What Makes This Song Great? "Heart Shaped Box" NIRVANA 

Kurt wasn't musically trained, and probably didn't know much about theory. The fact that he was naturally so in tune with those concepts just shows how much of a musical genius he was.

The biggest thing you can learn from Kurt is to trust your ears and insticts and what sounds good.

I don’t understand 90% of what the hell you’re talking about but I love this video

This it what a human looks like when they love music.

What makes these videos so cool is that there's somebody who loves music as much as I do, gets as pumped up about it, but that understands it so much better and can explain just why these songs are so great, which makes us enjoy them that much more. Thanks, bro!

Finally some love shown to Krist Novoselic.

"Kurt Cobain doesn't get the credit he deserves as a soloist." The guy was a songwriting genius. He knew the importance of melody over cramming 20 notes where they don't belong, just to show off. 30 years later, still the last great rock star.

Kurt's music was completely authentic in emotion. You can't fake that.

Hey! Wait! What makes this song so great? I am forever in debt to Rick's priceless advice!

14:59 Rick: this is very sophisticated Kurt: HEYYYYEEAAAHHHAAAYYYYEEAAAHHHAAYYYY I know that's not what he meant, i just found it funny af

I used to study music theory when Nirvana was at it's height and as a fan it makes me incredibly happy to see their songs analyzed and not just finding powerchords all over the place. Completing the chords in the vocal melody is genius - lets you turn the distorsion up to 11 without things gettings to muddy while still doing proper harmonies.

Rick Beato is an absolute genius! His musical knowledge astounds me. He must be very patient and passionate about music to be able to dissect so many great songs in such an analytical way. I wish I had his level of talent.

Here's a true story, if anyone cares to hear it: When I was a kid, I remember playing Guitar hero on my old dad's phone. I had no experience with music before and I played the game simply to entertain myself. I was never interested in any instrument back then. In the game, there was just music, without the vocals. However, one specific song caught my attention. I just fell in love with the melody, it was my favorite song to play. I then stopped playing and never actually found out what is the original song's name. Years later (by this point I got into rock) I find this band ''Nirvana'' and their song ''Smells like teen spirit''. I give it a listen and I like it a lot so I think to myself ''I should check some more Nirvana stuff'' so I hear stuff like Lithium, Polly... all of which are amazing... and then, I click on the ''Heart-Shaped Box'' and I shiver. The moment I heard the first note I knew exactly what song that was, it was my favorite song on Guitar Hero. The song that I liked the best. So I found it by a complete accident, but I memorized every single note. I felt like it was destined for me to love this band. I will never forget the impact Nirvana had on me, I started to take interest in music and even made my parents buy me a guitar for my birthday, although they were against it, saying that I was too old. (it was my 17th birthday). And now, 3 years later, I will soon have my first gig. Thank you Kurt Cobain, I will forever love you, because you've changed my life! There, I know nobody probably cares but I felt the need to say this. Love your video and explanation Rick !

I didnt want this one to end. Great job. You could seriously just do videos on each Nirvana album. And to think, people thought this was just a 3 chord simple band.

This explains something I've always suspected about Kurt Cobain's composition. It always feels to me like the vocal part is in this dynamic tension with the guitar part, trading forward propulsion and despair. One part suggesting hope while the other lies over it like a dark cloud, or the voice rising from the depths of the chord with the third clutched between his teeth.

It's so funny how Kurt's music is explained with intervals and sustained 5ths, etc. Kurt probably didn't know any musical terms but he wrote all this great stuff.

Being as wise as you are in terms of music theory, the fact that you demonstrate your love for Nirvana in such a vehement and emotional way brings me back my faith in humanity

The bass in the Heart Shaped... chorus just kills. I never noticed that bit.

“She eyes me like a Pisces when I am weak.” What a brilliant line. RIP Kurt. One of my favorite Nirvana tracks from my favorite album of theirs.

"He completes the chords with his voice" ...well put sir!

This What Makes This Song Great? series is absolutely brilliant

Krist knew exactly what he was doing. Total beast

would love to see you make an episode of nirvana's "Lounge act" best bass lines of all time imo

Crazy how nirvana songs are harder to analyse than Pink Floyd or queen (just to name some) . Thats how much of a genius kurt was , his songs at a first glance looks like a couple of powerchords anyone with a basic experience can play but in truth it goes way way deeper than that and that’s why nobody has never been able to write anything as simple yet good as he did .

