Great guitar playing doesn’t have to be insane, technical virtuosity. If you can write parts as iconic as Kurt’s you’re a great guitarist. Period.

The confidence Kurt Cobains music gave to young kids who wanted to play guitar is immeasurable. It wasn’t that it was easy, it was that it was tasteful.

Kurt wrote _songs._ That's it. It wasn't a load of fret-wankery ego stuff, it was simple, heartfelt, sometimes brutal, sometimes touching music, and a lot of us had been waiting for half our lives for it. Kurt, Dave (&Chad) and Krist did all that was needed for the songs. And it worked beautifully.

I HIGHLY suggest we all take a deep dive into learning Kurt's melodies. Just magical, memorable, but simple stuff that connects seemingly un-connectable chords. So much to learn from him. Great video Rhett!!

He was a songwriter and as a guitar player did exactly what he needed to do. Wasn't a show off and knew EXACTLY the sounds he wanted. Honestly amazing tone, catchy songs, interesting progressions and SO MEMORABLE

one thing that you didn't mention that's worth noting is he really understood how to use noise and dissonance in a way that never felt as inaccessible as the bands and players who influenced that aspect of his playing (namely the melvins and sonic youth, though there's definitely others). take the solo on in bloom, for example. it's dissonant and noisy and fits perfectly over the song. and i think it's *that* that made him such a great player. he understood how to blend his melodic influences like the beatles, the vaselines etc. with his noise-rock influnces like the melvins and sonic youth in a way that very few artists in the rock world have been able to

He’s one of the few people who really absorbed the lessons of the Beatles and created his own distinct style of songwriting.

finally being recognized as a great and underrated player. Krist is highly underrated as well. Massive bass hooks on that record. Kurt's singing, melodies, lyrics and screaming are second to none. Iconic. Always and still hold him as my #1 guitar anti-hero

Kurt's simplicity gave me the confidence to take what little talent I had out of my college bedroom and TRY. I started meeting other musicians and jamming in basements, and 3 years later I was standing on stages and signing a record contract. The technical proficiencies of genres like hair metal and thrash made me feel like I had nothing to contribute, but seeing Nirvana fronted by a guy who kept things fairly simple (and a lefty like me, no less) made me believe I might have a shot at actually doing something, and I did. I didn't get to retire to a private rock star island, but I got to see the world from a vantage point most people only ever dream of. If you can string 3 chords together, believe in yourself.

In my eyes he is one of the greatest songwriters of all time. The way he wrote super catchy vocal melodies on top of simple, yet almost orchestral guitar parts. Truly a generational talent

Kurt and Jeff Buckley were the best songwriters of the 90's. So sad they're not with us anymore, but their songs will be forever remembered. Great video Rhett, love your work.

Kurts voice was like a drug and his guitar parts are so addictive because he subconsciously understood the hook is usually what grabs peoples ears before the lyric. His Lennon like gift for writing a melody is consistently arresting when you hear the first few bars. Play to inspire not to be admired is what I learnt from him.

Thanks for recognizing a local hero! We here in Seattle are so proud of our local guitar heroes. May they all rest in peace and be remembered for generations.

He played for the song and he did it great. He was a hell of a guitarist in his own context and a sound magician.

Analyzing Nirvana chord progressions was one of the trippier experiences in music growing up. It just didn't make sense how he would connect certain chords, but it sounded amazing.

I perceive Kurts guitar and voice together, as ONE instrument. They fuse and create something entirely unique.

Cobain also wrote some out there progressions that were almost Sabbath style using diminished 5ths eg Aneurysm. In Bloom is much stranger with a minor 2nd and major 7th at the end of the chorus. I also love how the main riff is in Dorian Bb minor but the verse has the b6th chord (Aeolian) which makes it sound heavier. He may not have known much about theory, but he had a great ear and created some amazing music.

Music is freedom, it’s expression! Kurt did exactly what he needed to for the song, he wasn’t trying to impress anybody, he was doing diligence to the song. He showed the world that you don’t have to be Eddie Van Halen to be a good guitar player. Kurt took us out of the 80s glam into grunge, now metal music is just like 80s glam! People get so mad with how simple his music is. Simplicity and dynamics at its finest

I always liked the way his solos were sometimes just the vocal melody. Super effective and simple and above all memorable.

