Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Smells Like Teen Spirit on piano
By Nirvana
- Ab major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1991
- Easy
Learn Smells Like Teen Spirit in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Fm – Bbm – Ab – Db – Fm – Bbm – Ab – Db
Smells Like Teen Spirit sits in Ab major: Ab is home, where the song ends. It goes round 8 chords: Fm is F, Ab and C; Bbm is Bb, Db and F; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Db is Db, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
FmviBbmiiAbIDbIVFmviBbmiiAbIDbIV- FmF · Ab · C
- BbmBb · Db · F
- AbAb · C · Eb
- DbDb · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Walking roots
One low note on every beat, steady as walking feet. Musicians call it root bass · quarters (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pop stabs
Chord stabs in the 3-3-2 pop rhythm. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 100 BPM
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: Db – Eb – Ab
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbAb- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about Smells Like Teen Spirit
What chords are in Smells Like Teen Spirit?
The loop is Fm – Bbm – Ab – Db – Fm – Bbm – Ab – Db (vi – ii – I – IV – vi – ii – I – IV) in Ab major, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Ab.
What key is Smells Like Teen Spirit in?
Ab major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Smells Like Teen Spirit?
Walking roots: root bass · quarters, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Smells Like Teen Spirit easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Smells Like Teen Spirit?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.