This is how I play the song. I make no guarantees as to its accuracy.
For those interested, a good way to get the Nirvana "Grunge" sound is
just to use very heavy metal distortion plus very thick chorus.

Key:
p - pull off from previous note
s - slide to
b - bend (or unbend) note until it sounds like the next one
x - strike strings muted lightly w/left hand


Main line: Riff:
2x w/o distortion. repeat as
4x with distortion + chorus) desired. . .
e------------------------------------------ ---1------
a------------------------------------------ -1--------
d-------------3-3------------------6-6----- ----------
g--3-3-3-xxxx-3-3---5---6-6-6-xxxx-6-6--5-- ----------
b--3-3-3-xxxx-1-1---5---6-6-6-xxxx-4-4--5-- ----------
E--1-1-1-xxxx-------3---4-4-4-xxxx------3-- ----------


"Solo": 2x. . .
e-------------------------------------------------------
a--1--4--4s6-----4b6b4--2--1--2--1----------------------
d-------------1---------------------3--1--3b5b3--1--0---
g-------------------------------------------------------
b-------------------------------------------------------
E-------------------------------------------------------

. . .to 4x:
e--------------------------------
a--------------------------------
d---1-0---1-0---1-0---1p0--------
g---------------------------3----
b--------------------------------
E--------------------------------

Lyrics:
-------
Load up on guns, bring your friends
It's fun to lose, and to pretend
She's overboard, myself assured
I know I know, A dirty word

chorus:

hello, hello, hello, hello. . .hello, hello, hello, hello,
hello, hello, hello, hello. . .hello, hello, hello, hello

With the lights out it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us.
A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido, Yea!

I'm worse at what I do best,
and for this gift I feel blessed.
I met a group that's always been
And always will until the end.

chorus, solo

And I forget, just what the taste
And yes I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard. . .Its hard to find
Oh well, whatever, nevermind

chorus.

*-juggle@athena.mit.edu-*
*-Joseph Grossman -*




Return-Path: <davist@cs.man.ac.uk>
Date: Fri, 30 Sep 94 12:17:41 BST
To: guitar@nevada.edu
Subject: Guitar TAB for Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana

Transcribed by Tim Davis (davist@cs.man.ac.uk) from the album "Nevermind".

Here's the entire song with lyrics et al.

To get the Nirvana sound use very heavy metal distortion plus very thick
chorus with the pickup selector in the bridge (farthest back) position.

Key:
~ - vibrato
- slide down
b - bend note until it sounds like the bracketed one
r - release previous bend to bracketed note
x - play strings while muted lightly with left hand

|-- --| repeat section between the markers.
|*- -*| ie. play it twice
|-- --|
|-- --|
|*- -*|
|-- ... --|


Intro:

2x clean
4x w/distortion and chorus

E--------------------------------|-------------------------------|
B--------------------------------|-------------------------------|
G--3---3-3---x-x-x-x-3---3---5---|-6---6-6---x-x-x-x-6---6---5---|
D--3---3-3---x-x-x-x-3---1---5---|-6---6-6---x-x-x-x-6---6---5---|
A--3---3-3---x-x-x-x-1---1---5---|-6---6-6---x-x-x-x-4---4---5---|
E--1---1-1---x-x-x-x---------3---|-4---4-4---x-x-x-x---------3---|


Pre verse:

clean w/chorus

E-----1-----------------------------|-----1----------------------------|
B-1---------------------------------|-1--------------------------------|
G-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
D-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|


Verse 1:

clean w/chorus

E-----1------------------------------|-----1---------------------------|
B-1----------------------------------|-1-------------------------------|
G------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
D------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
A------------------------------------|---------------------------------|
E------------------------------------|---------------------------------|

Load up on guns, bring your friends. It's fun to lose and to pretend
She's over bored and self assured. Oh no, I know, a dirty word.


