How to Play "Smells Like Teen Spirit" on Banjo
Jul 20, 2026Nirvana's 1991 anthem might be the last song you'd expect to hear on a five-string, and that's exactly why it's so much fun to play. Those four grungy power chords translate shockingly well to a bluegrass roll, and the payoff when you drop that iconic riff at a jam is worth the practice.
The trick is translating a distorted electric guitar part into rolls and drives that keep the song's angst intact. Once you hear it "bluegrassified," you won't be able to un-hear it.
At Banjo Mountain we walk you through the full arrangement note by note, at a pace you can actually follow, inside our Bluegrass Pop Songs course.
Learn the full "Smells Like Teen Spirit" banjo lesson here →
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