Song guide · Nirvana
How to Play Smells Like Teen Spirit on Guitar: Four Chords and the Scratches Between Them
Four power chords in a fixed pattern are easy; the constant sixteenth-note strum with muted scratches between the chords is what takes weeks.
Smells Like Teen Spirit is built on four power chords: F, B♭, A♭ and D♭. That is the whole progression for the intro and chorus, repeated without change. Plenty of beginners learn the chord shapes in ten minutes, play them as four clean hits, and wonder why it sounds nothing like Nevermind. The answer is in what Wikipedia calls a syncopated sixteenth-note strum: the strumming hand never stops, and most of what it hits between the chords is muted strings.
Kurt Cobain said he was trying to write the ultimate pop song and basically rip off the Pixies, using their dynamics of quiet verses and loud choruses. That contrast shapes everything on guitar: a thin, chorused two-note figure in the verses, then a wall of distorted power chords in the chorus. This guide focuses on the strum engine first, then the quiet-loud switch, then the solo that simply restates the vocal melody.
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Nirvana
- Artist
- Nirvana (Nevermind, 1991)
- Tuning
- Half step down (E♭ standard)
- Key
- F minor
- Tempo
- ≈117 BPM
- Length
- 5:01 (single 4:38)
- Tier
- D-Tier
3.9 / 10
14
35
A day for the chords; 2-4 weeks for the strum
Live data from the Riff Quest community — difficulty is the average of real player ratings.
Where it sits on the ladder
D
Smells Like Teen Spirit
C
B
A
S
Smells Like Teen Spirit sits in the lower-middle of the Riff Quest ladder (the badge above shows the current community rating). It is a rite of passage for the strumming hand: once constant sixteenths with muted scratches feel natural, a huge amount of rock, punk and funk rhythm guitar above it on the ladder opens up.
The strum engine, built in four layers
Build the riff from the strumming hand outward. Each layer only gets added once the one before it is automatic.
1. The motor
Mute all strings with the fretting hand and strum constant sixteenth notes: down on every beat and between, up in the gaps. The hand never stops, even when nothing rings.
2. The accents
Let a few strokes ring by pressing the power chord down, keeping the rest muted. Some of these accents fall between the beats; the constant motion puts them in the right place.
3. The shifts
Move between the four power chord shapes during the muted strokes, so each new chord is ready for its accent.
4. The weight
Add distortion and play the accents harder than the scratches. The contrast between chord and scratch is what makes the riff sound huge.
The verdict: the left hand is a beginner, the right hand is not
Smells Like Teen Spirit sits in the lower-middle of the Riff Quest ladder. The fretting hand has almost nothing to do: four power chord shapes on the low strings, always in the same order, with two positions on the neck. A player a few weeks in can play them.
The strumming hand is where the song gets its reputation. Cobain's riff is a continuous sixteenth-note motion at around 117 BPM. Some strokes hit the chord; the ones in between are muted scratches produced by relaxing the fretting hand. Getting the accents in the right places while the hand keeps moving is a real rhythm skill, and most beginners' versions skip it.
The rest of the song is dynamics. The verse is quiet and clean, the chorus is loud and distorted, and the switch has to be instant. The 16-bar solo is melodic, following Cobain's vocal line, and is well within reach once the rest is learned.
Video lessons
The skills under the hood
Most of this list belongs to the strumming hand. That is the whole point of the song.
Continuous sixteenth-note strumming
The strumming hand moves down and up without stopping. Chord hits and muted scratches both come from the same motion.
Fretting-hand muting
Relaxing the power-chord shape so the strings go dead without lifting off. This is what turns the in-between strokes into scratches.
Syncopated accents
Some chord hits fall between the beats. Keeping the hand moving is what places them correctly.
Power chord shifts
Four shapes on two strings, at two positions. Shifting quickly while the strum keeps going is the only fretting-hand challenge.
Clean-to-distorted dynamics
A quiet, chorused verse and a loud distorted chorus. The switch has to happen exactly on the downbeat.
Melodic solo
Stretch goal — optional at first
A 16-bar solo that restates the vocal melody. A good first solo: you already know how it goes.
