What Makes This Song Great? "Heart Shaped Box" NIRVANA

[@cmorrow132]

Kurt wasn't musically trained, and probably didn't know much about theory. The fact that he was naturally so in tune with those concepts just shows how much of a musical genius he was.

[@craftr6]

He had a guitar from the age of 4.

[@rochellewild5674]

@@craftr6 From the age of 14. And he wasn't classically trained.

[@leescuderi8331]

Just goes to show you that musical training has very little to do with writing a great song. It can enhance that but there is some inborn magic that great songwriters have that just cant be taught.

[@thornweather]

Anyone who has read the nirvana story knows that Kurt labored over the songs and the sound of nirvana... just listen to the demos and how songs changed over time... Kurt was a student of rock history and had a diverse musical influence... just listen to unplugged... how many covers on that album sound like “grunge”?

[@snidelywhiplash]

I feel like that once in awhile, The Universe expresses itself, and sometimes it shows up in musical genius. Like Kurt and Jimi and John+Paul and a bunch of others, thankfully.

[@GetOutsideYourself]

What makes these videos so cool is that there's somebody who loves music as much as I do, gets as pumped up about it, but that understands it so much better and can explain just why these songs are so great, which makes us enjoy them that much more. Thanks, bro!

[@anngallifrey]

what he said

[@laertesl4324]

Yeah, and all that condenses the moments he plays air drums.

[@clintonjosephcAMIELj]

You spoke my mind!

[@JackBealeGuitar]

Definately, you can tell Rick loves it. I don't play music because I like it, I play it because I have to.

[@ransbarger]

So glad other people are as eat up as I am.

[@clintonjosephcAMIELj]

Finally some love shown to Krist Novoselic.

[@anthonysclafani3963]

Krist is massively underrated. His basslines always fit the song perfectly. Nirvana were seriously talented musicians

[@clintonjosephcAMIELj]

@@anthonysclafani3963 and "In Bloom" is certainly a nod to their haters!

[@AdamSmithNES]

Lounge Act's bassline is what I'm talkin about

[@dougthealligator]

Seriously. Krist is easily one of the best bassists in popular music of all time and he gets no credit because he’s not Kurt or Dave

[@jeffkenny9448]

Yes, agreed! I just saw him earlier this year in a small club in Seattle with his latest band Giants In The Trees, and he just killed it on bass, even on accordion. He's great!

[@RadioMartyT1B]

Kurt's music was completely authentic in emotion. You can't fake that.

[@rbaygirl]

right, and can't be bought or taught - and I admire his medical terminology intricate detail, speaks my language

[@georgesid5632]

Rick Beato is an absolute genius! His musical knowledge astounds me. He must be very patient and passionate about music to be able to dissect so many great songs in such an analytical way. I wish I had his level of talent.

[@Jiv_Ing57819]

Yeah I wouldn't have guessed what was going on OR thought much! I guess Kurt was like Albert Einstein all along. : -)

[@SRangerMtl]

This is work. He knows all that because he studied and practiced and he keeps it up by teaching it and practicing and practicing and practicing.

[@DerekF-u7e]

@@SRangerMtl WHAT he's talking about is "work" but HOW he talks about it isn't something you learn, that is pure unadulterated love of music.

[@Без_трусиков-ф1ф]

Smells like teen spirit is a rip off “Godzilla - The smashing pumpkins” 1990 BOC cover. Therefore, the members of nirvana didn’t like their hit and did not want to play it, because they stole it completely, like all other songs lol. 2. Come as you are is a rip off of “22 faces - Garden of Delight 1984” or “The damned life goes on”, or “Killing joke - eighties” 3. Polly is a rip off of The 4 skins on the streets 1983 7. Aneurysm is a rip off of Fang an invitation 1989 8. About a girl is a rip off of It’s a croatian band. Krist Novoselic is from Croatia 1979 9. Been a son is a rip off of 1983 Zebra don’t walk away 10. Heart shaped box is a rip off 1983 Butthole surfers Bar b q. They even copied the vocal part «HEY WAIT” 11. Breed - wipes potential suicide 1980 12. Mr moustache riff is a rip off of on 0:55 min 1966 13. Spank thru is a rip off of El clavo, TV show 14. Rape me - mudhoney need. 1988 15. Milk it 1993 - “Melvins it’s shoved 1991 16. Endless nameless 1991 - “Butthole surfers 1987” 17. Big long now - “Sister europe psychedelic furs 1980” 18. Scentless aprentice - “The cult in the clouds”

[@alveloss7880]

bruh imagine being this obssessed

[@carlosurquijo9783]

Being as wise as you are in terms of music theory, the fact that you demonstrate your love for Nirvana in such a vehement and emotional way brings me back my faith in humanity

[@infesticon]

The biggest thing you can learn from Kurt is to trust your ears and insticts and what sounds good.

[@metalsadman]

he had a nice voice to go along with his songs too.

[@cdreid9999]

you understand that musicians study music right?

[@AxLWake]

@@cdreid9999 Not all musicians study music. Some very talented people never knew how to read music, or studied it. They just played their instruments and trusted their ears and intincts on what sounded good or not.

[@cdreid9999]

@@AxLWake ALL musicians study music. Not that many study music THEORY. Theyre very different things. I should have been clearer in saying that.

[@Timliu92]

@@cdreid9999 This.

[@newname363]

Hey! Wait! What makes this song so great? I am forever in debt to Rick's priceless advice!

[@emersonsrandomvideos248]

Epic!

[@melissanunez9266]

Hahaha I see what you did. 🤯 Well played🤘

[@SorooshMhs]

*EXCELLENT*

[@eatnosenuggets]

I don't get it...

