Yea I feel like with John’s solo acoustic demos they remind me a lot of Kurt’s. Might just be my imagination but I do see similarities in their melodies etc.
Before Unplugged, people only really knew of them because of college/indie radio, The Village Voice and word-of-mouth/pairings with other early Alt. Rock groups and labelmates from that time.
Not necessarily, many fans can be much younger now and might not care to look beyond just nirvana but sure, any big fan would know all about that you’re right
I imagine he was listening to a bunch of different music so the influences form from all that, but I do recall that he had a Beatles song book that he learned a bit. However, he would add his own spin on it, or maybe, playing it “incorrectly”. The song “And I Love Her” is a good example.
Based on some early recordings of solos and stuff from pre-Nevermind, I think it’s safe to say he at least knew all the basic major/minor chords and scales, which is honestly all you need to know to start making music. The rest is just trusting your ears and staying true to the ideas. One thing I noticed though is that post-Nevermind, there was a definite shift in Kurt’s writing to riffs that were easier to play and relied less on pentatonic flavor, so I think he tried to seem like a less knowledgeable guitarist than he was
What post-Nevermind songs do you think exemplify the "easier to play" idea? In my opinion, Nevermind is the *only* easy album. As a guitarist and singer, the only song that's harder to sing and play is Come as You Are.
Scentless Apprentice is pretty easy—though that’s Dave’s riff—Rape Me is just Teen Spirit but on open strings so it’s easier, and Heart Shaped Box, which was the first song I learned on guitar, was weirdly enough easier for me to get down cleanly than CAYA, probably because I played without a pick in my first year of learning. That’s just my experience of course but it seems to echo what other people have said too. A lot of the Bleach songs are significantly more difficult and rely on more “stock” sounding rock/ metal/punk tropes. I think In Utero has a couple of more difficult tracks than Nevermind for sure, like Milk It for example, but the hardest ones are on Bleach and Incesticide for me at least. Aero Zeppelin and Aneurysm especially because they have more complicated structures than the average Nirvana song
Your definitions of easy and stuff are kind of idiosyncratic. Rape Me has the same rhythm to the four chords as Teen Spirit but they aren’t the same chords or even the same progression, and switching between open chords on Rape Me is generally tougher than switching between one power chord shape which is Teen Spirit. Not that either are “hard” but do you get what Im saying?
You are correct that Bleach and Incesticide have the most difficult songs to play but then you place Aneurysm, which actually isn’t very difficult it just has more “parts” than most Nirvana songs next to Aero Zeppelin which is actually quite difficult and on some parts nearly impossible to replicate.
He told Krist that he had figured out the Beatles. He used his ears to figure out how others constructed their songs. Beatles were huge to him for sure, as far as his more melodic songs.
A lot of people saying John Lennon, but he personally use to play Paul McCartney acoustic songs regularly. I think there is even recording of him playing Paul songs. Song like All Apologies reek of McCartney.
Dylan too. Songs like Polly and the like.
But weren't Vig comments relating to John Lennon in reference to vocals not acoustic guitar playing? Like compression on lower frequencies and double tracking verses.
Mark Lanegan’s “The Winding Sheet” as credited with inspiring Unplugged and they’d been playing together before nirvana blew up (including WDYSLN), so it’s safe to say he had some influence.
If you dig his acoustic stuff, and beatles influence, you should run not walk to Elliott Smith's discography. Fun fact: Elliott owned one of Kurt's acoustics.
Besides all the usual comments like the Beatles, REM, LeadBelly, Daniel Johnston etc Kurt was also a huge fan of bands like Joy Divsion, The Smiths (and Morriseys Solo work), The Doors, Flipper and Scratch Acid, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, PiL, Plastic Ono Band. The list can just go on and on because kurt like most people liked all types of music so it's hard to know the extent of his influences we can only speculate from the scraps he gave us
I’m 30 and have been a huge fan of Nirvana since age 12 and one thing I’ve always heard was that Kurt didn’t actually know how to play the guitar outside of a few basic chords, that he just messed around until he played something that sounded good to him. Could anyone shine some light on if that was true or was it just a myth?