Quiet, loud and the switch between them
The song alternates between two guitar sounds. Knowing what each section asks of you makes the switch easier.
| Section | Guitar sound | What your hands do |
|---|---|---|
| Intro and chorus | Loud, distorted power chords | The full strum engine: sixteenths, accents and scratches |
| Verse | Quiet, clean, chorus effect | A simple two-note figure, played lightly and evenly |
| Pre-chorus | Building up | Prepare the switch; the chorus has to hit exactly on the downbeat |
| Solo | Distorted lead | A 16-bar melody based on the vocal line |
Wikipedia describes the verses as using a chorused guitar sound, followed by big, loud choruses. That contrast became a template for alternative rock.
Is this your song right now?
You're ready if
- You can play power chords on the low strings and move them along the neck.
- You have played at least one strumming pattern with down and up strokes.
- You want to learn the feel of grunge rather than just the chords.
- You are happy to tune down a half step, or to play in standard tuning for practice.
Maybe wait if
- Power chords are new to you; spend a week moving them around the neck first.
- You have never strummed sixteenth notes; practise a constant down-up motion on muted strings for a few days first.
- You want a song with open chords; this one is power chords throughout.
How long will it actually take?
At 20-30 minutes a day, with most time on the strumming hand.
Beginner with power chords
The chords come quickly. The strum needs weeks of slow practice before it sits at full speed.
Early intermediate
If you already strum sixteenths, the riff settles quickly. The verse figure and solo fill out the rest.
Intermediate and up
The work is in the details: accents, scratches and instant dynamic switches.
The practice plan
Build the strum on dead strings first, then add chords.
The chords are the easy part
Riff Quest scores timing as well as notes, so a clean chord hit in the wrong place shows up. Log the strum daily and watch the accents settle into the right places.
- Loop any sectionIsolate the intro, solo, or chorus and loop just that part until it's clean.
- Track what's leftMark each section Mastered, Medium, Bad, or Not learned, so you always know what still needs work.
- Time spent per songEvery practice minute is logged against the song itself, not just a generic timer.
- Your own song libraryBuild a library of the songs you actually know, ready to revisit any time.
- Import your own tabsUpload a Guitar Pro file and turn on real-time note recognition through your mic — the same engine behind the built-in exercises.
Before and after Smells Like Teen Spirit
Songs either side of it, built around power chords, strumming and grunge dynamics.
Play these first — one step easier
Come As You Are
Full guideNirvana
The gentlest Nirvana classic: a single-note riff, alternate tuning and quiet-loud dynamics.
Breed
Nirvana
Fast, simple power chords from the same album: build strumming stamina before adding the syncopation.
Where to go next — one step harder
Paranoid
Full guideBlack Sabbath
Power chords again, this time much faster: the next step for your picking hand.
Creep
Full guideRadiohead
Another quiet-loud song, with full barre chords instead of power chords.
Everlong
Full guideFoo Fighters
Dave Grohl's next band: faster, relentless strumming in drop D.
Browse the full song library ranked by community difficulty to build your own path.
Frequently asked questions
Questions about Riff Quest itself — how practice is scored, what it costs, what you need to plug in — are answered on the frequently asked questions page
How hard is Smells Like Teen Spirit on guitar?
Smells Like Teen Spirit currently rates 3.9/10 on Riff Quest's community difficulty scale (D-Tier). The four power chords are easy; the syncopated sixteenth-note strum with muted scratches is what takes practice.
What are the chords to Smells Like Teen Spirit?
F5, B♭5, A♭5 and D♭5, in F minor. They repeat in the same order through the intro and chorus. The verse uses a quieter two-note figure instead.
What tuning is Smells Like Teen Spirit in?
Most transcriptions of the record use half-step-down tuning (E♭ A♭ D♭ G♭ B♭ E♭), with the chord shapes one fret higher than in standard tuning. In standard tuning the song works with the shapes at the 1st and 4th frets.
What is the strumming pattern for Smells Like Teen Spirit?
A continuous down-up sixteenth-note motion where only some strokes hit the chord and the rest are muted scratches. The key is never stopping the strumming hand, even on the scratches.
What BPM is Smells Like Teen Spirit?
About 117 BPM. Start the strum at 70 BPM on muted strings, then add the chords and work up to full tempo.
Is the Smells Like Teen Spirit solo hard?
No. The 16-bar solo after the second chorus restates Cobain's vocal melody. It is one of the most approachable first solos in rock.
About the Author
Michael Apfel
Guitarist & Creator of Riff Quest
Has been playing guitar for 14 years, including time performing live in two bands. Built Riff Quest to solve his own practice-tracking problems, and writes about practice and learning guitar drawing on hands-on experience with the instrument.
Try Riff QuestFour chords, a constant strum,
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