[@idigmusictoo1746]

Epico

[@ViktorSarge]

I used to study music theory when Nirvana was at it's height and as a fan it makes me incredibly happy to see their songs analyzed and not just finding powerchords all over the place. Completing the chords in the vocal melody is genius - lets you turn the distorsion up to 11 without things gettings to muddy while still doing proper harmonies.

[@quicklicks5963]

Yes I always try to tell my students that you can add notes in melodies or chord, like the vocalists are doing

[@MeganChic]

I don’t understand 90% of what the hell you’re talking about but I love this video

[@donaldsmith3926]

This and particle physics and cosmology videos. I do get a sentence here and there, maybe it will add-up eventually.

[@craftr6]

Should be subtitles

[@melissanunez9266]

Same. I wish I knew what he is talking about. Yet I get the main idea. Just confirming my taste in music is great even though I am not a musician.

[@MontanaFree]

You got me beat.

[@MICKEYISLOWD]

He is talking about music that has advanced theory behind it. You need to know music theory to understand it. Basically Kurts music sounded simple but it is advanced. The Beatles were the absolute masters of this. Their songs sound simple but they are stunning in composition. Simple sounding music can be just as sophisticated as famous classical music.

[@omgnoob89]

Here's a true story, if anyone cares to hear it: When I was a kid, I remember playing Guitar hero on my old dad's phone. I had no experience with music before and I played the game simply to entertain myself. I was never interested in any instrument back then. In the game, there was just music, without the vocals. However, one specific song caught my attention. I just fell in love with the melody, it was my favorite song to play. I then stopped playing and never actually found out what is the original song's name. Years later (by this point I got into rock) I find this band ''Nirvana'' and their song ''Smells like teen spirit''. I give it a listen and I like it a lot so I think to myself ''I should check some more Nirvana stuff'' so I hear stuff like Lithium, Polly... all of which are amazing... and then, I click on the ''Heart-Shaped Box'' and I shiver. The moment I heard the first note I knew exactly what song that was, it was my favorite song on Guitar Hero. The song that I liked the best. So I found it by a complete accident, but I memorized every single note. I felt like it was destined for me to love this band. I will never forget the impact Nirvana had on me, I started to take interest in music and even made my parents buy me a guitar for my birthday, although they were against it, saying that I was too old. (it was my 17th birthday). And now, 3 years later, I will soon have my first gig. Thank you Kurt Cobain, I will forever love you, because you've changed my life! There, I know nobody probably cares but I felt the need to say this. Love your video and explanation Rick !

[@allisonanderson8268]

omgnoob89 Same thing here with the guitar hero story except it was Rock Band and the song was In Bloom! I was 10 and sang it over and over again. It was my favourite song

[@beyondreamtime420]

omgnoob89 , this is the spirit

[@priyanshusinha646]

Your comment deserves more likes

[@rockersbymyside]

Never too late too start! I started when i was 19 im 29 and im pretty fucking good been in bands and played shows. All thanks to learning nirvana songs

[@DemonSlide]

You go, dude.

[@drdead2006]

The bass in the Heart Shaped... chorus just kills. I never noticed that bit.

[@hallamhal]

I've always noticed it was unusual, never been able to work out the actual notes until now!

[@MedTechMetal]

It took me forever to figure it out. When I played in a Nirvana cover band. I still missed the flat 5th. Damn

[@vgarc7]

I didnt want this one to end. Great job. You could seriously just do videos on each Nirvana album. And to think, people thought this was just a 3 chord simple band.

[@vgarc7]

rikardocarvalho Well, that got out of hand quickly. We get it. You don’t like Nirvana. Yawn.

[@battman37148]

rikardocarvalho At least he did spell genius right.

[@ricardopereira9262]

lolol... my opinion is a small minority ? thats easy to say in a comment section full of nirvana fanboys. Wanna go to a singers forum and ask but Kurt ? That would be soooo funny. I'd really loved to see Kurt on American Idols... Nirvana and beatles, lep zep, etc really ??????? I guess you meant green day, offspring and Pearl Jam

[@ricardopereira9262]

You're wrong. i really do. I was a biggg fan back in the day, and I played their songs thousands of times, etc etc.. I had the bootlegs I had it all. A couple of songs still gimme the creeps. But.... that doesnt mean that I am one of the sheep that think that Kurt was a music Jesus. I leave it all in music and thats it.

[@elportalstudios8071]

rikardocarvalho and Ricardo P.....Nirvana is one of the best selling bands of all time, they were huge before Kurt died and are still obviously well received by many fans AND musicians who like and respect what they have contributed to music. Go to a forum you say and read what real singers have to say about Nirvana? If you need to study and spend endless hours to be good at something because it doesn't come natural I guess I could see why you might be mad that someone could write catchy songs with hooks and melodies effortlessly by "sucking" so bad. And you'd like to see Kurt on American Idol...really!? Look I can kinda respect your opinions but if you think you can get to Nirvana status by sucking at your instrument and being a bad singer you two should try it and let that money and respect roll on in

[@StevenWallace80]

"Kurt Cobain doesn't get the credit he deserves as a soloist." The guy was a songwriting genius. He knew the importance of melody over cramming 20 notes where they don't belong, just to show off. 30 years later, still the last great rock star.

[@tricitytypebeat8622]

Notes belong where you put them. This goes for Kurt's understated approach and Steve Vai's solo on For the Love of God. It's all creative interpretation and up to the artist to decide.

[@wespenn6139]

Julian Casablancas? Cedric Bixler Zavala? Still some great stars today.

[@darknexusknight]

@@chuddlevideos Untrue, Julian is super famous

[@onemassivejoint8087]

@@chuddlevideos true, I've never heard of Julian but I do know the Strokes.. Kurt Cobain however is even bigger than Nirvana..

