The Man Who Sold the World

by Nirvana • Lesson #395 • Oct 11, 2021

Video lesson

The tutorial below is in standard tuning, but my partial playthrough (in the opening 40 seconds) is in E-flat tuning. I have full playthroughs in both tunings avaialble further below on this page. Good luck!

Song Sheet with Lyrics 4 pages

A printed arrangement with the lyrics, chords, and other guitar parts taught in my video lesson. Available for purchase through Musicnotes.com.

Have questions? Read this help page to learn how buying & printing works, with answers to many common questions about my song sheets.

Buy at Musicnotes.com

Save 50% on this song sheet by applying the October 2026 code at Musicnotes checkout: 7AP5LAQCRD (click to copy). Thanks for being a Premium supporter!

Song Notes Premium includes a 50% discount code you can use when buying any of my licensed song sheets. For the current month's code, upgrade to premium or log in.

Editor’s notes

Today I’m excited to show you how to play The Man Who Sold The World, as covered by Nirvana on their 1994 album MTV Unplugged. This song is originally written & recorded by David Bowie (1970), but this lesson will work perfectly well for his version too. This song is a blast to play. In addition to being one you can strum & sing in a straightforward manner, there’s (1) the distinctive one-string riff, (2) the chorus scale riff, and (3) the ending solo – which also uses only one string – which altogether make for a true delight to play around with. No matter which of these you want to tackle, this tutorial has you covered.

Video timestamps:

  • 0:00 Preview & Lesson Summary
  • 2:16 Tuning Notes (Standard vs. E-flat)
  • 2:46 Intro Riff Basics
  • 5:33 Intro Riff, While Strumming
  • 7:25 Chord Shapes
  • 10:27 Strumming the Verse
  • 15:04 Strumming the Chorus
  • 17:30 Chorus Scale Riff
  • 24:15 Ending Solo w/ Tab

Full Play-along Cover

Based on popular demand, I’ve created a separate video showing TWO play-through covers of this song. The first is in standard tuning (using a simple strum, and no backing guitar tracks) while the second uses E-flat tuning (using a percussive strum, along with the chorus scale riff played over a backing rhythm track). Taken together, I feel you’ll be in very good in hands in seeing the different ways you can approach this song.

Only available to Premium members

Upgrade to Premium

Playing A-major with One Finger (Lesson #46)

Watch my video »

Percussive Slap Strum Technique (Lesson #197)

Watch my video & get PDF »

F Chord Cheat Sheet (Lesson #392)

Watch my video & get PDF »

Unlock My Secret Stash!

Gain instant access to my library of 325 print-friendly cheat sheets! Also includes my extended video lessons, jam tracks, courses, and more.

Join Song Notes Premium

Have questions? Watch video tour »

Browse Related Lessons

Click any tag below to view other lessons I've made in that category:

Enjoy My Lessons? Show Your Support!

Most of the lessons on my website are 100% free. If you have the means, please show your support with a tip jar contribution. I put many hours into every lesson — but it only takes you a minute to make a donation. You have my thanks!

Donate

Looking for More Song Lessons?

Featured Courses

Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made

Coming soon is Jambox – which shows all the video jam tracks I've made. It's note quite ready for the spotlight, but check it out if you like!


Subscribe to my YouTube channel

Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!


Recent Lessons

  • October 12, 2026

    "Love Me Two Times" by The Doors

    Learn to play this bluesy classic from 1967! This tune features ~4 guitar riffs, each of which is tricky to learn... but I'll walk you through it all, step by step, as per usual.

  • September 30, 2026

    Shuffle vs. Straight Rhythm... Hear the Difference!

    Learn to identify the rhytmic feel of a song, just by listening! In this lesson I break down the straight vs. shuffle rhythm, using 5 different riffs... each of which is played both ways.

  • September 25, 2026

    Red River Valley - Travis Picking Deep-Dive!

    Behond! 10 new videos from my Travis Picking Essentials course, focusing on the classic tune Red River Valley. Includes print-friendly tabs for everything taught in each of the videos.

  • September 16, 2026

    "Sweet Jane" by Velvet Underground

    Let's dive into the 1970 classic by the Velvet Underground! This one mostly uses a two-measure progression from start to finish, but there's a ton of strumming & rhythm nuance you'll need to capture the sound. I teach it all, including several different ways to play the chords needed.

  • September 14, 2026

    Practical Music Theory: 1-4-5 Chords & Why They're Important

    An explanation of the three most commonly used chords in each musical key, and why they're important. Say hello to the one, four, and five chords!

  • September 9, 2026

    Q&A: Understanding Secondary Dominants (ft. Sierra Ferrell)

    I answer a member question about chords that seem to fall outside the key, using secondary dominants to explain what’s happening. Featuring the catchy opening riff to Sierra Ferrell's Bells of Every Chapel.

  • August 28, 2026

    Learn Riffs Faster with Chunking (ft. Johnny Cash)

    Here's a must-know technique that will help you learn any riff, solo, or extended tab much more quickly! The secret is breaking things into manageable chunks. I demonstrate using Johnny Cash's classic I Walk The Line.

  • August 20, 2026

    [Updated] Chord Changes & Learning New Chords

    Over in my Beginner Chord Guide, I've updated the Chord Changes lesson page to include a ton of new written detail giving context to my video lesson. If you struggle with learning new chords or changing chords smoothly, check it out!

  • August 19, 2026

    Practice Guide for "I Walk the Line" by Johnny Cash

    Check out my brand new visual companion to help you learn Johnny Cash's 1956 classic! 6 pages, including step-by-step tips for chords, strumming, walking bass lines, and more.

Browse All Recent Lessons →

← back to homepage


Title (short)
YouTube URL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHCCK3su31Y
Thumbnail (video)
Video thumbnail for
Thumbnail (pdf)
PDF thumbnail for
Slug
395
Lesson URL
/lessons/395/
PDF num pages
4
Patreon URL
https://www.patreon.com/posts/57270986
Discussion URL
n/a
Add to Favorites
List of Favorites