Nevermind came out when I was 10. Kurt is the reason I play guitar. The #1 criteria for "one of the greatest" should be whether or not they inspired millions of people to take up an instrument. Virtuosity has nothing to do with it. Cultural impact does, and by that measure he is one of the top 5 to ever do it.

I think his solo on Smells Like Teen Spirit is awesome. Making the guitar say- Hello hello hello hello with a chorus pedal. Sweet.

100% spot on, Rhett. I was the kid you talk about at the end of the video. If there was no Kurt/Nirvana I may have never picked up a guitar. I’m still blown away by the talent and songwriting. Think of this… Nirvana basically put out two records over the course of 2&1/2 years and we’re still talking about how great they were 30 years later! If that’s not legendary, I don’t know what is.

He was a brilliant singer/songwriter. I actually grew up bout 45 minutes north of where he did and where Nirvana formed. Met many people who knew Kurt, and every one said the same thing. He was a kind, sad, brilliant individual. So sad he isn’t still with us today

I agree, too many people get caught up in technical ability. At the end of the day, it's simply about the music. And Kurt blessed us with so much great music. RIP

Kurt Cobain is the reason I picked up a guitar 🎸 not only can I relate to him musically but also personally. He was truly the last great Rockstar!! Grunge just went to sleep...it never died with Kurt! I miss him so much but yet I'm thankful people are aware and influenced by such a unique and tortured soul! ❤️

Thank you for doing this video Rhett!!! It’s incredibly tragic that his life ended the way it did…ugh…what could have been…

Kurt Cobain and Nirvana almost single-handedly changed rock music overnight when Nevermind was released. I remember hearing it for the first time as a 20 year-old and thinking that rock music would never be the same again after that. Love him or loathe him, he changed how a LOT of us would look at music from then on.

Come As You Are was probably the first guitar song an entire generation learned. Before you could even play an E or G chord, you learned 0 0 1 2, etc., and oh man, the satisfaction of being able to play A SONG - and not just any song, but a song from the biggest band in the world - unbeatable.

spot on rhett, you don’t have to be technically gifted to be one of the best guitar players, it’s about how you use the guitar to serve its purpose in the best possible way

Great take Rhett. The exact reason I started playing was because of Nirvana, that led to exploring the guitar further. Art is art, to be a great artist doesn't mean everything needs to be complex to be appreciated. Recently I watched the halloween Seattle gig from end to end and also recognized that Kurt didn't play sloppy live either, yeah it was noisy, sometimes he'd go off on sonic tangents, but ultimately his playing was true to the music.

I think people often overlook the other side of Kurt as a guitar player in these conversations, that being his abilities as a live performer. Most people can play a Nirvana riff but try doing it live in front of hundreds of thousands of adoring fans while wildly thrashing around as if you were engulfed in flames with so much charisma that the audience is completely transfixed by what they are experiencing. Kurt did this as well as anyone ever has and ever will.

Wow this is one of my favorite videos on your channel Rhett. As a newer guitar player but big Nirvana fan, I get tired of people telling me that Kurt Cobain wasn’t a great guitar player. Keep up the good work man!

What really showed his skill as a songwriter was the Unplugged show, and how well those songs stood up when played acoustic. Most 'heavy' music kinda falls apart when played acoustic. His stuff didnt.

I am in the group of people who started playing guitar because of Nirvana. Though for myself it wasn’t just Nirvana and Kurt, but their music was some of the first things I learned to play for sure.

Damn straight, he's an absolute guitar hero. Kurt had so much rhythmical feel. That Teen Spirit riff is incredibly funky for a heavy alt-rock song.

Kurt was my inspiration to play guitar as he showed me i didn't have to be Eddie Van Halen or Warren D Martini to play in a band. i was born in 1976 so i saw the music world change overnight because of Kurt. Many have and will deny it but facts is facts.That's where I think the hate comes from the downfall of a burnt out era of guitar Gods. This is so cool of you Rhett to do this as NO ONE gives him the credit he deserves. Again THANK YOU!

Spot on Rhett! Also how many guitarists have written a song so popular it's been banned by guitar shops? It's Stairway, Teen Spirit, wonderwall

I don’t think he was one of the greatest guitarists but I do think he was one of THE most influential guitarist of all time.

I adore transcribing Kurt’s vocal melodies over his chords, he almost always picks the wildest, most beautiful notes that you’d never consider putting together!

Agree 100 %. I had already started playing guitar before in a school music class, but it was after hearing Nirvana for the first time that I really took up seriously.