[@anitabonghit7606]

Definitely not the last but I see your point

[@robertgraybill8109]

This it what a human looks like when they love music.

[@andrewsampson5523]

thats what I like about these videos. I kind of get what he's saying at a mathematical level but don't understand the musical part

[@goldmantis5850]

This is what music does to a mf

[@geetha92533]

Honestly, that’s why I watch Rick’s videos. And why I watch art demos, science lectures, garden propagators, interior design etc. on KZbin, there is something so exciting and generous about watching someone geek out about their passion and then want to share that, their deep knowledge and feelings with you. It’s like standing under a waterfall, I might not have a great understanding of all that Rick is talking about but I do leach a little of that passion and a better understand & appreciation that I did.

[@frankbarnwell____]

Pigeon holes. Ears and hands and taste

[@narayantx]

"Heart Shaped Box" Still give me chills after all these years. Such a Great song. And now I know why. Thank you Rick for doing these.

[@SheaHarris]

It might be my least favorite of their songs.

[@greggor07]

Same here. It's like a perfect Nirvana song...so damn haunting. I was fortunate enough to see them twice live in Europe, second time during that In Utero tour. That was something else! Add to that all the crap he was going through at the time, it was literally less than two months before his death. Interestingly enough, I had thought at the time that he'd actually improved as a musician compared to the first time I've heard him some year and a half earlier. The addition of Pat smear as the second guitar must've helped, but still...must be damn hard to keep the focus when voice is such an important part of your music and you're singing in different chords than those you're playing. And they complement each other so well. All the juxtapositions...man, it's hard to believe that one man wrote those songs and lyrics. That was such raw talent.

[@fasterrix]

Same here

[@yosuto]

Awesome video. Heart shaped box has always been my favorite nirvana tune. You can hear it was so natural, thats what made Kurt Cobains songwriting so good

[@highkage9535]

omg it's Yosuto

[@sharadmohip6536]

Hard to have a favorite tune

[@ac6934]

@@sharadmohip6536 yea i agree. especially considering all the masterpieces of live sets and deluxes they have. along with the general completeness of their albums.

[@HeROsiNhEaVeN]

Kurt’s voice was an instrument all on its own...Thanks for giving Kurt the props that he so well deserves....👍👌✌️

[@masoudbahrami7194]

he had a distortion pedal in his chest

[@jeffmcglashan5032]

This explains something I've always suspected about Kurt Cobain's composition. It always feels to me like the vocal part is in this dynamic tension with the guitar part, trading forward propulsion and despair. One part suggesting hope while the other lies over it like a dark cloud, or the voice rising from the depths of the chord with the third clutched between his teeth.

[@blood_sausage9620]

I still don't know why I love it so much, or why its so good to listen to during hard times. But its definitely special.

[@benc4968]

YES. THIS IS IT.

[@awesomedave8484]

"He completes the chords with his voice" ...well put sir!

[@Pumpkin666poo]

I hate quoting people. But I've a feeling that I'll be saying this in the future.

[@jtlemay4878]

Krist knew exactly what he was doing. Total beast

[@StratMatt777]

When I asked Krist for advice on writing music, he said "My rule has always been: If it sounds good it is good". :)

[@andreasrehn7454]

91 MTV music awards when he threw his bass and knocked himself down.. unforgotten

[@bimosasmito6627]

@@andreasrehn7454 Dave Grohl : "He knocked himself out with the bass!"

[@Без_трусиков-ф1ф]

Smells like teen spirit is a rip off “Godzilla - The smashing pumpkins” 1990 BOC cover. Therefore, the members of nirvana didn’t like their hit and did not want to play it, because they stole it completely, like all other songs lol. 2. Come as you are is a rip off of “22 faces - Garden of Delight 1984” or “The damned life goes on”, or “Killing joke - eighties” 3. Polly is a rip off of The 4 skins on the streets 1983 7. Aneurysm is a rip off of Fang an invitation 1989 8. About a girl is a rip off of It’s a croatian band. Krist Novoselic is from Croatia 1979 9. Been a son is a rip off of 1983 Zebra don’t walk away 10. Heart shaped box is a rip off 1983 Butthole surfers Bar b q. They even copied the vocal part «HEY WAIT” 11. Breed - wipes potential suicide 1980 12. Mr moustache riff is a rip off of on 0:55 min 1966 13. Spank thru is a rip off of El clavo, TV show 14. Rape me - mudhoney need. 1988 15. Milk it 1993 - “Melvins it’s shoved 1991 16. Endless nameless 1991 - “Butthole surfers 1987” 17. Big long now - “Sister europe psychedelic furs 1980” 18. Scentless aprentice - “The cult in the clouds”

[@nikusenpuki]

@@Без_трусиков-ф1ф You don't have much of an ear for music or you're being wilfully misleading. Most of your examples sound either nowhere near their supposed originals or both just have extremely generic often-used chord progressions and rhythms. Even the parts that share similarities only make up a small section of the individual Nirvana songs and none of your examples have the inventive use of vocal melodies and harmonies of Cobain. Was there inspiration? Maybe, though even that is doubtful in most of these cases. Rip-off? That word is being thrown around so much on the internet it has basically lost all of its original meaning.

[@user-pk4sd9dd2w]

This What Makes This Song Great? series is absolutely brilliant

[@pahoynaas]

AGREED.

[@houstongalloway6380]

It is an awesome series and I enjoy it enormously but I still don't know what makes the songs great!