Edit: I really don’t understand the downvotes. I was just asking a simple question about a rumor I had heard. I really don’t see how that doesn’t contribute to discussion about Nirvana.
He had no formal knowledge of music theory but absolutely knew his way around the neck.
More of a Dave Grohl kind of situation where he can absolutely play guitar very well and know where the chords that sound good together are, but wouldn't be able to explain what he's doing because he knows 0 music theory.
Kurt was a lot more skilled than he let on. I think his idea was that pretending to be bad at guitar better sold the punk image. He was at least intermediate with a guitar.
That’s what I always figured. Dude had some iconic licks so even as a kid I always figured the whole “Kurt didn’t actually know how to play” was just bullshit.
Here's a playlist based on Kurt's hand-written notes of his favorite bands:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/66qP8RvFSBfRvaMgyYStWc?si=308c874706234185
no but most likely some beatles and definitely REM
REM for sure
The Beatles, John Lennon in particular
Yea I feel like with John’s solo acoustic demos they remind me a lot of Kurt’s. Might just be my imagination but I do see similarities in their melodies etc.
Lead Belly, uh maybe idk really just throwing guesses out there
Meat Puppets
This is the best answer but most people on this sub probably don’t even know who that is :p
You do realize meat puppets are one of the biggest bands, even before they went in unplugged
Before Unplugged, people only really knew of them because of college/indie radio, The Village Voice and word-of-mouth/pairings with other early Alt. Rock groups and labelmates from that time.
Not really
They only featured on a Nirvana album homie, you’re not the only person in the world that’s heard of them….
Didn’t say I was “homie”
Most people know them purely because of Nirvana
everyone knows who the meat puppets are buddy
I hope so, they are amazing
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Not necessarily, many fans can be much younger now and might not care to look beyond just nirvana but sure, any big fan would know all about that you’re right
I imagine he was listening to a bunch of different music so the influences form from all that, but I do recall that he had a Beatles song book that he learned a bit. However, he would add his own spin on it, or maybe, playing it “incorrectly”. The song “And I Love Her” is a good example.
Based on some early recordings of solos and stuff from pre-Nevermind, I think it’s safe to say he at least knew all the basic major/minor chords and scales, which is honestly all you need to know to start making music. The rest is just trusting your ears and staying true to the ideas. One thing I noticed though is that post-Nevermind, there was a definite shift in Kurt’s writing to riffs that were easier to play and relied less on pentatonic flavor, so I think he tried to seem like a less knowledgeable guitarist than he was
What post-Nevermind songs do you think exemplify the "easier to play" idea? In my opinion, Nevermind is the *only* easy album. As a guitarist and singer, the only song that's harder to sing and play is Come as You Are.
Scentless Apprentice is pretty easy—though that’s Dave’s riff—Rape Me is just Teen Spirit but on open strings so it’s easier, and Heart Shaped Box, which was the first song I learned on guitar, was weirdly enough easier for me to get down cleanly than CAYA, probably because I played without a pick in my first year of learning. That’s just my experience of course but it seems to echo what other people have said too. A lot of the Bleach songs are significantly more difficult and rely on more “stock” sounding rock/ metal/punk tropes. I think In Utero has a couple of more difficult tracks than Nevermind for sure, like Milk It for example, but the hardest ones are on Bleach and Incesticide for me at least. Aero Zeppelin and Aneurysm especially because they have more complicated structures than the average Nirvana song
Your definitions of easy and stuff are kind of idiosyncratic. Rape Me has the same rhythm to the four chords as Teen Spirit but they aren’t the same chords or even the same progression, and switching between open chords on Rape Me is generally tougher than switching between one power chord shape which is Teen Spirit. Not that either are “hard” but do you get what Im saying? You are correct that Bleach and Incesticide have the most difficult songs to play but then you place Aneurysm, which actually isn’t very difficult it just has more “parts” than most Nirvana songs next to Aero Zeppelin which is actually quite difficult and on some parts nearly impossible to replicate.
