Nirvana - Bleach - The Riffs

A guitar-only run through of the main riffs from Nirvana's debut album, Bleach.
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EQUIPMENT
Epiphone SG Special VE
Joyo AC Tone
Boss OS-2 Overdrive/Distortion
0:00 Blew
0:49 Floyd The Barber
1:26 About A Girl
1:50 School
2:21 Love Buzz
2:50 Paper Cuts
3:16 Negative Creep
3:55 Scoff
4:42 Swap Meet
5:17 Mr. Moustache
5:39 Sifting
6:08 Big Cheese
6:39 Downer

[@bloxsy_]

Incesticide kzbin.info/www/bejne/aYHLopyJgq-pmrs

[@justpapy667]

Bloxsy imagine have girl hands

[@malachiminiard1624]

what type of guitar is this

[@phantommlord]

malachi miniard Gibson SG

[@kobaba...12]

@@phantommlord it’s a epiphone

[@allantucker4972]

Your the best on the block

[@ybenr2346]

I feel like Bleach has just the most creative and heaviest riffs from all Nirvana albums

[@FragmentedR_YT]

Most creative is debatable, but you’re absolutely right on the heaviest. Besides a couple of In Utero songs, I don’t even think that’s up for debate.

[@alphatrion100]

I cant listen to nirvana anymore

[@snttmstr5248]

Heaviest most certainly

[@jackshera1094]

Endless nameless: Am I a joke to you?

[@themassterful]

It was

[@jaymze44]

A lot of people (even guitar players because they haven’t tried) don’t realize that while they seem very basic, these riffs are pretty unnatural-feeling to play. The fact that he played these WHILE SINGING is a lot of what made him great.

[@d00mboy13]

You couldnt be more right loll. Just tried that school riff thinking it looked simple. How wrong was i

[@mihailostojanovic6547]

Let's be honest, he is not good guitarist, but he is one of best musicians that can make fantastic songs with simple powerchords.

[@boyman7823]

@@mihailostojanovic6547 the first album has some of the best riffage from the 80s

[@Jedioutcast]

Tomas Calvi his playing is good nothing wrong with it and He is a fantastic song writer / creative riff writer

[@OGGOAT23]

@@kurdtinchains ten hours a day bruh not week

[@TheWonderSquid]

Paper Cuts is just one of the best fucking songs period.

[@vilimbubas1302]

Brutal instrmental, dark and heavy, no instrmental similar in rock or metal as that one... And most heavy off all Kurts instrmental

[@burebistta1923]

doom/death metal

[@TheWonderSquid]

@@burebistta1923 if you listen to Bleach with this "slowed & reverbed" effect that's popular rn it sounds so sludge and great

[@briang8579]

@@vilimbubas1302 you have no clue what you're talking about in music

[@butt_nugget_223]

It's called a tri tone

[@ray.b.baby420]

Kurt gets a bad rep as a guitarist, but he came up with good catchy and brutal licks. Some are even fairly complex, and the execution has feel for days. Underrated in that aspect.

[@ye6973]

this is one of the best explanations i’ve seen. most of nirvana is so easy to play on the guitar but he made it great. it’s so unique, he really had such a raw and personalized style

[@LeveyHere]

I can't play any of them, but I'm just not good and can't learn.

[@vxnirvana516]

Yea like in love buzz, how the fuck am I meant to do that fast but 🤣

[@jksvana]

Kyle J Dimebags not the greatest.

[@louissmooth6115]

Kyle J I’ve always thought that nirvana songs aren’t really that hard to play but to get the tone is quite difficult

[@TapeEater03]

You doing the neck tapping thing before School made that 1000000x more epic.

[@shredz3327]

That’s how it’s sposed to be played.....

[@stella-vu8vh]

Feedback is the best instrument

[@TapeEater03]

@Shredz yes, and that’s why it’s epic. I don’t see people doing that when they play it

[@revalone3944]

i learned how to do that from this guy and i thank him

[@barakaobama4017]

Kurt also does it during Breed

[@Mr1337sheep]

To all the people saying Cobain was a bad guitarist - you try playing AND singing to some of his riffs. Much less coming up with them. What sets a great guitarist apart from a good guitarist is that you can hear them in their guitar playing, you can't mistake Cobain's guitar playing with anyone else. His style simply didn't need to be clean or sharp, just hard and dirty.

[@francoezequiel3157]

Not big deal. In almost every band people plays an instrument while singing. Kurt was a good songwriter btw

[@thefirst9500]

Come as you are is a difficult one to play and sing.