Kurt Cobain is simultaneously one of the most underrated and overrated musicians to have lived in the modern era, methinks. He's widely worshiped as a sort of tragic Jesus figure for Generation X, because of how he died, and he's also widely dismissed as a poor musician, due to his preference for cheap, crappy pawn shop amps & instruments, and his general reliance on simple/straight forward power chord progressions to form the backbone of his songs. I think that both of those views of Cobain miss the mark, for different reasons, and I really appreciate it when musically educated people like Rick are able to look past all that superficial crap and hear what Nirvana fans like me have always felt but haven't been able to articulate.

Awesome video. Heart shaped box has always been my favorite nirvana tune. You can hear it was so natural, thats what made Kurt Cobains songwriting so good

I never knew what the hell he was singing about, all I knew was that the sounds coming out of my cheap headphones was the greatest thing I had ever heard in my life.

Musicians in a power trio have to wear a lot of different hats if they're going to sound like more than 3 players. Nirvana was absolutely brilliant at this. They had incredible dynamics together.

Kurt’s voice was an instrument all on its own...Thanks for giving Kurt the props that he so well deserves....👍👌✌️

“Kurt Cobain is overrated. Anyone can do what he did...” 24 years later not anyone has even come close.

5:16 That's got to be some of the tightest air drumming I've ever seen. Kudos

Nice breakdown Rick. When I first learned guitar in 1995, I asked my dad to teach me Come As You Are. I'll never forget his first reaction. He was like, "What is this crap?" This is because my dad was a seasoned musician who had played with greats like James Brown, Tina Turner, Wild Cherry, Tito Puente, and the list goes on. Nirvana was so different from anything he had ever heard, that he didn't comprehend the genius behind what Nirvana was doing. This band literally spearheaded an entire genre of music. I've always said that Kurt Cobain was one of the best songwriters of all time. The simplicity of his melodies is what actually makes them so sophisticated and memorable. You can pick any Nirvana song and you will pretty much always find a catchy melodic verse, a catchy melodic pre-chorus, a super catchy hook for a chorus, and even a catchy melodic bridge. Melody is everything when it comes to a hit song. Melody is first and foremost. The beat is second. After that, harmony is icing on the cake.

"Heart Shaped Box" Still give me chills after all these years. Such a Great song. And now I know why. Thank you Rick for doing these.

I’ve preached for years that Kirst is under rated...his bass lines really show how intelligent he is.

I’m glad that Dave Grohl created Foo Fighters after Kurt’s death. He’s a great guy.

Krist Novoselic is like the Ringo of the band... it wouldn't have the same charm without him And I think the guitar solo on "In Bloom" is one of the greatest ever

Most Nirvana haters see lack of technicality and nonsense lyrics. But Nirvana was a perfect storm of alot of thing: the lack of technicality and answer to the bloated 80's scene that needed to die like yesterday...the fact that he spoke to the angsty youth but still wrote POP songs, so they were approachable..His voice is one of the greatest in rocks..smoky but can still keep pitch..the fact that his voice harmonizes with Daves almost perfectly is a huge part. But also, if Dave Grohol had never entered Nirvana, they would have been another Mudhoney. Smells like Teen Spirit was a mega hit because of Dave's drumming and Nevermind because of his ability to harmonize with Kurt. The other thing is Butch Vig is proably the best rock producer of the early 90's and worked some miracles with nevermind. I mean listen to the original Polly. That's probably what the ablum would've sounded like. I bit more mature version of Bleach..but there was a reason why Bleach and Nevermind are so far aparty sonically. Butch Vig.

I really enjoy how animated Rick get's when he's really into the song/band. Would love to hear you break down some classic Primus.

Krist had such a strong groove in general, but heart shaped box really stands out for him. Nirvana members had lots of courage to try to be different. I find their works have a large amount of unusual tension in the scales used. Many people at the time thought it was so fresh because there was so much dissonance and "heaviness" compared to the 80's hair metal.

Nirvana is the whole reason I fell in love with music and picked up the guitar when I was 13. People think Kurt was just a 3 chord "grunge" rocker but he was flat out an amazing songwriter who had a great ear for melody and creating music that was so catchy and inventive.

I genuinely enjoy watching Rick air drum.

"The artist is Nirvana, the song is... a few of them!" That's my day made!

