;)"
I was about to say hey thats the main chord used in black hole sun
Yeah, you can really hear it in You Know You're Right during the verses as well.
Love the Videos man, the cobain chord is definitely a thing and I started playing power chords like this as well now haha, it's so much more fun and you really get that "nirvana tone" in there, which is absolutely beautiful!
Real awsome stuff here, who on the world does this very thorough analyses like art-of-guitar does??? NOBODY
Definitely nailed it. i always wondered why the power chords never sounded right.
Brandon C: yeah me too not working to me
I believe it. It's like the "Beatle chord" from Hard Days Night. Just what is being played? Then you find it!
I agree 110% he does bar with the ring finger but I dont think the sound was intentional cause it is inconsistent. Thats actually how I learned to play power chords. 2 fingers, full strum, and bar like u do for a one finger A chord. Wasnt international for me either it was just the easiest way for me starting out.
Perfect timing ! Listening to nirvana rn
Just Memez listening to nirvana with a registered nurse?
A couple weeks into my guitar journey I learned how to play power chords the normal way, but after watching this video and six months later this is how I play my power chords I don't know if that's a bad habit but it's a lot easier to maneuver
Considering live recordings where it's more prominent and the fact that you can also hear him sometimes playing what appears to be major triads when he plays power chords starting on the 5th string (even when it wouldn't make much sense harmonically), it was obviously part of Cobain's sound (however unintentional)
This kinda reminds me of what I call the Weezer power chord.. which is playing a power chord but with the 5th on the low E string. For instance playing a D like
-
-
7
7
5
5
I like to play like that. I always called it a double octave power chord. I have played around with power chords adding extra notes and such. I also like to do this, it's like stacking two of the same power chords on top of each other...
-
-
9
7
7
5
Im sure these have an actual name, just never tried to find it. Probably a variation of a Sus chord. But it's more punk that way. Haha
Its probably a double 5th or something. I call it the weezer chord too lmao
It's called an inversion
Sus 2
This kind of power chords (with the extra low 5th) gives more “juice” to the ones played further down the neck. If the guitar is the only instrument during a section of a particular song, it kinda “replaces” the bass.
When I try and do it it just mutes the strings how do i make it not mute😭😭😭
YES YES YES! I thought I was the only one who could hear this! Great video Mike!
Agree with you - Great video man, nice subtle notice and thanks for sharing.
Never thought about it like that.. great video dude!
He just played the E barre chord with 3 fingers,barring 2 with his ring finger. He also uses it as a reference point for guiding up n down the fret board.
You're absolutely right, and I do hear that. Kurt had lots of "Cobain Chord" sort of thing though, since 100% accuracy and flawless technique was the opposite of what he was going for. I used to know a few of them off the top of my head when I listened to them constantly, but I can't think of any specific moments anymore. He does a lot of stuff like this on Unplugged, though.
You are absolutely correct and the people saying it is not there are wrong. He definitely knew that chord grip, it shows up a lot in his music.
It's true, it is a thing. That 'aery', kinda 'space-ish' sound of the sus4 chord is all over the place in Nirvana's discography. Another pretty obvious example I can think of is on You Know You're Right, during the verses, that sus4 adds so much of a different feeling than just a regular power chord. Very nice video!(and that Jaguar looks really nice btw!)
I know this video is three years old at this point but I was watching some Nirvana videos recently and was wondering if maybe Kurt would use his middle finger on major barre chords on the low E string and the minor on the A string? Obviously Kurt never uses his pinky finger for barre chords but it does look like occasionally he does use his middle finger. What do you think? Do you see him do this on any songs? I saw a video of “Drain You” that looked like he utilized his middle finger but I could be wrong!
I am a left-handed guitarists like Kurt was. I do that as well sometimes. Especially on my 7-string where I will bar strings 2, 3 and 4, two Frets up with my pinky. You can play the lowest two strings like a normal power cord or with strings 6 and 7 barred with the first finger.
it was just his carefree technique that sometimes brought out that weird chord
Of course, but that doesn't mean it "doesn't exist".
