About a Girl Nirvana
Bleach (SP34a)
Copyright 1989 Sub Pop
Transcribed by Chris Mosher
-------------------------------------------------
This is a close approximation of the way I play Nirvana's
"About a Girl", which is a close approximation of how
Nirvana plays it on their Bleach album.
The chords are generally 5's (i.e., no 3rd),
not minor or major, except for the open G in the verse
(but even that omits the 3rd usually played on the
5th string and has only the 3rd on the 2nd string).
The chords played during the chorus are "power chords"
in the true sense on the phrase. In the second measure
(during "...vantage while."), note that the F#5 is
strummed twice and then the strings are muffled with the
palm of the picking hand on the second count, during
which time there is feedback. This is cool.
There are two different forms of the E5 chord played one
after the other in the chorus (during "I can't see you").
First is the "open" E5 (022xxx). He then slides up to the
alternate E5' at the 7th fret (x799xx). This is really cool.
I play the A5 at the 5th fret (577xxx). This is what it
sounds like to me on the album, although I know Kurt seems
to play an open A (x022xx) often, so it may be that way
instead. Also, I think it's easier to play (577xxx).
This stuff can all be heard clearly after the lead, when
there's no singing over top of it.
The first note in the lead is an open E (6th string) held
for a full count. There are two slides-up. The first slide,
from 7 to 9, is "slow"; play the 7, but don't slide up to
9 until the next beat. The second slide, from 9 up to 12,
is "fast"; play the 9 and slide up to the 12 right away
during that beat. On the next beat, play the 12 on the
3rd string (letting both notes ring). Play 12 on 4th string
and 12 on 3rd string again, letting them ring, and then
slide both notes down on the last up-beat in the measure.
Just before the lead starts, he turns up the distortion, and
seemingly leaves it up during the remainder of the song.
I lifted the lyrics from some other messages posted
to A.G.T. They're the best I can do; I never could
understand what Kurt was saying!
ANY CORRECTIONS OR COMMENTS WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
Thank you and have fun.
TAB
[---]
part A (verse):
beat| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
crd| E5 G | E5 G |
E|-----------0-----3--3--3-|-----0--0--0-----3--3--3-| B|-----------0-----0--0--0-|-----0--0--0-----0--0--0-| G|-----------x--0--0--0--0-|--x--x--x--x--0--0--0--0-| D|--2--h--2--2--0--0--0--0-|--2--2--2--2--0--0--0--0-| A|--2--h--2--h--x-----x----|--2--h--2--h--x-----x----| E|--0--h--0--h--3--h--3----|--0--h--0--h--3--h--3----|
beat| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
crd| E5 G | E5 G |
E|-----0--0--0-----3--3--3-|-----0--0--0-----3--3--3-| B|-----0--0--0-----0--0--0-|-----0--0--0-----0--0--0-| G|--x--x--x--x--0--0--0--0-|--x--x--x--x--0--0--0--0-| D|--2--2--2--2--0--0--0--0-|--2--2--2--2--0--0--0--0-| A|--2--h--2--h--x-----x----|--2--h--2--h--x-----x----| E|--0--h--0--h--3--h--3----|--0--h--0--h--3--h--3----|
part B (chorus):
beat| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
crd| C#5 G#5 | F#5 |
E|-------------------------|-------------------------| B|-------------------------|-------------------------| G|--6--h--6--6-------------|-------------------------| D|--6--h--6--6--6--h--6--6-|--4--4-----4--h--4--4--x-| A|--4--h--4--4--6--h--6--6-|--4--4-----4--h--4--4--x-| E|--------------4--h--4--4-|--2--2-----2--h--2--2--x-|
beat| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
crd| C#5 G#5 | F#5 |
E|-------------------------|-------------------------| B|-------------------------|-------------------------| G|--6--h--6--6-------------|-------------------------| D|--6--h--6--6--6--h--6--6-|--4--4-----4--h--4--4--x-| A|--4--h--4--4--6--h--6--6-|--4--4-----4--h--4--4--x-| E|--------------4--h--4--4-|--2--2-----2--h--2--2--x-|
beat| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
crd| E5 E5' | A5 C5 |
