Smells Like Teen Spirit

How to play Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 1 you play G, Em, A, C, E, F and more, the shapes the player above shows.

This song is a great one to learn because the riff-driven groove feels big and immediate, and it gives you that driving, restless energy right away. You will feel the pulse stay steady while the chords hit with a strong, punchy attitude.

You can keep the easier open shapes on F and C in mind, but most of the chart leans on barre shapes like G#, Fm, A#, C#, and F#. The main change to watch is the opening move G# - Fm - A# - G#, since that shift sets the shape of the whole song and needs to stay smooth.

Start by looping that opening progression slowly until the changes feel automatic. Then add the rest of the chord cycle in small sections, and only after that bring it up toward the full tempo so your hands stay relaxed and accurate.

Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.