Grunge guitar
Grunge means heavy power chords, a sludgy groove and sudden jumps from a quiet verse to a loud chorus. Below are the chords, scale, techniques and a riff you can hear and practise right away.
1980s90–130 BPMpower chordsDrop D
What is grunge
Grunge grew out of Seattle in the second half of the 1980s and became a global phenomenon in the early 1990s. It mixed the weight of hard rock and metal with the simplicity and anger of punk: no showing off, lots of drive.
The guitar part rests on power chords and minor movements. Players often retune: in Drop D the sixth string goes down a whole step, so a power chord takes one finger. Solos are short and emotional, built on the minor pentatonic with bends.
Signature chords
The foundation is the power chord: root and fifth without a third, so it sounds neither major nor minor and handles distortion well. A typical move is E5, G5, A5, C5 - a dark minor sound on the open sixth string.
Scale for soloing
The E minor pentatonic is all you need for solos. Below it is shown near the nut with open strings; at the 12th fret the same shape sounds an octave higher, and that is where the solo on this page is played.
Techniques
Power chord slide
The power chord shape stays the same while the hand slides along the neck. Sliding from one position to another is one of the most recognisable sounds of the genre.
Palm muting
The edge of your picking hand lightly touches the strings near the bridge, making the sound short and tight. Grunge verses are often palm-muted and choruses let the strings ring - that is the quiet–loud effect. Hear it in the riff below.
Bend
A whole-step bend is the key move of a grunge solo. Bend to the right pitch, not “roughly”: check it against the note two frets higher.
Riff in the style
An E5 power chord, two palm-muted hits on the open sixth string, a G5 → A5 slide, then C5 and D5. Start slowly and keep the muted hits even.
The examples use a clean tone. On records the guitar in this genre is usually distorted - add drive on your own amp or pedal.
Grunge-style solo
A bend on the second string, a run down the pentatonic at the 12th fret and a long note with vibrato at the end. Simple notes, but play them with confidence and attack.
The riff opens as a draft: change notes, tempo and tracks however you like.
Open in RiffonicWhat to listen to
Listen to these songs and pay attention to what is described next to each one.
- Nirvana - “Smells Like Teen Spirit”. Four power chords, a quiet muted verse and an explosion of volume in the chorus - the quiet–loud formula in its purest form.
- Pearl Jam - “Alive”. The long solo at the end is built on the minor pentatonic: bends, repetition and a gradual build-up.
- Soundgarden - “Outshined”. A heavy riff in Drop D: the sixth string is tuned down a whole step and the power chords take one finger.
- Alice in Chains - “Man in the Box”. A slow, sludgy riff with muted strings and a “talking” guitar through a talk box.
Every riff and solo on this page is an original exercise in the style of the genre, not the notes of someone else’s song.
FAQ
What tuning is used in grunge?
Standard tuning, Drop D (sixth string down to D) and tuning down a half step. All examples on this page are in standard tuning, so there is no need to retune.
Can you play grunge on an acoustic guitar?
Yes. Power chords and the pentatonic work on acoustic too, and many grunge bands are known for their acoustic concerts. Without distortion you hear the chords and the melody more clearly.
How is grunge different from metal and punk?
It is slower and heavier than punk but simpler than metal: less speed and technique, more quiet–loud dynamics and dark minor movements. Solos are short and pentatonic, with bends.