How to Write a Song Like Nirvana

Do you want to write lyrics and music like Kurt Cobain? Well, here's a guide to help you out.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

The Music

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    Pick a mood to guide the song. Make sure that all of the song fits cohesively to the one mood.
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    Start with the music. Kurt almost always started with the music. Stick to a simple, catchy riff.
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  3. 3
    Work on the chords. Kurt used power chords for the most part. Occasionally arpeggios and simple single note riffs were used, but they didn't follow a scale. Kurt didn't use scales.
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    Concentrate on one specific album for inspiration.
    • For riffs like those in Bleach, focus on heavy, dark sounding riffs. Hardcore punk was a big influence to Nirvana during the early years.
    • For Nevermind or In Utero, focus more on pop influences. Kurt based Nevermind on Sonic Youth's Goo album.
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    Try writing a solo. While solos can be tricky to write, they're often worth it if done well.
    • Solos like those in Bleach: again, focus on heavier sounding solos. A lot of Kurt's solos during this era were noise and, as Butch Vig said, Kurt "strangling his guitar." so focus on these aspects and listen to Bleach for help.
    • For Nevermind or In Utero, again, more pop influenced, not as heavy. These should be more upbeat and more musical. If you want, copy the vocal melody like on "Smells Like Teen Spirit" or "Come As You Are".
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

The Lyrics

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    Be patient. Writing lyrics can be tough, but, if you've gotten this far, you're doing well.
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    Give yourself some artistic liberties. Kurt wasn't a "I'm going to start at point A, then go to point B, and end with point C," kind of writer, he was a "here's a bunch of pieces of songs that I'm going to throw together," kind of writer.
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    Delve deep. Kurt's lyrics were also often filled with metaphors and confusing. Sometimes, he would write a song that was direct (i.e. "Polly," "Rape Me."), but only occasionally.
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About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, 15 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 51,682 times.
97 votes - 80%
Co-authors: 15
Updated: August 12, 2018
Views: 51,682
Categories: Songwriting
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