[@milesparker557]

14:59 Rick: this is very sophisticated Kurt: HEYYYYEEAAAHHHAAAYYYYEEAAAHHHAAYYYY I know that's not what he meant, i just found it funny af

[@milesparker557]

@NoiseFeedMusic i actually think it is a demo. They probably just mixed it to release as nirvana's "last" song

[@frustrabe]

i agreee, it got me good as well😂

[@colby69420]

ITS "PAAAAAIAAAAAIAAAIAAAIAAIN"

[@stef3076]

He says "pain"

[@joshuacarrico9180]

Reported for hate speech

[@HitWaveMusic]

Nice breakdown Rick. When I first learned guitar in 1995, I asked my dad to teach me Come As You Are. I'll never forget his first reaction. He was like, "What is this crap?" This is because my dad was a seasoned musician who had played with greats like James Brown, Tina Turner, Wild Cherry, Tito Puente, and the list goes on. Nirvana was so different from anything he had ever heard, that he didn't comprehend the genius behind what Nirvana was doing. This band literally spearheaded an entire genre of music. I've always said that Kurt Cobain was one of the best songwriters of all time. The simplicity of his melodies is what actually makes them so sophisticated and memorable. You can pick any Nirvana song and you will pretty much always find a catchy melodic verse, a catchy melodic pre-chorus, a super catchy hook for a chorus, and even a catchy melodic bridge. Melody is everything when it comes to a hit song. Melody is first and foremost. The beat is second. After that, harmony is icing on the cake.

[@danejurus69]

Nirvana is the whole reason I fell in love with music and picked up the guitar when I was 13. People think Kurt was just a 3 chord "grunge" rocker but he was flat out an amazing songwriter who had a great ear for melody and creating music that was so catchy and inventive.

[@TheStarBlack]

I just love how accessible Rick's videos are. I don't know the first thing about music but he breaks it down in such a way that anyone could understand. I in no way felt that I needed a degree in music theory to get one second of sense from this video.

[@luizfloripa]

the best airdrums of the internet. period. you´re amazing, rick.

[@TruckJohnson]

I really enjoy how animated Rick get's when he's really into the song/band. Would love to hear you break down some classic Primus.

[@TruckJohnson]

Mud is one of my favorites, It's very percussive. Larry's guitar work is pretty interesting on it. I was thinking more Jerry was a Race Car Driver, or Tommy the Cat, from the Cheese album.

[@sarajamus]

Nah, do Wynona’s Big Brown before you do Mud!

[@TestMeatDollSteak]

I second anything off of Seas of Cheese. Jerry Was A Race Car Driver & Tommy the Cat are the obvious choices, but Eleven, American Life, Those Damned Blue Collar Tweekers, and Here Come the Bastards are all really strong songs that don't get as much love and attention. Plus, I love the production on that album so much. It's my favorite sounding Primus record, still.

[@bubbleheadft]

The show is what makes this song great, not what makes this song suck.

[@bronsoncarder2491]

Agreed, Primus would be awesome. My Name is Mud or Jerry Was a Racecar Driver, probably your best bet. Rick tends to cover more mainstream songs, and those two are the closest Primus ever got to mainstream. lmao Though, him being my favorite guitarist, I do have to give a shout out to "The Ballad of Buckethead." Primus ft. Buckethead = audiogasm. (Also, sorry, this one isn't even relevant but, "We are One." Buckethead ft. Serj Tankian. Omfg yes.)

[@scottacton173]

I never noticed the bass in music, I love how your break it down showing how the bass plays in the song. Thanks Rick

[@marcotp9]

Crazy how nirvana songs are harder to analyse than Pink Floyd or queen (just to name some) . Thats how much of a genius kurt was , his songs at a first glance looks like a couple of powerchords anyone with a basic experience can play but in truth it goes way way deeper than that and that’s why nobody has never been able to write anything as simple yet good as he did .

[@jeremyformerlyknownastoken8218]

Because Pink Floyd and Queen are more schooled their songs build upon others instead of kurt who just goed left field

[@killboybands1]

​​​@@jeremyformerlyknownastoken8218 Pink Floyd weren't musically schooled and have songs that are far weirder than anything Nirvana did.

[@mauriceramirez2381]

Glad you went back to the old format rick :)

[@Garythefireman66]

I think this might be an even better video than the WMTSG on Led Zep, which at the time, (3 days ago?) I felt was the best so far. This has to be one of the best concepts on KZbin. I love these videos.

[@rexahdar4199]

I agree completely. Unique and compelling.

[@zenunderground]

Most Nirvana haters see lack of technicality and nonsense lyrics. But Nirvana was a perfect storm of alot of thing: the lack of technicality and answer to the bloated 80's scene that needed to die like yesterday...the fact that he spoke to the angsty youth but still wrote POP songs, so they were approachable..His voice is one of the greatest in rocks..smoky but can still keep pitch..the fact that his voice harmonizes with Daves almost perfectly is a huge part. But also, if Dave Grohol had never entered Nirvana, they would have been another Mudhoney. Smells like Teen Spirit was a mega hit because of Dave's drumming and Nevermind because of his ability to harmonize with Kurt. The other thing is Butch Vig is proably the best rock producer of the early 90's and worked some miracles with nevermind. I mean listen to the original Polly. That's probably what the ablum would've sounded like. I bit more mature version of Bleach..but there was a reason why Bleach and Nevermind are so far aparty sonically. Butch Vig.

[@Timliu92]

Agreed. The problem with the 80s scene is that even though they have a TON of technically amazing guitarists, the songs are often generic and forgettable in nature (and so as the guitar solos themselves - even they require great dexterity to play, most glam metal solos are forgettable, and many of them are not elevated to rock guitar folklore the way Free Bird, Stairway to Heaven, Voodoo Child and Comfortably Numb were). Nirvana broke that bloated trend with some excellent songwriting and an original sound. On the surface, everything seemed very simple and could be learned in an elementary music class, but people tend to forget that there is more to songwriting than just the complexity of the chords and solos themselves, and things such as production, style etc must never be ignored.