I was a teenager in the early 90’s and learned to play guitar playing on top of Nirvana records. I got the Nevermind tab book, would put on the CD and learn song by the whole album. Then I did the same with Bleach and In Utero. Definitely my first guitar hero.

If you consider the number of people Cobain inspired to pick up a guitar, the number of garage bands that started because of him, and the impact of simple riffs, then he is absolutely one of the greats

I’m very inspired by simple guitar players, I’ve never really liked shredders at all, so Kurt Cobain is definitely one of my biggest inspirations

Come as you are is the first riff I played on guitar when I picked my fathers guitar up randomly. He and Nirvana were massively influental in me picking up the guitar.

The bleach album is where i started. It was the first record I bought myself, I heard “school” and “blew” and thought, I can do that. “About a girl” taught me chords, it was the first song I could play all the way through and the first time I could go straight into a solo and back into the rhythm seamlessly. “Smells like teen spirit” was the first “real” guitar solo I learned that people turned heads when I played it. The unplugged album taught me to play acoustic, and to play it like a different instrument than an electric, and still make it have that feel.

I'm in the Kurt is underrated camp. There are riffs on all of the albums that are otherworldly. It's also amazing how iconic and well known those riffs are and people still don't play them correctly.

Hey Rhett, thank you so much for this wonderful trip to my youth... your work is again very valuable! Cheers from Germany

Thanks for the video Rhett!! Nirvana is my favorite band and Kurt made me fall in love with the guitar!!

Thank you, Rhett, for paying your attention to Kurt and Nirvana music!

I'm always saying that Kurt deserves more respect as a guitar player. I don't know why so many people think that something needs to be difficult to play or complicated in order to be impressive. Kurt accomplished more with his guitar, and for the guitar in general, than any of us ever will.

Man you really capture the tone of “all apologies” and “come as you are” I’m impressed

THANK YOU RHETT THIS IS SO DESERVED! FINALLY!

Man... I can still remember where I was and who I was with when Smells Like Teen Spirit came out. It hit like a truck. Ironically, I have no idea what was on the radio in the months leading up to that, but when that song came on, it demanded attention like nothing else before it.

Kurt knew how to play the guitar solo in “Heartbreaker” by Led Zeppelin

Kurt's way of highlighting/complimenting either the vocals or guitar, melody or chorus was brilliant. There aren't many songs I know or remember as well as Nirvana's. Great job putting it into words Rhett 🤘

Kurt not only played the medley in his leads, he 'sang' with the notes on the guitar. The guitar became the voice, what a perfect sound. He was a genius. I wish we could have heard where he was going with his song writing. I always thought it would have been similar to the sound of Unplugged. Miss him dearly. Thanks for doing this Rhett!

I think Kurt had the magic 4: beautiful and deep front man presence and look, great song writing skills, crazy great vocal capacities and great guitar skills at the service of the songs… and lucky for him a great band (who were also his friends) to support him and the songs getting to the next level.

This might be my favorite video of yours. The chorus of Smells Like Teen Spirit is a power move. The vocal melody is so expressive it only needs the simplest harmonic foundation. Kurt was a true master and Krist and Dave were as well. I also adore the live material available - Nirvana was even more wild and ferocious than in the studio.

You are so right about how influential Kurt and Nirvana were. I knew lots of kids who started bands because of them. I had already started taking classical guitar lessons the year before Smells Like Teen Spirit was released at age 12/13, but they, and Kurt in particular, were the reason why I wanted an electric guitar.

Kurts guitar tone , Krists bass hooks and Dave’s intense drums are all meant to be. The music was perfect

Hands down. Great comes in many forms. Communicating, making us feel something, riffs, melody, tone, lyrics,attitude. Off the charts.

I feel like there needs to be a part 2 of this centered on his unplugged performance, his guitar tone and playing in Man who saved the world is off the charts.

Kurt Cobain was one of the greatest MELODY and CHORD PROGRESSION writers of all time. Solid rhythm guitarist, but that’s really all I can say from a technical perspective

I am so glad that great guitar players like you and Ric Beato are giving Kurt so much love on KZfaq. As so many young and future guitar players saw the Beatles on Ed Sulivan, I was born in nineteen Ninety, and one of my earliest memories was walking in the living room in my diaper and seeing Kurt thrashing on MTV. Other than my father and David Gilmore, Kurt was one of my biggest influences. I whole heartedly agree with your analysis of him, I love Eddie Van Halen and Hendrix, Kurt Cobain knew what sounded good for the type of music he played just as much as they did.

