In bloom/rape me

mustang4106

Okay, I have been watching Nirvana videos for awhile now and am very confused on what Kurt does for one of the chords. Most tabs say this for a song such as rape me

-2-2-x-x-5-5--

-2-2-x-x-5-5---2-2-x-x-5-5

-0-0-x-x-3-3---2-2-x-x-5-5

-----------------0-0-x-x-3-3

if you watch though he does not use the last 3-5-5 chord. He does the same thing during In Bloom's intro, not using that chord it looks like he is replacing it with...

-3

-x

-0

-3

But i don't know so if anyone figures it out please tell me cuz I am very confused

Btw- I hope I don't get slammed for asking this question by people that hate Nirvana but oh well, it seems like some are feeling better about themselves if they diss Kurt's technique or any Nirvana fan for liking him. 😁 Thats your opinion but I feel there's still no reason to take it out on someone. Grow up

XxMangoxX

Tabs aren't going to help you with any Nirvana song. Kurt's technique was simple and uncomplicated. I guarantee you he played his songs different everytime or every five times he played them, hitting notes on accident from the way he play powerchords or finding different and easier ways to play chords((that chord you were confused about was the G Major chord I think.))

My advice is to grab a cd and listent o the track and figure out the notes. That'd probably be easier than watching different videos of him performing the song.

AnotherTool

mustang4106 said:
1
-2-2-x-x-5-5--
-2-2-x-x-5-5---2-2-x-x-5-5
-0-0-x-x-3-3---2-2-x-x-5-5
-----------------0-0-x-x-3-3
2
-3
-x
-x
-0
-0
-3

In the case of Rape Me, i used to play this a while ago, the intro guitar is quiet, so you'd play 2, but in the loud chorus, play 1. Try it.

Think about how you strike them too, it's one thing getting the notes correct, playing them so the rhythm is bang on time with no odd sounds is another.

mustang4106

Thanks guys, this will definately help. About kurt's sloppiness, yeah i know, i think thats what i love about his music, you can play it as sloppy as you want and it still sounds good, as well as it still remains really fun.

tragictravisty

its problably 3-x-0-0-x-3 like mango said, G major.

AshleyNirvana

For Rape Me I play the first three chords/bar chords as you wrote them, then G or whatever it's called, with the third fret held down on the top and bottom string. I can never be bothered to play G properly when it sounds the same how I said.

mustang4106

AshleyNirvana said: with the third fret held down on the top and bottom string. I can never be bothered to play G properly when it sounds the same how I said.
For Rape Me I play the first three chords/bar chords as you wrote them, then G or whatever it's called, with the third fret held down on the top and bottom string. I can never be bothered to play G properly when it sounds the same how I said.

hehe yeah, I don't play the full chord either like it should

-3

-0

-2-----I don't use that, it really annoys me 😁 , then again, I don't think Kurt did either.

-3

tragictravisty

you mute it? i dont really get that, its not much of a difference. it sound sslightly fuller when you play that B on the a string.

AshleyNirvana

tragictravisty said: you mute it? i dont really get that, its not much of a difference. it sound sslightly fuller when you play that B on the a string.

I don't think he mutes it, he just misses it out like I do as well. I find it easier to change to and from a G if I miss the second fret note on the A string.

nirvana23freak

i dont think it makes that much of a difference if you play the B or not distorted. but a slower clean riff sounds better with the B for the fullness

tragictravisty

tragictravisty said: you mute it? i dont really get that, its not much of a difference. it sound sslightly fuller when you play that B on the a string.

only an absolute virtuoso could strum that fast and not pick a string. either he frets it, deadens it, or is actually playing a Gmaj add9th

nirvana23freak

tragictravisty said:
only an absolute virtuoso could strum that fast and not pick a string.

that would be insane

AshleyNirvana

tragictravisty said: you mute it? i dont really get that, its not much of a difference. it sound sslightly fuller when you play that B on the a string.

Have you heard Rape Me? It's not a fast song.

nirvana23freak

AshleyNirvana said:
Have you heard Rape Me? It's not a fast song.

irts fast enough to not be able to do that. it would have to be incredible slow.

AshleyNirvana

AshleyNirvana said:
Have you heard Rape Me? It's not a fast song.

I must have misunderstood. I play Rape Me and just miss the note on the A string out for the G chord, and I don't mute it

nirvana23freak

you skip the string? or you dont fret the note at all?

were saying play

-3-

-0-

-x

-2-

-3-

or something similar and just in some amazing way skip the -2-. not muting or not fretting just skip the string but play the other 5

einseins

You should get you hands on the Saturday Night Live (SNL) video/mpg of Rape Me. Very clear to see, right in front etc. He is definitely playing the open G-chord, the weird thing is he plays it with his index finger on the 3rd fret low-E string (yes i know its tuned Eb!) and his middle finger directly below muting the A string at the 3rd fret. I say this is weird because I'm sure many people like me fret the 3rd on the low-E with the middle finger and have the index either on the 2nd fret A string or muting it. Anyway, you can also see the high-e and B strings well. His fingers are again directly inline with the 3rd fret, so I'm quite sure this is the chord:

eb|---3 p Bb|---3 rGb|---0Db|---0Ab|---x mEb|---3 i

Not sure about In Bloom, but he probably plays the open G the same all the time. Check out About a Girl Unplugged and see if he uses the same fingering for the G-chord. Dito for Polly and Pennyroyal Tea. Peace out 😆

melvin-man

einseins said: You should get you hands on the Saturday Night Live (SNL) video/mpg of Rape Me.

here it is slowed down for you all to see his fingers 😆😆

nirvana23freak

😆😆😆😆😆😆😆

the chorus sound pretty cool actually(minus the really low cobain voice)

AshleyNirvana

nirvana23freak said: you skip the string? or you dont fret the note at all?
were saying play
-3-
-0-
-0-
-x
-2-
-3-
or something similar and just in some amazing way skip the -2-. not muting or not fretting just skip the string but play the other 5

I'm not sure what's confusing about how I play it. I don't know what everyone means by muting - I don't palm mute any strings by lightly touching them with my other fingers. I play this:

e -----3-----

B -----0-----

G -----0-----

D -----0-----

A -----0-----

E -----3-----