[@thevirus7368]

Bleach was a MUCH better record than Nevermind.

[@nandovix02]

​@@thevirus7368 I guess better or worse is a matter of taste, wich one YOU prefer listening to. What Timliu92 pointed out is that Nevermind is a WAY more MATURE album than Bleach was, because of Vig's influence and work with the band. I think that's pretty undeniable.

[@thevirus7368]

@@nandovix02 I just prefer bleach that's all. I think nevermind ranks as their least best release. Especially when you consider some of the b- sides and unreleased material which came later.

[@smokesgtp]

@@nandovix02 Agreed. I love bleach though

[@AvianSavara]

Musicians in a power trio have to wear a lot of different hats if they're going to sound like more than 3 players. Nirvana was absolutely brilliant at this. They had incredible dynamics together.

[@eatattheafter]

Absolutely!

[@cactusjackhausen8508]

5:16 That's got to be some of the tightest air drumming I've ever seen. Kudos

[@jmmacb03]

Rick can play the drums. With his usual high skill level.

[@joshuawilliam9162]

"The artist is Nirvana, the song is... a few of them!" That's my day made!

[@satanicpunker182]

I genuinely enjoy watching Rick air drum.

[@michaelmurphy987]

Makes me wish he would do "In the Air Tonight" next for WMTSG

[@waltersobchak926]

the drums on Scentless Apprentice are so powerful. Albini was the perfect producer for them

[@AlanGonzalez-vq7bj]

My Favorite Song

[@travisv6408]

One of their best! Aneurysm is a top one too for Nirvana!

[@Oskar_Scott]

would love to see you make an episode of nirvana's "Lounge act" best bass lines of all time imo

[@devinthorn8182]

It’s a year later but I still have to reply, Lounge Act is def one of the best bass lines ever in rock

[@nickromero7847]

Lounge act is one of my three favorite nirvana songs

[@jasonking454]

I never knew what the hell he was singing about, all I knew was that the sounds coming out of my cheap headphones was the greatest thing I had ever heard in my life.

[@boots_33]

Kurt's vocals always felt haunting to me and now I know why. It's a true shame that he left us so soon.

[@bewtbewtbewt]

FUCKIN AMEN

[@bewtbewtbewt]

He wrote baby songs for people who dont know music. Very marketable. ROCK NEEDS THIS

[@Mess316]

@@bewtbewtbewt There there buddy no need to be cranky. Just go tell mum that you made poopie and it will all be fine again. Promise! Maybe also tell mummy that you were an arrogant prick on the internet again and need to be parented some more. With best regards

[@MrLump]

His vocals sound that haunted way because he would scream and purposely shred his vocal cords.

[@ACapedBaldy]

@@bewtbewtbewt I wonder if you've mentally matured from making stupid remarks like this.

[@851852093114208513]

I so agree about his lyrics. I know he always said his lyrics were just made up on the spot and didn't mean anything but I've always thought Nirvana had great lyrics. Plus, Krist Novoselic is totally underrated! Lounge Act has one of my favorite basslines

[@anessaanders3604]

My brother, who plays bass, and I both adore Lounge Act's bassline

[@californiapoontappa]

i agree nirvana would not work work without his bass lines really brings everything together. bass is most important part of nirvana

[@StratMatt777]

Krist is also a super nice guy. I sat next to him on an airline flight years ago and we talked music and stuff. I tried to pick his brain about chord progressions/songwriting... his response? "My rule is: If it sounds good, it is good". We were waiting for our baggage and he asked me to watch for his bass while he went to the restroom. My bags never came, but his bass came while he was gone. So I stole it. Ok, I didn't really steal it. He was going to jam with his friends in... umm, I can never remember the name... Modest Mouse maybe? Super SUPER nice cool guy. And I totally forgot to say, "We're on a plain/plane". Thank God for that!

[@Lookindude]

I’ve preached for years that Kirst is under rated...his bass lines really show how intelligent he is.

[@777-pdf]

Honestly Heart Shaped Box is my favorite Nirvana song for a reason. Its musically beautiful and brilliant mixed with that dark despair. Great job breaking it down man

[@duckydrummer6331]

It's so funny how Kurt's music is explained with intervals and sustained 5ths, etc. Kurt probably didn't know any musical terms but he wrote all this great stuff.

[@McDuffin]

He had an incredible feel for what was best for the song.

[@someone___1240]

Fuff Mcduffin his instincts are unparalleled

[@ricardopereira9262]

@@tedkaczynskiwasright.985 "FAR from being a clueless musician who strummed good sounding chords by accident". None of your arguments is enough to say such a thing.

[@tosuismyu]

@@ricardopereira9262 the texture and layers of harmony are evidence enough he knew what he was doing

[@ricardopereira9262]

@@tosuismyu texture ? Layers of harmony ? are you serious ? There not much complexity in punk rock songs. He got EAR and he knew a few chords. Thats all he needed. Can anyone in the deep studied Cobain life ever mentioned music lessons ? NO ! Everybody can speak, rhyme , use metaphors, etc... its pretty easy for anyone... that does mean that everybody knows what grammar is

[@myworstenemy680]

A lot of my fellow musician friends think the 90's grunge genre was full of sub par hack music, but i disagree. Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden were a breath of fresh air, creatively speaking. They reintroduced the bass guitar back into the mix, literally, and the lyrics were far more clever and deep compared to 80's hair metal(for example). It was my favorite 3-5 year period in music.