Nirvana is definitely the reason why I jumped on the bandwagon and started to learn to play guitar. They had the distinguished tone that made me gravitate towards rock like never before. God bless Kurt for his talent and for always being humble. I'm am glad you made this video. He will always be on the list a talented guitarist and singer.

Nirvana literally changed the course of my life in 1995. I went from listening to whatever was popular in the UK charts, and techno music, wearing tracksuits and too much hair gel to becoming a long haired, ripped jeans and flannel rocker overnight. That led me down the rabbitholes of punk, classic rock, blues, soul, and so on. I owe my time overseas, my previous relationships, my guitars, my motorbikes, my friends, my job and my amazing wife to this band and it all started with that bizarre chord at the start of Serve the Servants.

Strong work on this video Rhett!

All Apologies might be my favorite song ever, it is so simple musically (I-IV-V) and lyrically but at the same time gives you a very deep insight of the human condition. Every time I play it I feel very emotional and released.

Kurt wasn't a musician per se, but a pure artist and that's what makes him stand out. Sometimes the most important thing to learn as a musician isn't theory or technique, but letting music breathe, thinking out of the box and being creative.

I remember hearing Nirvana first time as a kid. I started to listening to the radio when I would go to bed. One night I was just about to fall asleep and Smells Like Teen Spirit came on. I instantly got up and was amazed at the song. It was so powerful. I remember that night like yesterday lol. As for his guitar playing, less is more and quality over quantity. He did exactly what he needed to do and he did it legendary.

I'm a fan of Kurt, but the riff from "Come as You Are" is adapted from the song "Eighties" by Killing Joke, and Kurt has acknowledged it. I appreciate your videos and your channel Rhett, thanks and best wishes.

This is a treat for me as a true Nirvana fan as I dedicated my channel for Nirvana. Absolute genius Kurt Cobain. Thanks Rhett.

Great content Rhett!

Absoloubtly. Kurt's playing is a huge influence. He is the reason I picked up guitar and started writing and playing in bands. The great thing is you could form a band and in no time at all you could play Nirvana songs together. Kurt also made noise and feedback like no one else. His voice and songwriting was awesome. His playing just delivered exactly what was needed, nothing more, nothing less.

Nirvana are my favourite band, as a fully formed artist Kurt was top class. I'm addicted to watching them live, they're like Led Zeppelin in that respect. A completely awesome live band.

Fantastic video Rhett! Loved how you said All Apologies sounds and feels like something written by The Beatles. Kurt has mentioned his love for The Beatles and their influence on him growing up in many interviews, which is refreshing to hear from a time where stating something like that could be considered un-cool.

I think he was just ruthlessly in service to the song. No big ego on display...just consistently knocked it out of the park engaging his audience regardless of how many notes he was playing. Some people seem to be just inherently musical.

Once again, you are absolutely correct sir… I lived in Hollywood and was in a band in the late 80s early 90s… My band played with Poison, Guns & Roses, Warrant…pretty much that whole scene.. what I remember is that there was a buzz about Nirvana months before that album came out… I remember a bunch of my buddies going to Tijuana because they were playing some bar down there… This goes back to when you could go to Tijuana and come back into the country with just a drivers licenseI😂 I didn’t go, but sure herd about it after… I remember when the album came out… Yes I said album😂.. I took a listen and thought… Well this is different, what a weird guitar sound… Kind of a garbled distortion… Of course I was used to all the guitar tones that everybody was using in those days… but I do remember that I thought the simplicity was refreshing… some of my buddies were saying “ Dude, this guy can’t even play guitar”…..they had no idea what was about to smack them square in the face🤣

Your breakdown of Smells Like Teen Spirit was only missing one thing: Kurt and the surviving members of Nirvana have made it no secret that the chorus was just More Than A Feeling by Boston, with the last two chords played in opposite order and in a minor key. Considering how big the song got, it was one hell of a power move.

More than his awesome guitar playing... Which I would NEVER argue about, it was his "personal presence"... His charisma and personality that just SHOWED UP whether in recordings or videos, Kurt loomed large... He was able to just BE THERE, and THAT made him a rock star as much as his guitar playing, songwriting, lyricist... He was THERE, nobody could deny it, nobody could miss it! Thanks Kurt, and thanks Rhett Schull for bringing this amazing personality into the spotlight, and into the discussion that is being birthed from your episode!