I love Rick’s appreciation for Nirvana. Really respects the genius of their music, even if the average layman doesn’t understand why it’s so amazing. That collage of Cobain hit me right in the bloody feels man.

I love how people say he didn't know what he was doing, as though he didn't do it over and over and over again, enough to create one of the single greatest albums in rock history, that all but killed off one era of rock music and created a new one. And that's just Nevermind.

I think this might be an even better video than the WMTSG on Led Zep, which at the time, (3 days ago?) I felt was the best so far. This has to be one of the best concepts on RU-vid. I love these videos.

the best airdrums of the internet. period. you´re amazing, rick.

I think this video proves kurt was a prodigy of some type.

I never noticed the bass in music, I love how your break it down showing how the bass plays in the song. Thanks Rick

Kurt's vocals always felt haunting to me and now I know why. It's a true shame that he left us so soon.

the drums on Scentless Apprentice are so powerful. Albini was the perfect producer for them

One of the things I find so interesting about nirvana is that it does some popular things just slightly different. What I mean by this is they actually go up in pitch or down in pitch when you would expect the opposite. For example the intro to Come as you are. It has one note doing the opposite of what one would expect. Same with the bassline in in Heart shaped box. This makes it stand out and make it sound playful.

Did not want this video to end. Would love to hear your take on Aneurysm, and some of the Bleach songs. Great video.

I just love how accessible Rick's videos are. I don't know the first thing about music but he breaks it down in such a way that anyone could understand. I in no way felt that I needed a degree in music theory to get one second of sense from this video.

Hey... Wait... I've got a new complaint. I'm forever in debt to your priceless advice. Thanks Rick.

I think what was really amazing about kurt was his ability to play licks like this and sing at the same time

Damn. Makes me that much sadder that he's gone. So amazingly talented and creative

I so agree about his lyrics. I know he always said his lyrics were just made up on the spot and didn't mean anything but I've always thought Nirvana had great lyrics. Plus, Krist Novoselic is totally underrated! Lounge Act has one of my favorite basslines

Glad you went back to the old format rick :)

Honestly Heart Shaped Box is my favorite Nirvana song for a reason. Its musically beautiful and brilliant mixed with that dark despair. Great job breaking it down man

I find it eerie that you know your right had the smells like teen spirit melody in it. I find it eerie because Its like smells like teen spirit started his career and he recorded you know you right as his "last" song, like he knew his time had come to an end.

A lot of my fellow musician friends think the 90's grunge genre was full of sub par hack music, but i disagree. Bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden were a breath of fresh air, creatively speaking. They reintroduced the bass guitar back into the mix, literally, and the lyrics were far more clever and deep compared to 80's hair metal(for example). It was my favorite 3-5 year period in music.

My favorite Nirvana track, from my favorite album... This, alongside TOURETTE'S, blew my mind when I first bought the Album. Cobain is sorely missed these days.

Kurt actually got a lot of musical teaching as a kid. He knew what he was doing. He brought his own personal flavor to Nirvana.

nirvana is my favourite band by far and im such a huge fan of kurt. and although i did not understand 90 precent of what rick just talked about, i feel like finaly someone understood kurt like i do, and why he is one of the gratest vocalist and guitar players of all time. with his imprecise voice and guitar technique. thats actually what makes him this great! otherwise he would have been just another legend that you cant differ from other legends (sorry about the truth. most "legendery" guitarist dont have something that differs them from others beside great songs). kurt have that thing that makes him unique in the greatest way.

You are a treasure trove, Rick... You are so valuable. You should be in a museum :D Thanks for everything

Just recently noticed the badass bass line in the heart-shaped box chorus. Awesome!

I'm 44 and I still remember PERFECTLY the day I listened to Nirvana for the first time and how it blew me away.....It's weird how, sometimes, a stranger is able to give you more than those around you.... Tnks Kurt 💜 and tnks Rick!

My favourite song of Nirvana. Like a great painting , everything is right, complete, in right balance and magic.

Just... just.. THANK YOU Rick!!!!

To everyone that says that Nirvana is easy-peasy: sit down, grab your guitar, play that catchy and simple riff from "come as you are". Now sing while you play it. With practice, it will come (as you are).

Rick, just wanted to say thank you. This was the first video of your's I watched and have been following ever since. This video has been such an influence on my melody writing. I can't thank you enough for all you do.

What makes Rick's videos different than so many other similar videos is that his love of music comes across so clearly and he is genuinely excited by it. I love these videos. So much good insight.