[@MaxOakland]

MyworstEnemy Same here. I love that era of music. I think post grunge kind of ruined it for some people (because it went on sooo long to diminishing returns) but I think it was really awesome, creative, and fascinating

[@swmorgan515]

Couldn't agree more. I've found that musicians can almost be divided by their age based on whether they like Nirvana. I grew up on the music of the early 90's and learned guitar by playing that music and being inspired with it (along with more classic stuff) and so did many musicians around my age. But the generation of rock musicians just older than us really had a sweet gravy train going with the hair metal thing, and they seem to still have a really bitter resentment of Nirvana for ending that (as if it wasn't going to ever die otherwise) and also for diminishing the value of the polished technical guitar playing, both of which they had built their identity around. The iron is that many of these guys aren't even that good of musicians... which is perhaps why they felt so threatened.

[@TylerDurden-oy2hm]

Am more a fan of alice in chains...heavy as hell and great vocalz

[@OGGOAT23]

Supbar was their opinions or hate

[@songomatic9897]

Smashing Pumpkins Gish + Siamese Dream

[@KenjiKitahara]

Krist Novoselic is like the Ringo of the band... it wouldn't have the same charm without him And I think the guitar solo on "In Bloom" is one of the greatest ever

[@harrisontownsend910]

I don't think it's the best ever but it's Kurt's best solo by far. All of "In Bloom" shows that he is actually a really good guitar player, even if he's not very technical about his playing.

[@KenjiKitahara]

@@harrisontownsend910 for sure

[@harrisontownsend910]

@@KenjiKitahara I could almost imagine In Bloom being a Hendrix solo.

[@MrJuuberi]

Just recently noticed the badass bass line in the heart-shaped box chorus. Awesome!

[@keithclifton392]

“She eyes me like a Pisces when I am weak.” What a brilliant line. RIP Kurt. One of my favorite Nirvana tracks from my favorite album of theirs.

[@rudirhein7828]

My favourite song of Nirvana. Like a great painting , everything is right, complete, in right balance and magic.

[@Oilid]

Just... just.. THANK YOU Rick!!!!

[@rickw7523]

One of the things I find so interesting about nirvana is that it does some popular things just slightly different. What I mean by this is they actually go up in pitch or down in pitch when you would expect the opposite. For example the intro to Come as you are. It has one note doing the opposite of what one would expect. Same with the bassline in in Heart shaped box. This makes it stand out and make it sound playful.

[@patrickmckibben1932]

This is great. Thanks Rick. The song that really blew me away with how great of a melody creator that Kurt Cobain was was the song “I Hate Myself And Want To Die.” It starts with a dirgy chromatic type of power chord riff, but then the melody that Kurt sings on top of it is something catchy that I never would have expected. The chorus is loud and aggressive and kind of Beatles-like as Kurt is natural at doing. I’m still in awe of this song today. Kurt Cobain could write a good melody over anything.

[@chickenicecream1942]

RIck breaking down things like how the guitars are panned on the intro, one being dry and thick and the other being thin and chorusy, and together they sound like pure clear anticipation of anarchy coming in the chorus, all of this just make me appreciative how much production enhances the trance inducing feel of the song. Brilliant stuff!

[@Astronomater]

Krist had such a strong groove in general, but heart shaped box really stands out for him. Nirvana members had lots of courage to try to be different. I find their works have a large amount of unusual tension in the scales used. Many people at the time thought it was so fresh because there was so much dissonance and "heaviness" compared to the 80's hair metal.

[@lcceo22]

I love how people say he didn't know what he was doing, as though he didn't do it over and over and over again, enough to create one of the single greatest albums in rock history, that all but killed off one era of rock music and created a new one. And that's just Nevermind.

[@SeemsLikeSomething]

I love Rick’s appreciation for Nirvana. Really respects the genius of their music, even if the average layman doesn’t understand why it’s so amazing. That collage of Cobain hit me right in the bloody feels man.

[@nicolamorales7081]

4:44 I love how we can hear the guitar when he starts talking of it and then the bass when he jumps to it. It's like we can hear inside his head as he's speaking.

[@AdirBenYair97]

Bless your soul for showing Kurt and Nirvana so much love and explaining why Kurt was really a musical genious. Please do more Nirvana videos ❤️

[@MrK-ti5lt]

Damn. Makes me that much sadder that he's gone. So amazingly talented and creative

[@Niconene]

To everyone that says that Nirvana is easy-peasy: sit down, grab your guitar, play that catchy and simple riff from "come as you are". Now sing while you play it. With practice, it will come (as you are).

[@deadstar44]

Smells Like Teen Spirit is so fucking hard to sing. It's when I realized i was a baritone and Cobain was actually a goddamn tenor.

[@Niconene]

The riff is simple, of course, I've been playing it since I first took a guitar. Now, sing it with grace (not mumbling and griding the rythm of the voice into the tempo). If you tell me that you played it AND SINGED on the first try flawlessly then I'd be rather suspicious that you're not telling the truth. Of course is not impossible, yet there is artistry in the combination of the two elements.

[@ImranKhan-iv8ut]

deadstar44 he's not.. he's actually baritone/baritenor

[@aprilkurtz1589]

@Byron Lovelace Not true at all. It's a hard song to sing because of the placement of pitch in your voice has to switch registers between tenor and baritone. He does that a lot in his music.

[@winring5593]

Byron Lovelace Lol dude shut up. Post a video of it

[@jamalovsky72]

My favorite Nirvana track, from my favorite album... This, alongside TOURETTE'S, blew my mind when I first bought the Album. Cobain is sorely missed these days.

[@jamalovsky72]

Yeah. Kinda hard choosing 'favorites,' but on the first listen back in the day, these were the tracks that hit me like a tsunami, really :)

[@jan_Travis]

My favorite Nirvana record. I've probally listened to it like, 100+ times!

[@ABCD27814]

You are a treasure trove, Rick... You are so valuable. You should be in a museum :D Thanks for everything

[@rosslembeck9418]

Rick's emotion @6:30 shows you how much he enjoys kurt's dynamics. just AWESOME, hope to be as passionate as he is at that age.