[@thawg5500]

@@thefirst9500 not at all

[@monty268]

@@thawg5500 post yourself doing it then

[@kballs94]

@@thefirst9500 it is at first but if you practice it for a few days it's not so bad

[@morioh6505]

This is too perfect, please lower the quality of the performance

[@johnmichaelgray341]

Riffs like Floyd, Negative Creep, and Swap Meet remind me that simple sounds you make while practicing can actually be composed if you believe in yourself

[@georgefromgreece4119]

Top comment

[@silentforest7147]

Very true. That's how many, if not, most songs begin- someone picked up the guitar and played.

[@brianshissler3263]

When you played about a girl, I swear I could hear the drums kick in!

[@jetstreamjack5653]

All i hear now is Puddle of Mudds "REEEEEE" version.

[@s3xbobomb1959]

SAME

[@brianshissler3263]

@@jetstreamjack5653 lol oh God that was horrible! Lmao

[@LeveyHere]

Same!

[@delvinyori4324]

lol same

[@c0pyimitati0n]

_I'm a negative creep and I'm stoned!_

[@jawadissa2693]

You're on 69 likes I ain't liking your comment m8

[@Dankster-yo8xv]

Daddy's Little girl ain't a girl no more

[@rustyshackleford4958]

I'm an egg in a tree and it grows

[@blazeplatinum1014]

I thought it said im a negative creep when im stoned......wow im dumb

[@c0pyimitati0n]

@@blazeplatinum1014 hmmm no I bet you're actually correct haha I've never read the lyrics, that's just what I thought he said but now that I think about it, I guess I was Incorrect

[@justinvreelandmusic]

Jeez, I would’ve called this metal if I hadn’t known it was Nirvana

[@Ivegotwormsinme]

Dude. If you've never listened to Bleach through and through, do yourself a favor and do that as soon as possible. Then, go listen to some earlier demos and see just how close Nirvana was to the Melvins before Kurt found his sound.

[@davidallen3360]

Ivegotwormsinme well Kurt was a roadie for the Melvins

[@tkugsify]

@@davidallen3360 Buzz said Kurt never roadied for them.

[@djskullboy2871]

Metallica must be the heaviest metal then

[@tylertibbs7147]

Sludge and Grunge came into their own around the same time. You’ll notice a lot of similarities between them because of it

[@DB-os6on]

I've been using Mr Moustache to warm my fingers up for years, just did not know the name of the song (learned it from my Nirvana obsessed buddy yrs ago)

[@Jedioutcast]

Swap meet is so under rated

[@mr.fahrenheit347]

probably one of my favorite nirvana songs

[@lukecollins7929]

That song RIPS!!

[@METALFAN4EVS]

He keeps those cigarettes close to his heart, na na na na na na na na na na, na na na na na, she keeps the photographs close to her heart! Na na na na na na na na na na na, they keep the memories close to their hearts! Na na, na na, na na na na NA!

[@yommmrr]

Agreed. Swap meet, negative creep, scentless apprentice and on a plain are my favourite lesser known songs. And dive and aneurysm too.

[@joeyarnold9372]

One crazy timed riff

[@tylerostermayer6726]

Seeing these all back to back really highlights how inventive of a guitar player Kurt really was. I think he often is regarded as an overrated or ratty guitar player who didn’t have any real chops. But Nirvana was never about showing off or posturing or busting out huge solos just because they could. Nirvana was about art and expression. They unloaded their angst into their art and it moved and connected with a generation of misfits. And still does.

[@123nonce9]

Tyler Ostermayer shut up cringemeister

[@lukecollins7929]

All I hear is that he was garbage on guitar,but there's a story about his old producer(Butch Vig) walking in on Kurt while he was playing Julian by John Lennon...very intricate guitar work. I think Kurt was a good guitarist...it worked for the band's sound,etc...

[@all_invite_0hm]

Steve Vai is on record saying Kurt was a phenomenal guitarist.

[@bensmith5651]

These are some heavy ass riffs

[@James-ke4gq]

theres something special about the songs you write when you first start playing. Not to imply Kurt wasn't well practiced, but there's this primal quality to the riffs on bleach that always get me, and remind me of being obsessed with riff writing when i first started playing guitar. It's something Kurt definitely traded for more traditional songs later on (which were also obviously great). There's just so much youthful energy on bleach that's why its probably my favorite

[@BoxOfCurryos]

The simplicity behind these riffs and the melody is astounding

[@34SideWinder]

You really captured the nuance of these riffs. It shows the brilliance of Kurt that he could take these sludge-filled, heavy, half step riffs and make songs that stuck in your head with the melodies he wrote for the vocals. Bleach really set up the edge that kept Nevermind from sounding too poppy because Kurt and the band has these songs as the underpinning of their sound.

