Nirvana

Nirvana - About A Girl guitar tab

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From: Christopher Mosher

Nirvana

"About a Girl"

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

---------

E A D G B E

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 |

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 From Nirvana's Bleach

(also featured on Nirvana's 1993 MTV Unplugged performance)

Intro: Em G Em G Em G Em G

Em G Em G

I need an easy friend

Em G Em G

I do with a hand to lend

Em G Em G

I do think you fit this shoe

Em G Em G

I do what you have a clue

C# G# F#

I'll take advantage while

C# G# F#

You hang me out to dry

Em A C Em G Em G

But I can't see you every night free

Em G Em G

I do

Em G Em G

I'm standing in your light

Em G Em G

I do hope you have the time

Em G Em G

I do pick up number two

Em G Em G

I do keep a date with you

C# G# F#

I'll take advantage while

C# G# F#

You hang me out to dry

Em A C Em G Em G

But I can't see you every night free

Em G Em G

I do

Solo: Repeat 3x (s=slide up)

E ------------------------|-

B ------------------------|-

G ----------------7--7s9--|-

D -----5-7-7s9--9---------|-

A -7-7--------------------|-

E ------------------------|-

(Repeat verse 1)

C# G# F#

I'll take advantage while

C# G# F#

You hang me out to dry

Em A C

But I can't see you every night

Em A C

I can't see you every night

Em G Em G

Free

Em G Em G

I do

Em G Em G

I do

Em G Em G Em

I do

Notes:

All apologies for incorrect lyrics -- this is just how I hear

them. No one knows for sure what they are, anyway.

On Bleach, they play this song in standard tuning (EADGBE),

but on Unplugged they played it a half-step down (Eb Ab Db Gb

Bb Eb).

Some say the Em is actually an E or an E5. Try 'em all and see what

sounds best to you.

Robert Wolsey

wolser@rpi.edu

Get this song at:  amazon.com sheetmusicplus.com

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