The ULTIMATE Come As You Are Chords & Guitar Lesson

Behold… THIS… was the first riff I ever done learned.

I was around 11 years old, went over to my neighbor’s house, and he showed me the notes. It’s a fun one – on only 2 strings. 

The problem was, I never got the counting right. 

You see, I thought the first note started on beat 1 but it didn’t…

It was a “pickup”... 

In music theory, this is called an anacrusis. Which means you start playing BEFORE beat 1. But I played the “Come As You Are” riff as if the first note was beat 1. 

This made my rhythm wonky. 

And guess what?

I didn’t correct this timing problem for decades…

Until one day, I tried to play with the recording and fell flat on my face. When I heard Dave Grohl’s drum groove against the riff, I started to figure out the timing…

It was weird. As a yute, trying so hard to learn the riff, I actually engrained the WRONG rhythm in me. Working with recordings can help you not mess up like this. It will help you sort out your favorite songs faster.

However, something was STILL off.

Until finally, I discovered the last missing piece of the puzzle…

What was it? 

Well, I’m going to explain it all in the post below.  

So grab your guitar, and let’s dive into this “Come As You Are” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Come As You Are?

"Come as You Are" is a grungy rock song written by Kurt Cobain, the guitarist and frontman for the American rock band Nirvana. It was released as the second single off their second studio album Nevermind. 

There’s been some controversy over the guitar riff. Which Cobain used a chorus effect on to create that signature “watery” sound. This riff sounds very similar to the song “Eighties” by a British punk band named Killing Joke. Killing Joke considered legal action, but the lawsuit was eventually dropped, especially after Cobain's death in 1994. 

Nirvana recorded "Come as You Are" in 1991, at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys, California. This studio is a legendary studio and is just a stone’s throw away from where I am typing this blog.

Producer Butch Vig was at the helm.

The lyrics of "Come as You Are" (like many Nirvana tunes) are quite abstract. They present a series of contradictions, such as "Come as you are, as you were," and "Take your time, hurry up." Cobain described the song as "about people, and what they're expected to act like," reflecting on societal expectations and authenticity. 

"Come as You Are" reached number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and number nine on the UK Singles Chart. It has since been certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).  

It remains one of Nirvana's most iconic songs, symbolizing the band's influence on 1990s rock music. In 2005, Cobain's hometown of Aberdeen, Washington, honored him by adding a sign that reads "Welcome to Aberdeen: Come As You Are."

Now, you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for Come As You Are?

The tuning for "Come As You Are”, as recorded by Nirvana is in drop D standard tuning. Drop D standard tuning on guitar is spelled out as DGCFAD. Every string is tuned down one whole step from standard tuning: 

• D (6th string, lowest pitch) 
• G (5th string) 
• C (4th string) 
• F (3rd string) 
• A (2nd string) 
• D (1st string, highest pitch) 

This was the part I was missing when I mentioned first learning it above. Pretty cool eh?

Now let’s answer the question…

Does Come As You Are use a capo?

No. “Come As You Are” does not use a capo. The combination of the chorus effect and the D standard tuning can make guitar players wonder. Like I mentioned above when I was struggling to play along with the recording. But there is no capo needed – just the drop tuning.

Next, let’s take a look at the…

Come As You Are Chords

To play “Come As You Are” on guitar (aside from the riff) you’ll only need to know 4 main chords they are F#sus4, A, B5, and D5. Let’s take a look at a few ways the “Come As You Are” chords can be played on the fretboard:  

F#sus4 is played using all 6 strings like this:

A is played using just one finger like so:

B5 I play as a 3 note power chord in second position like this:

Finally, D5 is another 3 note power chord but this time played in the 5th position like this:

If you’ve struggled to understand the fretboard for RHYTHM and LEAD guitar and want to discover the simplest way. Then get your hands on my free fretboard guide PDF right here now:  

All right! Now that you know the "Come As You Are” chords, let’s next talk about…

What key is Come As You Are in?

"Come As You Are" as recorded by Nirvana is in the key of E minor concert pitch. However, because Cobain tunes down a whole step, for our purposes here it’s in the key of F# minor.

So the concert pitch key is E minor, while the tuned down key is F# minor.

Let’s take a look at the chords as they relate to the key of F# minor and the F# natural minor scale. The F# natural minor scales uses the notes: F#, G#, A, B, C#, D, and E. 

The chords break down like this:

F#sus4 (isus4 chord)

F#sus4 is built using the notes F#, B, and C#.

The F#sus4 chord is built by replacing the A (in an F# minor chord) with a B, creating a suspended feel. The tension in a suspended chord often resolves to a major or minor chord.

A (III chord)

A is built using the notes A, C#, and E.

This is a major chord built on the A root, and in F# natural minor, the A chord is naturally the III chord. A major is often used in progressions in minor keys, especially in the natural minor scale. The A major chord can create a smooth transition to other chords in the key and adds harmonic brightness to the minor tonality.

B5 (ambiguous iv chord)

B5 is built using the notes B and F#.

This is a power chord (root and fifth), which doesn't contain the third, leaving the chord ambiguous (neither major nor minor). B5 is the iv (subdominant) power chord in F# minor. This gives the progression a sense of tension, typically leading back to F# minor or a dominant seventh chord (C#7).

D5 (VI chord)

D5 is built using the notes D and A.

Like B5, this is a power chord, containing only the root and fifth. D5 can be seen as the VI (submediant) power chord in the key of F# minor.

So that’s the theory, next, let’s look at… 

What is the strumming pattern for Come As You Are?

The main underlying groove for “Come As You Are” is a driving 8th-note rock feel.

In 4/4 time, 8th notes divide each beat into two equal parts, creating a driving, steady rhythm like this:

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

The numbers (1, 2, 3, 4) represent the main beats in the measure, while the "&" represents the offbeats that add energy and momentum.

When counted out loud, it sounds like:

"One-and, Two-and, Three-and, Four-and."

This gives a strong, consistent forward motion, perfect for a rock feel with a steady groove. Here’s an example of a “Come As You Are” strumming pattern:

Conclusion

Bottom line, “Come As You Are” is a monumental rock tune that’s reached the world. From the riff to the chords, to the groove, it all showcases Cobain’s incredible ability to write songs and Nirvana’s ability to rock. 

Keep practicing, and if you want to learn songs faster, better understand the fretboard, and not waste years spinning your wheels with guitar, grab my free fretboard guide PDF right here now:   

Jon MacLennan