Its nice how bad became carefree
Yes, and no
Nulla da dire. Sei un grande. Non so se l'avrei mai scoperto non ascolto nirvana generalmente ma hai ragione, bel modo di andare dentro le cose. Anche l'esercizio sugli accordi ogni tanto va fatto. Scavare dentro alle note. O semplicemente sentire una canzone metterla e suonare, nel senso rifarla di getto, sforzarsi di suonarla alla prima, alla fine ce la fai a tirare giù qualcosa, anche solo a capire come funziona qualche passaggio e perché no magari scoprire anche queste cose particolari
I cannot post a photo on RUclips but it’s quite as simple as that. Check Hal Leonard official music sheet. Fsus4 / Bb / Absus4 / Db. No power chords. You have to use the 1333 in all the four chords. In the first and in the third chord you get a sus4, in the second and in the fourth you get a major.
I've been trying to play like this, but it's actually pretty difficult for me. I only play the octaved chord comfortably. Anybody has tips?
It takes time for your fingers, tendons, joints, etc. To stretch out and strengthen. Finger exercises help and playing everyday.
I didn't realize that people played Nirvana songs not like this. My guitar teacher taught me those songs like this back in '95. Although I have found over time I tend to strain my wrist when playing on thin necked guitars, i also have to wear a wrist brace when playing these chords for long periods of time. Thick necked guitars also help.
That augmented third sounds great un the home acoustic version of Sappy
I think you're totally right man! this is great, thank you! this *is* what I've been missing.
Everyone knows that iconic sound. It's his way of doing things. He broke the rules. I love his happy not happy sound.
Nah your 100% right on this one. Don't think it was a deliberate choice he made just an effect caused by his playing style. Because it comes and goes with no real pattern. Iv'e done the same thing watched tones of Nirvana live and noticed Kurt's 3rd finger would lay across the fret. He pushes his finger into the string rather than use the tip of his finger to fret. The stray note is there and adds so much to the chord. The more you dive into Kurt's playing and song writing the more you realise he was an amazing musician and deserves more credit. He does get unfair/bad rap at times which is unfair, he learnt everything by listening to music, even if he had no idea what he was doing, just that it sounded good. Now I'm off too listen to some Nirvana.
It’s a F5 Sus 4 chord that starts Teen Spirit. What’s cool about that chord is that it still doesn’t have a 3rd so it’s not minor or major. Which is one of the coolest things Cobain did was never really letting the you know if the song was major or minor.
Love that guitar. What is it? Fender Jaguar? What kind of pick ups?
That’s how I play all of my chords.
Even the ones not suspended? :-)
Is it me or does he look like he also presses his middle finger to that third string you say he presses with his ring finger? Like its not doing anything but he may do it for extra pressure or familiarity from doing bar chords.
Great video!
U can really hear this technique in “drain you”
I actually play the power chord the same way. I also play an inverted power chord that way gives it a much fuller sound. It also is easier to play in my opinion.
0:57 You're right in fact rarely it sounds like this all the other Power Chords are with only 3 Chords
I agree. I think it's one of those sloppy playing techniques that just struck gold. Also, I find on smells like teen spirit, I get a more correct sound if I start on an up stroke on both power chords on the 6th string. The first and third power chords in the riff. Try that and tell me what you think. I've seen him play it like that on some of the live videos
Yep that’s my 7th Level in the Levels video. Good call man. It does sound different.
Ahh, I'll have to check that video out.
A more "correct" sound? Is that "sloppy" correct? I mean WOW , Cobain couldn't get any other job so he became a lazy guitarist.
Upstrokes on the F and Ab in smells like, that amplifies that "Cobain chord"
That power chord played by Cobain sound much fuller more complete.
A suggestion for a different video, the riff after the solo on Ignominious and Pale by Necrophagist. I think that even people who hate that style of music would be amazed at it. I have never heard anything like it. It starts as a slow almost sludgy long riff, but with repetition continually adds elements to it until it is moving at light speed.
This is very true. You are absolutely correct!
1:14 Sounded like black hole sun to me ;D
Its like we say the "Jimmi Hendrix chord", played with the thumb. Something unusual for the most guitarist but Hendrix made this his own "thing" and thus the Cobain did the same.
Nice to know how to sound more like my biggest inspiration
that’s what made it sounds grungy
1333 , just a sus 4 w the emphasis on the lower notes. Another secret chord is the heavy bleach chord. 122. It's basically just a rush chord . It's just natural if you play your power chords that way.
I think you're 100% correct. It's what makes Nirvana sound like Nirvana, especially in the Unplugged set.
I completely agree that inaccuracies in tab can make "getting the sound" quite the challenge. Sus chords are so cool...