[@AndresinhoRM]

3:46 Exactly. We all can study how all of that works, and it has a great merit to have that knowledge, but fewer people can actually feel the music to come up with such powerful melody and that's amazing. Thanks, Rick for helping me to better realize and understand the complexity of it. I knew it was beautiful sounding and non simple, but you put it into words that make sense of it and give us the best angle to look at it.

[@everlongfilms]

Did not want this video to end. Would love to hear your take on Aneurysm, and some of the Bleach songs. Great video.

[@craftr6]

And Incesticide!

[@jturner0901]

RaceReady 1 aneurysm is from incesticide

[@samuelsanchezorozco2600]

@@craftr6 aneurysm is in incesticide

[@christophervaca7116]

Hey... Wait... I've got a new complaint. I'm forever in debt to your priceless advice. Thanks Rick.

[@Neil555-11]

That song is about courtney love getting him hooked on heroin. Magnet tar pit trap...

[@redjay1146]

When he said "...and the song is... a few of them" I was like wtf song song is this

[@JedTaneo]

Because we were expecting Smells Like Teen Spirit, honestly. 😅

[@jeffjefferson8137]

i remember hearing you know you’re right for the first time, still gives me chills every time. so much emotion in the vocals and everything fits so well together makes me want to cry. its crazy to me how melodic he can make powerchords.

[@JacobC479]

KZbin has been an amazing thing for aspiring, new and even veteran musicians and artists and I think Rick will go down as one of the most important channels for them.

[@frankgile1996]

I'm so happy you took this song apart... Especially the bass line, I love Krist Novoselic, for songs like this "Heart Shaped Box", "Lounge Act", "In Bloom", as well as others... "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle" is also one of my favorites from "In Utero", it's so hard, even though, weirdly, it is still something people could sing along to in a live concert...

[@pssed]

4:33 How great those two sound together! The guitar is such a dominant figure in Nirvana's sound, sometimes you forget how good Dave and Krist sounded together.

[@HBSuccess]

Hi Rick - you are absolutely right about Kurt’s playing...what impressed me the most about Kurt Cobain was how well he handled an actual gig on the guitar...the Nirvana ‘Live at the Paramount’ film blew me away...he was no virtuoso- but he played and sang effortlessly and transitioned from lead to rhythm playing and back like a real pro, played lead riffs while singing etc - duct taped guitar cable and all LOL. They had Pat Smear on that gig but basically they were a power trio - and damned good at it.

[@roseblack6342]

live at paramount was still just a trio. you're thinking of mtv 1993 probabaly

[@רויזינגר]

nirvana is my favourite band by far and im such a huge fan of kurt. and although i did not understand 90 precent of what rick just talked about, i feel like finaly someone understood kurt like i do, and why he is one of the gratest vocalist and guitar players of all time. with his imprecise voice and guitar technique. thats actually what makes him this great! otherwise he would have been just another legend that you cant differ from other legends (sorry about the truth. most "legendery" guitarist dont have something that differs them from others beside great songs). kurt have that thing that makes him unique in the greatest way.

[@EdiDrums]

Call it coincidental, call it Freudian, but you said it! A truly apt and wonderful misspelling: 'Kurt is one of the gratest vocalists.'

[@shayantamdas5059]

I wouldn't call him imprecise I would say he approached music in much more of a classical kind of way whereas the great "guitarists" played guitar as a virtuoso to show off their guitar skills.

[@kimmolaine8069]

Kurt actually got a lot of musical teaching as a kid. He knew what he was doing. He brought his own personal flavor to Nirvana.

[@brotatochimp]

I believe he got some advice from Tom schultz at one point as well.

[@nexxxus7498]

Kurt’s aunt was a musician and taught him some things on the guitar and keyboard!!!

[@playlistforjoanna9997]

He used to see bands as Bam Bam fronted by a black woman in the 80s which would be considered the grunge pioneers,also Melvins,Mudhoney and others

[@Pennyroyal_T.]

I'm 44 and I still remember PERFECTLY the day I listened to Nirvana for the first time and how it blew me away.....It's weird how, sometimes, a stranger is able to give you more than those around you.... Tnks Kurt 💜 and tnks Rick!

[@macfreak18]

I remember it too. I was like 9 or so, was bored at night so I decided to watch a random vhs tap with no label to surprise myself... Unplugged in new York. Changed my life forever for the better!

[@jaythefordman]

Am 48, and I remember the epic shift to music that came with Nirvana, not unlike what happened to music when punk came and disrupted the orthodoxy. music became about feelings again, especially as a young adult. Good times

[@kurdtacolbain731]

I was in my car when I first heard Smells Like Teen Spirit. It's still vivid in my memory how I said out loud, "What IS this???!?!!?" and saw my hand reach for the volume knob and cranked it up. I loved it instantly.

[@timacann]

This is my new favourite KZbin channel. You’re speaking way above my pay grade despite playing for 28 years. But your enthusiasm for good music is infectious AF. Thank you.

[@johne1599]

This is one of your most interesting analysis, which speaks volumes for Kurt's creative genius! Thanks for the great breakdown, Rick!

[@CFCMahomet]

What makes Rick's videos different than so many other similar videos is that his love of music comes across so clearly and he is genuinely excited by it. I love these videos. So much good insight.

[@waxxy8447]

I think this video proves kurt was a prodigy of some type.

[@jakeconrad11]

I think what was really amazing about kurt was his ability to play licks like this and sing at the same time

[@jamesthemames6532]

No kidding, its difficult on some of them, i only know because I've tried. Key word TRY

[@AyBi_Studio]

Try to play and sing any Metallica song.