Kurt's playing made me go deep into alternative music following that "less is better" mantra behind his way of making riffs. Since then I encountered noise rock, shoegaze, dream pop, post-punk, post-rock, and so on and never looked back.

Oversaturation killed hair metal. Grunge just took its place and in time was oversaturated as well.

Great guitar playing is all about texture, tone and cool /memorable riffs. Kurt had it all in abundance… On top of that, one of the greatest poets/songwriters of the 20th century… So… I second it, Mr. Schull. 🤘🏼 🎸 🔥

Great video and perspective Rhett!

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the swipes that Rhett and Josh Scott take at each other on their channels! "Amateur Pedal Enthusiast?!" Classic!!!

I find it hard to believe that there will ever be another band that does to music as a whole what Nirvana did. They weren't the first to change the face of music, by any means, so don't get me wrong, there. But they could be the last, and for me, personally, they did it the most (if that makes sense). As a young kid, Nevermind changed my life. They've been my favourite band ever since, and even though I don't listen to Nirvana as much as I used to, and this might be the year they finally slip from my #1 spot, I will always be grateful to have been alive at the same time as this band. It shaped my love of music and got me into guitar. I know this video is focusing on Kurt/guitar. But another thing that made Nirvana stand out is the drums. Not even just Dave, but beats from earlier material. It's just always instantly recognizable, for me. Not just "oh, that's Nirana" but specific songs, "oh, that's Floyd the Barber" or "oh, that's Big Long Now" - even with drums isolated, it's so easy to tell what band it is, what song it is. It's not just the same beat reused over and over again. There's a lot of nuance and musicality to the various beats. It's crazy. I haven't analyzed the bass as much, but what I have, I really respect. Man, I love this band.

Def he had a unique ability to create iconic melodies.. His chord progressions were damn good too... i really wasnt a fan of hair metal, so when Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains all came out of nowhere in 1990's.. I was very much ready for it

I’m 27 and Kurt was a major influence on me picking up guitar a year ago. His music is timeless and inspirational as they come

I loved it! Fully agree with your statement about Kurt’s greatness. His pic is next to Hendrix on my wall… Love your channel, keep going! Greetings from Hungary✌️

The best music doesn’t have to be the most complex, I’d say he was on to a winner when he wrote the majority of his music

He is the Keith Richards of the 90's. You nailed it...a riff machine that everyone had to figure out! Such a shame we couldn't hear more from him.

Rhett, Absolutely! Especially your observation about "guitar solo that you could sing." Kurt made me pay attention to pop/ modern music again.

I really liked this style of video, going through and playing it and explaining the history. You also have a way of explaining things That’s juts so easy to follow and understandable

He's on a very short list of people who changed the world with a guitar. And he was the last one to do it.

I think he was just good at writing a catchy tune I don't think he had like any kind of incredible guitar playing skill though he had incredible skill for writing catchy stuff

Awesome video Rhett! Spot on that he was a great guitar player that appealed beyond other guitars players wanting to show his skills. He wanted to connect through his music to the world and in my opinion that influence is far more important than his “athletic skills”

I am glad you made this video. I was talking to a fellow guitar player/friend the other day and he kept harping on Steve Vai who I do adore as a guitarist. I interjected my thoughts on Cobain saying that just because he doesn’t play like Vai, doesn’t mean he isn’t a good guitar player. I explained that a good guitar player is good because he can express himself with it, may not have the most knowledge of theory, and can compliment others around him when playing. To me that sums up Kurt IMHO. I also love the guy from RHCP to the original guy, John F I will call him as I don’t know how to spell his last name. 😂

I understand why iconicness/popularity/influence or even memorability is held as such a high part of the term "greatest X" by so many people, but I think there are times when that gets focused on too much. I think it's ok for someone to be one of the greatest songwriters and creatives ever, while playing guitar, without them needing to be the greatest guitarist of all time.

Kurt Cobain Is HANDS DOWN one of the greatest guitarists of all Time. On top of everything you said on the video, his control over DIstortion, Feedback, clean tones.... was HUGE! he had total control of his sound. he could go from massive fuzz noise to super clean and beautiful chords in a blink!

Glad someone finally said it. I certainly feel this way. I started to play guitar like almost a year ago and everything I learned so far is for sure because of kurt ❤