Pre chorus:

w/distortion

E------1-------1-------1-------1--|------1-------1-------1-------1---|
B-1--------1-------1-------1------|-1--------1-------1-------1-------|
G---------------------------------|----------------------------------|
D---------------------------------|----------------------------------|
A---------------------------------|----------------------------------|
E---------------------------------|----------------------------------|
Hello, hello, hello, how low? Hello, hello, hello, how
low? Hello, hello, hello, how low? Hello, hello, hello, how
low? Hello, hello, hello, how low? Hello, hello, hello, how
low? Hello, hello, hello, how low? Hello, hello, hello...


Chorus:

w/distortion and chorus

E--------------------------------|-------------------------------|
B--------------------------------|-------------------------------|
G--3---3-3---x-x-x-x-3---3---5---|-6---6-6---x-x-x-x-6---6---5---|
D--3---3-3---x-x-x-x-3---1---5---|-6---6-6---x-x-x-x-6---6---5---|
A--3---3-3---x-x-x-x-1---1---5---|-6---6-6---x-x-x-x-4---4---5---|
E--1---1-1---x-x-x-x---------3---|-4---4-4---x-x-x-x---------3---|

With the lights out, it's less dangerous. Here
we are now entertain us. I
feel stupid and contagious. Here
we are now entertain us. A
mulatto. An albino. A
mosquito. My libido. Yeah!


E|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
B|*---------------------------------|---------------------------------*|
G|--3---3---3---3---4---4---3-------|-4---4---4---4---3---3---4---4----|
D|--3---3---3---3---4---4---3-------|-4---4---4---4---3---3---4---4----|
A|*-3---3---3---3---4---4---1-------|-2---2---2---2---1---1---4---4---*|
E|--1---1---1---1---2---2-----------|-------------------------2---2----|

Yeah!


Pre verse

Verse 2:

(Guitar same as verse 1)

I'm worst at what I do best and for this gift I feel blessed.
Our little group has always been and always will until the end.


Pre chorus

Chorus


Solo:

w/distortion and chorus (played over the main chorus/intro riff)

E|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------|
B|*----------------------------------|--------------------------------*|
G|-----8-108-----8-8b(10)r(8)-6-5~~~|-6-5-----------------------------|
D|--10--------6~~~-------------------|------8--6~~~8-8b(10)r(8)-6-5~~~-|
A|*----------------------------------|--------------------------------*|
E|-----------------------------------|---------------------------------|


E|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B|*--------------------------------|-------------------------------*|
G|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D|---6-5---6-5---6-5---6-5-5-------|-6-5---6-5---6-5---6-5-5--------|
A|*--------------------------8~~~~~|-------------------------8~~~~~*|
E|---------------------------------|--------------------------------|


Pre verse:
let last note of solo ring for whole of pre verse
E----------------------------------|--------------------------------|
B----------------------------------|--------------------------------|
G----------------------------------|--------------------------------|
D----------------------------------|--------------------------------|
A-(8)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|-(8)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|
E----------------------------------|--------------------------------|


Verse 3:
(No guitar)

And I forget just why I taste. Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile.
I found it hard. It was hard to find. Oh well whatever, nevermind.


Pre chorus

Chorus and playout:

w/distortion and chorus

E--------------------------------|-------------------------------|
B--------------------------------|-------------------------------|
G--3---3-3---x-x-x-x-3---3---5---|-6---6-6---x-x-x-x-6---6---5---|
D--3---3-3---x-x-x-x-3---1---5---|-6---6-6---x-x-x-x-6---6---5---|
A--3---3-3---x-x-x-x-1---1---5---|-6---6-6---x-x-x-x-4---4---5---|
E--1---1-1---x-x-x-x---------3---|-4---4-4---x-x-x-x---------3---|

With the lights out, it's less dangerous. Here
we are now entertain us. I
feel stupid and contagious. Here
we are now entertain us. A
mulatto. An albino. A
mosquito. My libido. A
denial. A denial. A
denial. A denial. A
denial. A denial. A
denial. A denial. A de_ ni__ al.