Nirvana - All Apologies - MTV Unplugged - Guitar Lesson

MTV Unplugged In New York (Live Acoustic)

1994 4:23

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About All Apologies - MTV Unplugged

The MTV Unplugged version of "All Apologies" strips the song down to its raw core, and that simplicity is exactly what makes it deceptively tricky to nail. Nirvana performed it here with acoustic guitars, which puts every note and every subtle dynamic choice right out in the open. In E major, the chord shapes themselves are not complicated, but the real work is in matching Kurt Cobain's unhurried, behind-the-beat strumming feel. That loose, slightly dragging quality is harder to replicate than any flashy technique. Getting the fingerpicking-influenced right-hand motion to feel natural, rather than metronomic, is the main challenge beginners underestimate. If the strumming pattern feels slippery, use the Practice Toolbar to loop just the verse or the outro slowed down until the rhythm sits in your hands naturally. Pay close attention also to the gentle swell in dynamics heading into the chorus, since that push and pull is what gives this performance its emotional weight.

• The acoustic arrangement puts the chord voicings fully exposed, so clean left-hand fretting and smooth transitions between shapes are essential.
• Cobain's strumming has a loose, behind-the-beat feel that is easy to miss when first learning; focusing on dynamics rewards the player more than speed.
• The outro's repeated chord pattern is a great looping exercise for building right-hand consistency and gradual dynamic control on an acoustic guitar.