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Nirvana - Something in the Way - Guitar Lesson

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Nirvana - Something in the Way - Guitar Lesson

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Nirvana - Something in the Way guitar lesson video
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Nirvana Grunge C minor
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Something in the Way

"Something in the Way" is a song by Nirvana, written by vocalist and guitarist Kurt Cobain. It closes their second album, Nevermind, released in September 1991, serving as a quiet, haunting contrast to the record's heavier tracks. For electric guitar players, the song is a rewarding study in understated dynamics, minimalist chord work, and how restraint and tone can carry emotional weight.

  • "Something in the Way" is the 12th and final listed track on Nirvana's landmark 1991 album Nevermind.
  • The song's minimal arrangement makes it an ideal piece for practicing clean tone, fingerpicking, and subtle guitar dynamics.
  • Most copies of Nevermind hide a second track, "Endless, Nameless", after roughly 10 minutes of silence on the same track.
Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Cobain used the Stratocaster on several Nevermind tracks, leveraging its bright single-coils to cut through dense arrangements. Though less iconic than his Mustang, the Strat provided tonal clarity for melodic passages within Nirvana's heavy sonic framework.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

Cobain deployed the Twin Reverb's clean headroom and natural breakup for softer verses and intros, creating dynamic contrast against his saturated Mesa preamp tones. The amp's warm response complemented his sparse, dry-focused signal chain.

DiMarzio Super Distortion
Pickup

DiMarzio Super Distortion

Cobain swapped DiMarzio humbuckers into his Jaguars and Mustangs to fatten their typically bright single-coils, pushing harder into his Mesa preamp for compressed, fuzzy sustain. This high-output bridge pickup was essential to Nirvana's thick, aggressive midrange distortion.

Boss DS-1 Distortion
Pedal

Boss DS-1 Distortion

The DS-1 functioned as Cobain's heavy-hitting boost pedal, slamming the front end of his already-overdriven Mesa preamp to intensify saturation during explosive chorus sections. Its gritty character helped define Nirvana's raw, in-your-face distortion tone.

Electro-Harmonix Small Clone
Pedal

Electro-Harmonix Small Clone

Cobain's signature chorus voice, heard prominently on Come As You Are and clean passages of Smells Like Teen Spirit, added subtle wobble and width. The Small Clone's lush modulation provided dynamic relief against his otherwise aggressive, compressed overdriven tones.

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