Sidenote: i have personally adopted this style of playing into my own guitar work, borrowed directly from Kurt Cobain. I figured out that a simple shape like a bar or otherwise across the whole neck can produce a gross muddy chord that when attacked from different approaches creates several consonant points of tonal focus the can be pulled out of the ringing dissonance within the same position, and simultaneously provides that muddy dissonance ringing in the the back. It kind of functions like a drone and allows you to do a lot with very little effort. It's actually an ingenious approach to playing that would take a lazy minded person to figure out and utilize.
I was one of those commenters, but in this video you made it sound more like Kurt. You were fretting the extra note more cleanly before, he'd kind of half-hit it a lot of the time.
i love the whole he-probably-didn't-know-this that's always tacked on to analysis of this once in a generation songwriter. he didn't do anything by mistake. he mastered his own sound through relentless experimentation and near constant exploration. "The world is nothing but a big gimmick, isn't it?"
I always knew he did this, he does it is Polly, Dumb, Come As You Are etc. it sounds awesome
Apologies if someone already asked: what pedal are you using here?
I always use the "Cobain Chord" whenever I play Smells Like Teen Spirit.
If that sounded like Black Hole Sun... Nirvana were fans of Soundgarden anyways
i saw ur tittle want to say“caonima” in simplified Chinese，but watched ur play ，i would say god job，thx
I've been playing Cobain chords for years and not known. I thought I came up with that chord shape actually
He played it like that because he was left handed, right?
He was right-handed. I don't know how he ended up playing left-handed, it could be his early love of The Beatles, but he wrote and drew with his right hand.
@@djefferson5669 he played left handed because the first guitar he got was a left handed one
D Jefferson I write and throw (and guitar) right handed, but bat and golf left handed.
NO. Not even remotely.
Handedness has nothing to do with it.
It's because he just wasn't very good at guitar.
I’ve been playing power chords like that (1:23) since the beginning.
But i can’t play them like Kurt lol
It’s so uncomfortable to me, but I want play them like that without any (pain) problem.
Nothing like learn all the ways possible to play something.
So it's a sus4 chord in "drop 2" fingering. I think that's what it's called. It does sound really good.
Yes, that note is there! Nice detail of cobain playing
Kurt was an ASTOUNDINGLY great guitar player. The point of the instrument (in my opinion) is to create art and express yourself in an original way. His ear and songwriting with the guitar was profound. His “feel” made up for technical prowess, which is sometimes boring for non musicians to listen to anyway. Unless you are original and passionate like an EVH. I’ll personally listen to “sloppy” Cobain strum power chords over lightning fast sweeps all day.
You are right. That chord is even in nirvana tabulatures.
The Sus4 chord sounds great, but it wasn't invented by Cobain.
I don't see kurt kobain as someone that had established signature techniques. I mean he did, but I doubt he thought too hard about it. He seems like someone that just enjoyed playing guitar and wanted to have a grunge band. not that there's anything wrong with establishing a "cobain chord". just sharing my opinion on the internet
I don’t think he liked the term grunge, to him that was a way of labeling nirvana and categorizing them.
Ironically his technique came from the lack of “proper” technique
@Bileven Troth: excellent comment. I know almost nothing on a technical level about music. I will say this though many people try hate on success and devalue their ability. Many say Kurt Cobain wasn't very good technically etc. Maybe he was just lazy, sloppy, and affected by drugs etc. The thing is Nirvana sounded amazing to many people. Was it all because he was sloppy, lazy and unintentionally made mistakes that often improved the sound and just kept getting lucky? Maybe Kurt Cobain didn't even know what he was doing as OP said and didn't think too much about what he was doing. Maybe it was subconscious, unaware decisions that just felt right through playing and experimentation. Generally speaking I would call him gifted for lack of a better term.
Regardless it's sad that people need to overanalyze everything with the purpose to criticize. This always irritated Cobain. He never pretended to be something he wasn't and yet people still want to label him like he has been mislabeled.
In Bloom too !!
Tbh that’s how I thought that power chord was supposed to be played, I’ve just been playing it like that since I started
Playing the cobain chords and Dave mustaines spider chord taught me alot of things
To be honest, I doubt it was intentional. I do things like that sometimes to "add color". Or it could be because I'm sloppy.
If you are commercially successful, it is an idiosyncrasy of a musical genius but if you aren’t, it is referenced as a technical mistake. ;)
When i first started playing guitar my hands were small so instead of playing power chords like a normal power chord i used my ring finger and played them likea bar chord just like Cobain