How to Play Come As You Are by Nirvana (Guitar Lesson)
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Come As You Are
Released in 1991 by American grunge band Nirvana, this song is still a staple on rock radio to this day and a must learn for many beginning guitarists.
Taught by Allen Van Wert in Songs With Allen seriesLength: 16:57Difficulty: 0.5 of 5
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Songs With Allen
Found in our Beginner Lesson SetsLearn rock songs with Allen Van Wert.
Lesson 1
Turkish March
Allen Van Wert teaches his neo-classical rendition of this Mozart masterpiece.
Length: 33:18 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers
Allen Van Wert covers the ZZ Top classic "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers."
Length: 24:58 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Angry Again
Allen Van Wert teaches this Megadeth classic.
Length: 41:01 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Seventeen
Learn this classic hair metal song by the band Winger.
Length: 67:00 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
Hangar 18
Allen Van Wert teaches this epic Megadeth song that has no less than 11 guitar solos.
Length: 120:00 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
Come As You Are
Allen teaches this song from the great American grunge band Nirvana.
Length: 16:57 Difficulty: 0.5 Members Only
Lithium
Allen Van Wert teaches this classic grunge song from the album Nevermind.
Length: 20:17 Difficulty: 1.0 Members Only
Endless Sacrifice
Resident JamPlay metallurgist Allen Van Wert tackles the 11 minute epic "Endless Sacrifice" by Dream Theater. Allen meticulously explains all of John Petrucci's guitar parts in this 80 minute lesson. If...
Length: 79:14 Difficulty: 5.0 Members Only
Pull Me Under
Here is a lesson on Dream Theater's most popular song. Recognizable by its brooding clean intro and brutal distorted rhythms, this song is a must learn for metal guitarists. Chances are if you want to...
Length: 120:06 Difficulty: 4.0 Members Only
House Of The Rising Sun
Allen returns to his song lesson series with an in-depth look at the classic rock tune "House Of The Rising Sun" from The Animals. Allen provides a beginner version, the original recorded version, and...
Length: 40:37 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Dead
Allen Van Wert is back once again with a look at a great rock tune. This lesson covers the song "Dead" by Buckcherry.
Length: 87:16 Difficulty: 3.5 Members Only
It's A Party
Allen Van Wert provides another great rock tune for his song lesson series! This time, he takes a look at the Buckcherry tune "It's A Party"!
Length: 55:23 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Home
Allen Van Wert returns to his songs series with a metal tune from the band Three Days Grace. "Home" is a hard hitting song, with a lot heavy tones going on. Crank up the distortion on this one!
Length: 22:41 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Still Frame
Allen Van Wert takes an in depth look at the song "Still Frame" from the band Trapt. This is a a simpler rock song with a catchy melody to put under your fingers.
Length: 30:08 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
Gel
Allen Van Wert is back with a look at another 90's rock tune! This time around he teaches the rhythm and lead to "Gel" by Collective Soul.
Length: 20:04 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
Dance Dance
Allen Van Wert continues his song learning series with a 2000's pop rock anthem from venerable rockers "Fallout Boy!" Dance Dance is a complex rhythmic tune with lots of overdubbing and driving guitars!
Length: 17:31 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Where's Your Boy Tonight
Continuing with his look at modern pop rock songs, Allen brings a lesson on Fall Out Boy's "Where's Your Boy Tonight". This tune has layered guitars in multiple tunings.
Length: 30:19 Difficulty: 3.0 Members Only
Face to the Floor
Allen is back to his song series with a heavier tune. In this lesson, you'll learn "Face to the Floor" by modern metal band Chevelle.
Length: 14:22 Difficulty: 2.5 Members Only
The Red
Allen is back again with a look at another song from modern rockers Chevelle. In lesson 21, he covers the popular hit "The Red".
Length: 15:30 Difficulty: 2.0 Members Only
About Allen Van Wert
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Allen Van Wert got the nickname "ROBOT" from his unusual guitar tapping techniques that often sound like a video game more than a guitar. He has studied and played a wide variety of genres. His experimental and eclectic amalgamation of music combining shred guitar, crazy tapping techniques, and electronically infused composition contrasted by a highly emotional soft melodic side, make his debut album a really fun and interesting listen for just about anyone.
Allen has recorded guitar for the famed video game soundtrack composer Jesper Kyd (Composer of Hitman, Splinter Cell and many other big title games) as well as composing and recording for movie trailers and TV commercials. He has also been producing, recording and co-writing for local artists in his small home/project studio.
His three books on guitar technique, ear training and songwriting have helped many students over the past couple of years. Allen has also played in various cover bands in many genres since the age of 16 and has played to over 5000 on a few occasions. He was a featured guest musician on the album "West Coast Shred Fest".
In his spare time, Allen programs video games for fun. Wooo!