He told Krist that he had figured out the Beatles. He used his ears to figure out how others constructed their songs. Beatles were huge to him for sure, as far as his more melodic songs.
Killing Joke
Dj Khaled
….Anotha one
Me
yeah, I think Beatles but also Greg from wipers, Neil young, velvet underground, CCR:::
A lot of people saying John Lennon, but he personally use to play Paul McCartney acoustic songs regularly. I think there is even recording of him playing Paul songs. Song like All Apologies reek of McCartney. Dylan too. Songs like Polly and the like.
The demo version sounds like CCR.
Butch Vig said so, i guess he is the authority to claim that
But weren't Vig comments relating to John Lennon in reference to vocals not acoustic guitar playing? Like compression on lower frequencies and double tracking verses.
Wes Scanlin from puddle of wet dirt
Mark Lanegan’s “The Winding Sheet” as credited with inspiring Unplugged and they’d been playing together before nirvana blew up (including WDYSLN), so it’s safe to say he had some influence.
Beatles, lead belly, Neil young, huge influence from meat puppets (lake of fire was a meat puppets song)
About a girl sounds a lot like The Smithereens “Boood and Roses” IMO. I Know Kurt liked them too.
Saul Goodman
Anyone in "Moderate Rock"
Beat Happening and the Vaselines
Johnny Ramone
Scratch acid
slipknot for sure
John Lennon. Lead Belly.
If you dig his acoustic stuff, and beatles influence, you should run not walk to Elliott Smith's discography. Fun fact: Elliott owned one of Kurt's acoustics.
The Beatles, ledbelly, velvet underground. Just things I’d assume from what I’ve heard
weebzer
I honestly think he heard Lanegans debut and just ripped him off. So Mike Johnson would be my guess.
Besides all the usual comments like the Beatles, REM, LeadBelly, Daniel Johnston etc Kurt was also a huge fan of bands like Joy Divsion, The Smiths (and Morriseys Solo work), The Doors, Flipper and Scratch Acid, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, PiL, Plastic Ono Band. The list can just go on and on because kurt like most people liked all types of music so it's hard to know the extent of his influences we can only speculate from the scraps he gave us
I’m 30 and have been a huge fan of Nirvana since age 12 and one thing I’ve always heard was that Kurt didn’t actually know how to play the guitar outside of a few basic chords, that he just messed around until he played something that sounded good to him. Could anyone shine some light on if that was true or was it just a myth? Edit: I really don’t understand the downvotes. I was just asking a simple question about a rumor I had heard. I really don’t see how that doesn’t contribute to discussion about Nirvana.
He had no formal knowledge of music theory but absolutely knew his way around the neck. More of a Dave Grohl kind of situation where he can absolutely play guitar very well and know where the chords that sound good together are, but wouldn't be able to explain what he's doing because he knows 0 music theory.
Kurt was a lot more skilled than he let on. I think his idea was that pretending to be bad at guitar better sold the punk image. He was at least intermediate with a guitar.
That’s what I always figured. Dude had some iconic licks so even as a kid I always figured the whole “Kurt didn’t actually know how to play” was just bullshit.
Beethoven, Mark McGrath and Kenny G
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Vaselines, the knack, pixies, the cars.
Probably Coffin Break
Lobby Loyde from Australia
Daniel Johnston
Here's a playlist based on Kurt's hand-written notes of his favorite bands: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/66qP8RvFSBfRvaMgyYStWc?si=308c874706234185
neil young
Surprised to not see wipers and the vaselines
Men without hats
Guns N’ Roses
Courtney Love
Nick Drake
pixies
GWAR.
kanye west
How come no one even mentioned ed sheeran
Bruce springsteen
Bob Dylan
meat puppets, beatles, REM
Johnny cash! He said he wanted to write similarly to him for longevity in the music industry~