[@wearethehappyones18]

Dose anyone also think that the moving between frets with the distortion is a very satisfying sound

[@albertonavarro8904]

I personally think it's the worst part lmao.

[@alveloss7880]

It's amazing

[@Kee23383]

I hate it lol

[@wide_awake]

Love it

[@IonutTudorica]

Now i figure why i was so into Nirvana back in the days. These riffs are lovely. Simple, yet very creative and catchy

[@user-kp5gs1bx2p]

Negative Creep and Mr. Moustache are, in my opinion, the best songs from the Bleach album

[@seba24503]

Yeah mr moustache is my favorite nirvana song

[@jersonmajin]

Fantastic, My Nirvana's fav album

[@Final_Starman]

7:24 Won’t you believe it? It’s just my luck! NO RECESS!

[@lucianoperrotat5170]

Love that song

[@chrisari101]

bleach has the most beautiful and heavy riffs of all nirvana's album, I just love them af

[@bloxsy_]

Thanks for watching my video people. Whilst recording this I also did a full version of Spank Thru which I may post later on. Also, for those who missed it, here is the video I did previously of the MTV Unplugged In New York Album kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWTLl6mBaNujhrM

[@justforsneakz]

Hey man great vid! Just wanted to point out that your pinky finger ok your left hand is looking very uncomfortable while you play, might be worth looking into improving your technique a little in that area 🙏

[@bloxsy_]

It's not something I think about, didn't even realise what my pinky was doing until someone pointed it out.

[@dreep6334]

@@bloxsy_ Kurt didn't use pinky much. And u r unique as u are 💙 and people looking for perfection won't like this cover👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/jGicl3aCpKiZbrM but Kurt would have loved this. As he hated the Song.

[@bluto212]

Brilliant!

[@lukecollins7929]

You nailed it,bro! I love playing Nirvana and jamming to their songs. 👍

[@Bloodray19]

Although melodically not very complicated, these riffs are genius. He was a master of getting the most out of his limited guitar knowledge

[@peakyblinder777]

Remember guys even BB King said most guitarists would love to have Kurts touch. Very underated guitarist. 🔥💯

[@auntbecky7649]

My brain added in the drums on negative creep that’s one of my favorites you did incredible. I miss Kurt

[@adke3696]

The Color of that SG is pretty cool

[@pvictormesquita]

I´ve been waiting for this video. Next: NEVERMIND?

[@bloxsy_]

Probably incesticide

[@dickymclorin1191]

@@bloxsy_ *definitely

[@alexandregoncalves7482]

@@bloxsy_ YESSSS PLEASE

[@meep9231]

@@bloxsy_ Yesssssss finally!

[@carpoman]

@@bloxsy_ Fuck yes bro!! That's the real shit!!!!

[@lewisbiggs8014]

I’d love to know why they stopped playing songs like scoff MR .moustache swap meat paper cuts after 1990🤷‍♂️ like imagine if they played mr moustache or scoff at there 1993 live and loud concert

[@crude.75]

Sub pop (their record label at the time) pushed them to inherit more grungy habits in the songs but even in 89’ Kurt wanted to go a different direction example: Drain you,Polly Reason for this was because he didn’t wanna be remembered as a grunge artist but more of a singer song writer

[@collecter3456]

This sounds Primus like in the sense that it’s very odd. Very odd Rhythms, don’t know how to describe it.

[@funwithphobias]

The 90's

[@Faks.09]

@@funwithphobias bleach was recorded and released in the late 80s

[@theblakex]

@@funwithphobias It's before Primus and before the 90's

[@guyfauks2576]

@@theblakex primus started before nirvana

[@rayisded]

gotta be some of kurt's most unique riffs ngl

[@user-ni1ns7hr5s]

Cool color sg👍👍

[@danielalcala1044]

so great video but......... where is the Fender Jaguar?

[@davegsux]

and most importantly of all ... where is the Fender Cyclone?!

[@user-ni1ns7hr5s]

and...Where is his face??

[@grester5929]

RONALD SALERNO even more importantly, where is the jagstang?

[@Les537]

Natural mahogany. Looks like my '18 gibson special.

[@donbullock8347]

Super cool video dude. I actually got the pleasure to play these songs on Kurt's bench at his home in Seattle. Huge fan since the late 80s. Keep it up bro. Kurt will never die. Regardless how many times we hear his songs.

