Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana | Drum Transcription Notes
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This transcription was originally published on 8/6/20. It was updated on 7/4/21 to include a drum legend.
There aren’t many bands as iconic as Nirvana and there aren’t many songs as iconic as Smells Like Teen Spirit.
Most of the song is straight forward but there are a couple of things to watch out for:
You’ll notice a funny looking symbol at the beginning of bar 13 and the words “D.S. al fine” above bar 40. “D.S.” or “dal segno” means “from the sign” and “al fine” means “to the end”. Basically, when you finish playing bar 40 go back to the symbol at bar 13 and play through to end of the song.
The bridge after the chorus is a tricky one. If you’re unsure how it goes, have a listen to the track. It’s easier to hear exactly what Dave Grohl is playing in the second bridge (after the second chorus). It’s less clear in the first bridge.
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