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Member Comments about this Lesson
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The part you said people always play wrong drives me crazy hahaha. I just can't seem to get that transition fluid.
tab for that first power chord is wrong. should be xx2450, or if you want to add that low E, then 0x2450. Either way, I don't see most people being able to play something like 022450. That is a stretch and a half...
tab for that first power chord is wrong. should be xx2450, or if you want to add that low E, then 0x2450. Either way, I don't see most people being able to play something like 022450. That is a stretch and a half...
tab for that first power chord is wrong. should be xx2450, or if you want to add that low E, then 0x2450. Either way, I don't see most people being able to play something like 022450. That is a stretch and a half...
I think I was doing it to fill in two guitar recordings at the same time. Not sure if I mentioned that in the video but I tend to do these things in most bands as the only guitarist.
Hey, Allen! Can you please tell us the set up you are using in the guitar / amp etc.? Can't reproduce that sound properly... Thanks!
you teach very fast...hold on
Is the tuning on the tab incorrect you say it is tuned a whole step down which would be DGCFAD and the tab shows DAFCGD
It is correct, the string numbers show 6th string as D, 5th string as G, and so on.
Nice lesson Allen. What pickups do you have in that tele?
sweet guitar, is it a strat? cant quite tell
Custom Fender Telecaster
How the heck does he do the part right before the solo? It sounds so good but for some reason I can't replicate it!
I am scratching the pick back and forth against the string really fast while sliding it gradually down the string
I'm guessing you are picking the 6th, 5th, and 4th strings?
I'm guessing you are picking the 6th, 5th, and 4th strings?
Actually I think I just got it. I was trying to do the effect with the pic but I think he is doing it only with his knuckles going up and down. Does that make sense?
Actually I think I just got it. I was trying to do the effect with the pic but I think he is doing it only with his knuckles going up and down. Does that make sense?
How the heck does he do the part right before the solo? It sounds so good but for some reason I can't replicate it!
pick scrape on side of pick like a strum
I don't get this lesson then again maybe I need to go back to the beginner section
Take your time and go through all of the lessons you need to get to where you want to be.
How about Aqoustic
how about acoustic...?
What does it mean when the notes are in parenthesis ? (0)
Probably ghost notes.. they are quieter but slightly there.. like when you strum a chord and only lightly catch one of the strings or it simply resonates from being fretted but not struck when the other strings vibrate.
He say 2 guitars which I find strange cause there only 3 people in the band 1 bassist 1 guitarist/vocal 1 drummer
in the studio they often record multiple guitars even if there is only one guitarist. they can be different parts completely, or the same part but panned differently to make the song sound "big".
Saw the song explained by Danny Gill, he also does a good version of it.
thanks for this lesson Allen it helped me to be a step closer to my goal
thanks for this lesson Allen it helped me to be a step closer to my goal
Now that I have turned my attention to my electric guitar, I have to start to pick up on all this amp, pedals, effects, gear stuff - so I was pleased that Allen gave instructions on how to get the right sound. Fortunately I have a little practice amp that 'models' other ones and comes with a set of effects - so I was able to turn on the chorus. My daughter and I both said " ooh, that does sound better now." That was a thrill.
And get ready to spend money, money, money! :-)
It sounds like a flanger to me on the recording. I could be wrong though...Chorus and flanger are very similar effects though, so either will get you close to the tone you're looking for.
Rotary with chorus.
Thanks. I'll take our chat as incentive to explore - I have delay, reverb, chorus, flanger, tremolo, plus the ability to mix some of them together. No wah. hmm I'll have to get a wah pedal.
Tremolo is very similar to rotary and should work out the same way except it is usually volume altering instead of panning. Use that and chorus and it should be close to this with the proper settings of depth and speed.
Well, something like this? http://www.amazon.com/BBE-Analog-Univibe-Guitars-Keyboards/dp/B000RLF7GO
Yeah, a univibe may do the trick some.
I remember when this record hit the airwaves in the fall of 1991. It changed everything, and I think I listened to Nevermind for a year straight without listening to anything else.
"You don't want a change like that...that SUUUUCCCKKKS" hilarious LOL
man do i feel out of sorts,seems like the notes on the tab page are a little off whats there are [dafcgd] i got [dacead]
Thanks for the great lesson, you present songs very accurately and in a way that is easy to follow. Hopefully you do some more lessons in the future on songs that aren't as daunting as the songs you typically do so I can make use of more of them. Thanks again.
voice and instruction are audible but I can barely hear the guitar with speakers and content turned up to max. had to quit lesson due to not being able to hear it
Great for me also.
This appears to be a technical issue on your end. I tested the file in mono and reversed the phase and it is clearly audible on my machine. Is it only this video that you are having problems with?
Odd, it sounds perfect for me.
weird that they removed some of the other nirvana song lessons but allow this one? I guess not all of their songs are owned by the same company?
Nope they aren't! Really if I recall the issue is one company owns 5% of some songs and they can block the whole process. This licensing stuff is really a huge, huge mess.
Nice lesson Allen, been playing it wrong for all that time, nice big fat E power chord! This song was one of my first to learn on guitar, really easy. Now with you teaching people can't go wrong :-) Will there be TABS/supplemental content?