[@personaanonima6520]

Seems like even changing the guitar it sounds the same way: Great

[@nathrash3r]

You really nailed the tones in every song, also your guitar is so beautiful! ✨

[@ianlovell6709]

The riff to school is absolutely brilliant, love it. So simple yet so effective

[@didac1]

I was actually going to request this. THANK YOU. YOU ARE AMAZING.

[@bloxsy_]

Thanks!

[@michbeck88]

Youre great man, all your stuff sounds just like the record that is what I always wanted, huge respect to you

[@bloodromance4776]

That's crazy how you have get that cool tone with pretty cheap equipment

[@rust2092]

Oh wait yeah that isnt even a gibson

[@fernandonobrega5359]

cheap equipment? probably more expensive than what was used in the original recordings.

[@BananaRamaPartyTimeAllTheTime]

Grunge was always played on dirty cheap gear thats why it's considered dirty lol gotta love it

[@jeremyrafuse5330]

Cool tone? Wait what?

[@cian9461]

@@jeremyrafuse5330 what

[@relevo86]

beautiful new guitar!! love the riffs

[@kevindietz6470]

Striped shirt is mandatory whilst playing these riffs 🎸🔥

[@nboutdoors3571]

Love how u used whilst

[@mutlucansihman]

Best nirvana album imo

[@afrozyamir4987]

So amazing how he could wrap the melody over chords

[@stefanhamilton8713]

I was thinking the same thing. Rick Beato does a great piece about Smells Like... where he talks about Cobain’s amazing talent for melody

[@Sliver90]

@@stefanhamilton8713 Did you watch another Rick Beato's video where he's doing On a Plain, Heart Shaped Box?

[@stefanhamilton8713]

Pokètrainer Red, yes. Fantastic!

[@bleddyndavies1944]

Perfect, captured every little tap and fleck of every song!

[@souvlaki9951]

Great playing. Lovely SG too. Now I feel like relistening to Bleach and relive some memories with it!

[@in_camelot]

It's beautiful

[@Zoevandyne]

Melvins' influence!

[@alexlyster8679]

you absolutely nailed the tone well done man

[@ryanizzi]

ur stripe tees and white wall are iconic man.. keep it doing it, great job

[@micaiahflores1592]

I come back to Nirvana every so often and I am still amazed at the level of playing Kurt was at because a lot of these refs are extremely complicated while trying to sing. Guys like the Polyphia crew or like technical death metal or cool but back then Kurt was on a different level and it showed

[@zer0pulse156]

Kurt had a very nice melodic riffs, it might be simple to some, might not be technical, but you can't argue that it is a raw talent to have. people have different definitions of what makes a "great" guitarist, but in my book, Kurt definitely is. The melody he create, the emotions in every chords he made, it was great.

[@mercurydarko]

loving the new guitar, this sounded great!!

[@deakincameron]

Thanks a lot for this man, got to see everything

[@fluffgotshot]

Has anyone notice that every song sounds just like the recording it’s just amazing 🤯✨🖤

[@InFamXYT]

Because he's playing the songs lol

[@s1storm]

​@@InFamXYTNNAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH FR ?😱🤯🤯

[@luismolano4286]

Your Sg is very impressive, the sound of the guitar is very similar to that of the original album. Now Nevermind?

[@tu2716]

Your guitar sounds awesome Great video

[@varethika]

What a great record that was, still my favourite i think! Congrats on the video.

[@Fuhgawz102]

I love that verse riff on Blew

[@ars4455]

Kurt, the king of the guitar riff. Dark, dirty, heavy, simple and powerful. Amazing.

[@amneziak]

That was a shitload of fun to listen to, thank you!

[@cyber_cunt2077]

Those riffs are so cool dude great tone

[@MsValdenor]

Em termos de riffs esse álbum é incomparável

[@caospasajeroable]

I love your solemnity when you play your guitar

[@oliverjameshall2288]

Impressive work. You really nailed them in such detail.

[@sofiadacosta4836]

Thx for this video, it really helped me learn the riffs from Bleach!

[@bloxsy_]

Thank you for watching!

[@ethanclark3491]

Some absolute bangers came from this album. My favorite probably being Negative Creep.

[@DanielS10291]

Ridiculous amount of different tunings. Think ive just realised why i havent learnt much of this album having just sat and worked them all out properly 😂 Should be: 1 blew - c g c f a d# 2 floyd the barber - 1/2 step down 3 about a girl - standard 4 school - standard 5 love buzz - 1/2 step up 6 paper buzz - 1/2 step down 7 negative creep - drop d 8 scoff - standard 9 swap meet - 1/2 step down 10 mr moustache - standard 11 sifting - standard 12 big cheese - standard (i think) 13 downer - 1/2 step down

[@sonictitan5604]

a w 10-52

[@textnumbers22]

Oh boy, you would hate trying to learn a sonic youth album

[@gillianomotoso328]

How do you figure out the tunings? That always confused me

[@jburdsinfuse]

Two Words: Digitech Drop

[@scottverge938]

This is why I have 4 guitars 😉

[@UnknownvV]

My fave album it always sounded so raw to me and was intrigued to it.

