about a girl Nirvana

"About a Girl"

Bleach (SP34a)

Copyright 1989 Sub Pop

Transcribed by Chris Mosher <camosher@delphi.com>

-------------------------------------------------

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.

---

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: 0 2 2 x 0 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 |

| 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

--- --------

verse verse 1 A A

chorus chorus B A

verse verse 2 A A

chorus chorus B A

lead - C C C C

verse verse 1 A A

chorus/coda coda B D A A E