[@jmmacb03]

Musicians used to have to walk AND chew gum-live while playing in the rain..with no earpieces...wondering if they were going to be electrocuted...

[@dunningdunning4711]

"Come as You Are" is a bitch to sing and play on guitar at the same time. It sounds simple enough, but the vocal and guitar rhythms are very complicatedly intertwined. Took me a week to get it down and still didn't sound great.

[@billy9361]

It's pretty easy?

[@stephanbernardes9081]

Rick, this series just keeps getting better and giving me more songwriting ideas! Thank you!

[@elonmustard2263]

Wow, this was incredible. I was a huge Nirvana fan back in the day. This is next level stuff!

[@enlightenedchipmunk2001]

Kurt’s writing style is very unique. He uses seemingly wholesome terms to describe dark subject matter. Like “I cut myself on angel’s hair and baby’s breath.” This (to me) implies how even the most benign things can cause him pain or discomfort. He also finds a way to blend things like beauty and disease together in a way that makes them almost indistinguishable. The best way I can describe “In Utero” is if David Cronenberg’s practical effects were expressed in song form.

[@timothyhirman4928]

Rick. I just discovered you about 4 to 6 months ago. I'm a 60 y.o. acoustic player. Also a Psychiatric RN. Music has always been my drug of choice. Absolutely love your channel! I learn why I like this music. Super cool man. Thanks.

[@beakerwick646]

I love these breakdowns, I have NO idea what you're talking about, but they're great anyway. Request: TOOL Forty Six & 2

[@Timothy_D_S]

The real question is...What makes every song of his great?? Once in a lifetime talent.

[@RayEttler]

"every song" is quite a bold statement. agree on talent tho.

[@jmmacb03]

I am 62 and that is simply not true. We had insane innovations coming out every single week for decades and decades... But you get what you pay for so, Yes, you are probably right. NO one pays the artists anymore so you get American Idol. Even tutorials on KZbin are free... Support your local bands by buying some concert tickets-and leave the cell at home!

[@lorenab8501]

i like that rick celebrates the weirdness of artists and sees it as something unique

[@Jeff-Vader_head_of_catering]

Every time you single out the vocals in your videos, it makes me appreciate the artists even more than I already did! SO COOL!

[@cordeliachase601]

I’m glad that Dave Grohl created Foo Fighters after Kurt’s death. He’s a great guy.

[@thestraydog]

I was never a huge fan of Foo Fighters personally, but never had a problem with them or Dave. But when I heard that he's an AVID AIDS/HIV denier, I lost a lot of respect for him

[@mightyV444]

@Cordelia Chase - I agree! And I'll admit that I prefer FF to Nirvana, too; Most of the latter's songs give me such a dark, heavy vibe and make me feel very uncomfortable (and especially this here song and video). Just a bit *too* aggressive for me. However I *love* the much tamer 'Unplugged In NY' album, and Kurt was a great singer, too :-)

[@Nakeuru]

@@thestraydog that was in 2000, they have learned their lesson since then

[@SoCali_Surfer]

I never knew all the words to Heart-shaped Box before now. Sick to think Courtney Love, in her long, rambling, recorded "don't know what to call it" thing a few days after Kurt's death said that she would sing Heart-shaped Box to their daughter to put her to sleep.

[@flor9389]

@@thestraydog that was Nate’s doing. They admitted their mistake, apologized and started playing and advocating for LGBTQ charities a couple years later.

[@d.v.52]

Just love his/Nirvana's music. It just touched me and never left me. Hope it never will

[@toni-ko6zz]

I‘m 32, working a full time job and studying part time. My biggest dream is that after I finished university, I will learn how to play guitar. That is how I came along Rick‘s KZbin channel. I whish he would be my guitar teacher. Even as a German and not being native speaker, I learn so much from only watching these videos. Nirvana is one of my favorite bands of all time (along with Queen, Muse and The Clash) and I love to learn what made their songs so unique despite the very intelligent lyrics. Thank you for sharing your knockwledge and passion with us Rick!

[@Shredder89]

We share favourite bands 🤝

[@johnmcdermott2551]

I don’t understand why this hasn’t inspired someone, anyone to aspire to make original music. I don’t hear anything in the last 10 years that should be evocative for every decade. Looking back a 100 years you can name a musical style or movement except for this millennium. sad.

[@dalton4842]

"Better yet, I know it, and now you know it" - Rick Beato you rock dude and you know it :)

[@whatisrealknowtheformula6137]

My favorite part of these is how your technical expertise, amazing playing of multiple instruments and anecdotal teachings are all underlined by constant and effusive positive praise of the artists and their craft. That was all one sentence.

[@mpelgudmir]

On the outro, the combination of Steve Albini and Dave Grohl is such a amazing thing... The sheer noise put out by those snare fills always gives me chills.

[@douglaszolton8985]

Thank You,Mr.Beato. You are a superb teacher. I would say Mentor,Sensei .Sifu .You have me enthused by your excited demonstrations,but with knowledge and disipline..I hope musicians of all ages appreciate all the knowledge and trainings you teach. .

[@jimijackson]

Kurt perfected the pixies loud quiet dynamics. Heart shaped box was a perfect example...ramp it up and bring it back down to rest the listeners ears.

[@danielfiori]

Best music channel in youtube. Congratulations Rick

[@primaryspiral]

Thank you for showing how complex Nirvana's music really is when you dive deep into it. You did it better then I could ever do.

[@CRAIGSCHULER]

I don’t have a clue what you are talking about as I don’t speak ‘music’ but I really enjoy watching your videos explaining all of these great songs. I feel like I’m in a foreign language cinema where the words mean nothing to me but your enthusiasm and explanation of the music communicate something that goes far beyond my musical ignorance. Thank you 🙏