[@richfromtheligerz4922]

Amazing man!

[@georgestark2081]

Love that sick tone tho!!!!

[@beondinsane905]

This albums is literally just if nirvana was a Metal band

[@josi8569]

did you hear anorexorcist? that's Nirvana in metal basically

[@Locohappy]

Bleach is my favorite sludge record

[@jackattack7940]

It's a mix of metal and punk really

[@vilimbubas1302]

@@jackattack7940 Its literary metal and pop really, on live shows some songs sounds punk, but punk is different...Although i see why ppl think its punk, Kurt also consider him punk...To be clear even Ozzy said for Nirvanas Bleach, thats how metal should sound. Kurt for me was most original rocker of all time

[@OGGOAT23]

@@jackattack7940 it's a mix of hard rock ,pop, punk ,metal

[@helterskelter2927]

That's an awesome looking SG! Props to you!

[@scotttascarella2951]

Thank you this is great. You even got the little fills right!

[@bloxsy_]

Thanks man!

[@skiptracer2988]

The high note in the Big Cheese verse riff is actually a harmonic on the low E.

[@skiptracer2988]

7th.fret.harmonic to be exact, so a B.

[@yellow_vent1800]

ok boomer

[@TheMaximusprime09]

@@cameronduguid7262 no, they're right. 12th fret is an octave higher, 5th fret is two octaves, 7th fret is a 5th higher

[@chadgrabowski8487]

Look at all the theory elitists commenting

[@averyplaysguitar]

I don't even know the names of chords what's a harmonic

[@TheWizard-yo8uv]

That fat ass note that comes in on school is so underated! The whole album is sadly. Great job on these and nailing the tones too 👍

[@JamesHid]

Kurt was a genius, so creative and deeply expressive. Thanks for sharing, you are an awesome guitar player

[@jayavey3114]

Nice job mate, nailed the tone too!

[@bloxsy_]

Thanks mate.

[@lt_briggzi8694]

His guitar looks so cool

[@milhouse777]

Heaviest record of Nirvana

[@LanguageOfTheMad]

Hell yeah! Nailed the tone! Nice job

[@momosstudio8432]

very beautiful SG ! love the color

[@SeveredLegs]

Definitely a nitpick, but Kurt actually tuned the high e-string up a half step to get that high note during the verse.

[@woodeyelyegaming1401]

On what song?

[@SeveredLegs]

@@woodeyelyegaming1401 oh I forgot the most important part. Blew. On live versions right before he starts you can hear him test the two strings to make sure they are B and F, rather than B and E.

[@snowy8969]

So cool. Would love to hear some radiohead riffs too if that ever interests you!

[@tonipuig]

snowy I also want this

[@WafflePlayz]

awesome guitar man!

[@rnrhmam]

I really like this. Thx!

[@Scumpinator]

Their best album

[@jjf1191]

In Utero

[@user-ye2nt8mc6b]

@@jjf1191 I Guess

[@jjf1191]

Жабка Пепе u got like 4 albums to choose from 🤣

[@jackattack7940]

@@jjf1191 Definitely In Utero, it's a mix of Nevermind's poppier sound, along with Bleach's heavier sound.

[@nervedamage3097]

Wow hearing just the riffs in this way you can really tell how big an influence the Melvins really were.

[@intothedragon]

My all time favorite album. I had a Nirvana cover band when I was 16 and I knew how to play all these riffs and you nailed. Great vid thanks

[@tomasgres1610]

Thanks. My favorite riffs

[@completetotalgoodness4786]

Holy sh*t: you sound just exactly like the album!

[@hank-wg7or]

I hear the drum and bass parts in my head lol

[@wilsoda23]

Great video!

[@Kittensandpuppies123]

Now I understand why you only have guitar tracks in your videos. As always, you amaze me how good your tone is!

[@user-sz6jv2fk8f]

Can definitely hear some Beatles tone in the first part, Kurt grew up listening to them.

[@user-ps8er8zw5k]

Silverchair plz! From Russia

[@Matheus.Richard]

Frogstomp or Freak Show would be awesome

[@milomullins553]

I was super impressed with your tone. Then even moreso when I saw you were playing an Epiphone. You can really dial it in man.

[@mrdfk9410]

So simple , yet so brilliant