Breed

You’ll hear a quick effect right at the beginning of the studio recording that I couldn’t faithfully recreate. I suspect it’s some studio trickery from Butch Vig, but if you’re playing this live, just like Cobain, tap the back of the fretboard to get that rumbling sound. If you’re using a real tube amp, you may even get some natural feedback. Since I’m using AmpliTube, I can’t generate real feedback, so this was the closest I could get.

Verse: You may notice me sliding into some of the A5 chords. Listening to the isolated guitar track, it sounds like Cobain occasionally slides into the 5th-fret A5, so I’ve incorporated that into the performance. Feel free to experiment with it yourself.

You’ll also notice that every now and then Cobain catches the major 3rd of the F♯5 by hitting the 11th fret on the 2nd string during his fast downstrokes. Sometimes it’s just a straight F♯5 power chord, and other times that extra note sneaks in. I’ve reflected those variations in the tab.

Chorus: Pretty straightforward – open D5, open A5, and so on.

Solo: This part gets interesting. From the isolated track I was referencing, it sounds like I’m hearing only one of the layered guitar parts. I believe another guitar was recorded playing octaves, so if it sounds like something is missing, that’s probably why. What I’m play is what I’d personally perform live and matches what I’m hearing on that isolated track.

You’ll also notice I include the fourth finger on the tritone shape. Some transcriptions leave that note out entirely, but I can hear it being hit occasionally on the isolated recording. I’m probably catching it a little more consistently than Cobain did, but I’m aiming for what he was going for rather than simplifying the part. Hope you enjoy the lesson, and thanks for watching!