Come As You Are
by Nirvana
🌟 Must-Learn Songs
Difficulty
★★☆☆☆
Tuning
Standard
Capo
None
One of Nirvana's most recognizable songs from Nevermind (1992). The hypnotic clean-tone riff uses a simple chromatic walk on the low strings, making it a perfect introduction to single-note riffing. The song contrasts clean verses with a heavier distorted chorus.
[Intro] - Clean tone, play 4x
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-1-2---2-2-4-4---4-4-2-2---2-2-1-0---0-0-0-0--|
[Verse 1] - Clean tone, same riff as intro
"Come as you are, as you were..."
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-1-2---2-2-4-4---4-4-2-2---2-2-1-0---0-0-0-0--|
"As a friend, as a friend..."
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-1-2---2-2-4-4---4-4-2-2---2-2-1-0---0-0-0-0--|
"Take your time, hurry up..."
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-1-2---2-2-4-4---4-4-2-2---2-2-1-0---0-0-0-0--|
"The choice is yours, don\'t be late..."
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-1-2---2-2-4-4---4-4-2-2---2-2-1-0---0-0-0-0--|
[Chorus 1] - Distortion on, power chords
F#5 A5
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
A|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
E|--2-2-2-2---2-2-2-2---5-5-5-5---5-5-5-5-------------|
"Memoria... memoria..."
F#5 A5
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
A|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
E|--2-2-2-2---2-2-2-2---5-5-5-5---5-5-5-5-------------|
[Verse 2] - Clean tone
"Come as you are, as you were..."
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-1-2---2-2-4-4---4-4-2-2---2-2-1-0---0-0-0-0--|
"As I want you to be..."
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-1-2---2-2-4-4---4-4-2-2---2-2-1-0---0-0-0-0--|
"Take your time, hurry up..."
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-1-2---2-2-4-4---4-4-2-2---2-2-1-0---0-0-0-0--|
"The choice is yours, don\'t be late..."
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-1-2---2-2-4-4---4-4-2-2---2-2-1-0---0-0-0-0--|
[Chorus 2] - Distortion
F#5 A5
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
A|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
E|--2-2-2-2---2-2-2-2---5-5-5-5---5-5-5-5-------------|
"Memoria... memoria..."
F#5 A5
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
A|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
E|--2-2-2-2---2-2-2-2---5-5-5-5---5-5-5-5-------------|
[Bridge] - Heavy distortion, let chords ring
B5 D5
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
D|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
A|--2-2-2-2---2-2-2-2---5-5-5-5---5-5-5-5-------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------|
"And I swear that I don\'t have a gun..."
B5 D5
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
D|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
A|--2-2-2-2---2-2-2-2---5-5-5-5---5-5-5-5-------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------|
[Solo - Simplified] - Use chorus effect
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|------2--------4--------5--------4--2----------------|
A|--0h2----0h2------0h2------0h2--------4--2--0-------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------|
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|------2--------4--------5--------7--5--4--2----------|
A|--0h2----0h2------0h2------0h2--------------------0--|
E|-----------------------------------------------------|
[Verse 3] - Clean tone, same riff
"Come as you are, as you were..."
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-1-2---2-2-4-4---4-4-2-2---2-2-1-0---0-0-0-0--|
"As I want you to be..."
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-1-2---2-2-4-4---4-4-2-2---2-2-1-0---0-0-0-0--|
[Chorus 3] - Distortion, big and loud
F#5 A5
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
A|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
E|--2-2-2-2---2-2-2-2---5-5-5-5---5-5-5-5-------------|
"Memoria... memoria... memoria..."
F#5 A5
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
A|--4-4-4-4---4-4-4-4---7-7-7-7---7-7-7-7-------------|
E|--2-2-2-2---2-2-2-2---5-5-5-5---5-5-5-5-------------|
[Outro] - Clean tone, riff slows and fades
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B|-----------------------------------------------------|
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D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-1-2---2-2-4-4---4-4-2-2---2-2-1-0---0-0-0-0--|
e|-----------------------------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------|
E|--0-0-1-2---2-2-4-4---4-4-2-2---2-2-1-0~~~~~~~~~~~~|
(repeat riff, gradually fade out)