Just to clarify: Kurt performed all of the lead and backing vocals for the In Utero album, except for the song "Marigold", which was written and sung by Dave and released as the B-side to the Heart-Shaped Box single. Dave sung some backing vocals on a couple of tracks off Nevermind, however.

When he said "...and the song is... a few of them" I was like wtf song song is this

Every time you single out the vocals in your videos, it makes me appreciate the artists even more than I already did! SO COOL!

Your channel is my fav by a long shot. Especially in this 'Zeitgeist' time we're in I find your music passion and sharing of it an enlightening experience. Thank you so much!

you gotta do the pixies and sonic youth at some point, right? anyone with me?

This is great. Thanks Rick. The song that really blew me away with how great of a melody creator that Kurt Cobain was was the song “I Hate Myself And Want To Die.” It starts with a dirgy chromatic type of power chord riff, but then the melody that Kurt sings on top of it is something catchy that I never would have expected. The chorus is loud and aggressive and kind of Beatles-like as Kurt is natural at doing. I’m still in awe of this song today. Kurt Cobain could write a good melody over anything.

These videos are so compelling. Love everything in them. Just amazing content!

4:44 I love how we can hear the guitar when he starts talking of it and then the bass when he jumps to it. It's like we can hear inside his head as he's speaking.

I love these breakdowns, I have NO idea what you're talking about, but they're great anyway. Request: TOOL Forty Six & 2

i like that rick celebrates the weirdness of artists and sees it as something unique

RIck breaking down things like how the guitars are panned on the intro, one being dry and thick and the other being thin and chorusy, and together they sound like pure clear anticipation of anarchy coming in the chorus, all of this just make me appreciative how much production enhances the trance inducing feel of the song. Brilliant stuff!

This is one of your most interesting analysis, which speaks volumes for Kurt's creative genius! Thanks for the great breakdown, Rick!

13:05 “i will never,...flat 3rd youuu!”

Hi Rick - you are absolutely right about Kurt’s playing...what impressed me the most about Kurt Cobain was how well he handled an actual gig on the guitar...the Nirvana ‘Live at the Paramount’ film blew me away...he was no virtuoso- but he played and sang effortlessly and transitioned from lead to rhythm playing and back like a real pro, played lead riffs while singing etc - duct taped guitar cable and all LOL. They had Pat Smear on that gig but basically they were a power trio - and damned good at it.

I'm really digging your videos lately. I'm so glad I found them. I've always loved listening to music and breaking down specific parts. I'm also a wannabe musician so I like understanding the different techniques that songs employ in their recordings. Great stuff.

Rick's emotion @6:30 shows you how much he enjoys kurt's dynamics. just AWESOME, hope to be as passionate as he is at that age.

The real question is...What makes every song of his great?? Once in a lifetime talent.

Led Zepp and Nirvana on the same week? What is this, heaven?

3:46 Exactly. We all can study how all of that works, and it has a great merit to have that knowledge, but fewer people can actually feel the music to come up with such powerful melody and that's amazing. Thanks, Rick for helping me to better realize and understand the complexity of it. I knew it was beautiful sounding and non simple, but you put it into words that make sense of it and give us the best angle to look at it.

I love your joyful enthusiasm and respect for these great songs.

Rick, this series just keeps getting better and giving me more songwriting ideas! Thank you!

Steve Albini killed it with this thing, drums were tracked phenomenally. It being Dave Grohl certainly made his job easier though!

Have watched a few of your videos today during a rest day in bed. Having been with my musician husband for nearly 20 years, & knocked around with many of the best of their eras, some of whom you've covered in your videos, I really really enjoyed your breakdowns & explanations. Have subscribed, thanks Rick:)

Bless your soul for showing Kurt and Nirvana so much love and explaining why Kurt was really a musical genious. Please do more Nirvana videos ❤️

Wow, this was incredible. I was a huge Nirvana fan back in the day. This is next level stuff!

Love this. Some great insight on some of this really vague and theoretically unexplored music. Thanks Rick

Subscribed and rang the bell. What an awesome and thorough breakdown of the song structure. Thank you for the time you put in to this.

Thank You,Mr.Beato. You are a superb teacher. I would say Mentor,Sensei .Sifu .You have me enthused by your excited demonstrations,but with knowledge and disipline..I hope musicians of all ages appreciate all the knowledge and trainings you teach. .