E|-------------------------|-------------------------| B|-------------------------|-------------------------| G|-----------x/-9--9--9--x-|-----------5--h--5--5--x-| D|--2--h--2--x/-9--9--9--x-|--7--7--7--5--h--5--5--x-| A|--2--h--2--x/-7--7--7--x-|--7--7--7--3--h--3--3--x-| E|--0--h--0----------------|--5--5--5----------------|
part C (lead):
beat| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
crd| E5 G | E5 G |
E|-------------------------|------------------------------| B|-------------------------|------------------------------| G|-------------------------|-----------------12--h-12--h\-| D|--------------5--7--7--7-|/(9)-9--9--9/(12)-h-12--h--h\-| A|--------5--7-------------|------------------------------| E|--0--h-------------------|------------------------------|
(turn up distortion just before lead)
part D (coda):
beat| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
crd| E5 E5' | A5 C5 |
E|-------------------------|-------------------------| B|-------------------------|-------------------------| G|-----------x/-9--9--9--x-|-----------5--h--5--5--5-| D|--2--h--2--x/-9--9--9--x-|--7--7--7--5--h--5--5--5-| A|--2--h--2--x/-7--7--7--x-|--7--7--7--3--h--3--3--3-| E|--0--h--0----------------|--5--5--5----------------|
beat| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + |
crd| C5 | |
E|-------------------------|-------------| B|-------------------------|-------------| G|--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5-|--5--5--5--x-| D|--5--5--5--5--5--5--5--5-|--5--5--5--x-| A|--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3-|--3--3--3--x-| E|-------------------------|-------------|
(slows down a bit here)
part E (coda):
beat| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
crd| E5
E|-------------------------| B|-------------------------| G|-------------------------| D|--2--h--h--h--h--h--h--h-| (hold for about four measures total) A|--2--h--h--h--h--h--h--h-| E|--0--h--h--h--h--h--h--h-|
TAB Legend:
h = hold fretted note (or let open note ring), do not pick
m/(n)= pick note at fret m, slide up to fret n (do not pick twice)
n\ = pick note at fret n, slide down (to wherever)
x = pick string, but muffle with finger so note doesn't sound
CRD chart
---------
E5: [E]0 [A]2 [D]2 [G]x [B]0 [E]0
G: 3 x 0 0 0 3
C#5: x 4 6 6 x x
G#5: 4 6 6 x x x
F#5: 2 4 4 x x x
E5': x 7 9 9 x x
A5: 5 7 7 x x x
C5: x 3 5 5 x x
LYR
[---]verse 1:
| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
| I need an | ea---sy friend I |
| do with a | hand to lend I |
| do think you | fit this shoe I |
| do what you | have a clue |
verse 2:
| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
| I'm stand-ing | in your light I |
| do hope you | have the time I |
| do pick up | num--ber two I |
| do keep a | date with you |
chorus:
| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
| I'll take a---ad--|-van--tage while |
| You hang me | out to dry But |
| I can't see you | ev'--ry night |
| Free | (I |
| do) | |
coda:
| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
| I'll take a---ad--|-van--tage while |
| You hang me | out to dry But |
| I can't see you | ev'--ry night No |
| I can't see you | ev'--ry nigh------------|
| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + |
| ----------(t) | |
| 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + | 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + |
| Free | I |
| do | I |
| do | I |
| do | I |
| do | |
ARRANGEMENT
-----------
LYR TAB part
--- --------
intro - A A
verse verse 1 A A
chorus chorus B A
verse verse 2 A A
chorus chorus B A
lead - C C C C
chorus - B A
verse verse 1 A A
chorus/coda coda B D A A E
From: psalzman@sfsuvax1.sfsu.edu (Peter Salzman)
Subject: CRD: About A Girl
If someone emails me the lyrics, I'll turn this into a really nice TAB
(instead of a spartan CRD). I don't want to offend anyone, but I can't
imagine this taking someone more than 2 min to strumm out, unless they
don't have the album I guess. Oh well. Have no clue to the lyrics,
sorry. There doesn't seem to be any chorus.
Song: About A Girl
Artist: Nirvana written by Kurt Cobain
CRD'er: Peter Jay Salzman psalzman@stars.sfsu.edu
cut time
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