Skip to main content
MusicRadar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
UK EditionUK US EditionUS AU EditionAustralia SG EditionSingapore
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Black Friday
  • Artist news
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
Don't miss these
Side profile of a person playing a drum kit
Drum Lessons & Tutorials 13 easy drum songs every beginner should learn
Greg Mackintosh of Paradise Lost plays his custom 7-string V live onstage with red and white stagelights behind him.
Artists Greg Mackintosh on the secrets behind the Paradise Lost sound and why he is still trying to learn Trouble’s tone tricks
David Gilmour plays a Black Stratocaster onstage in New York, on a moody stage lit in dark blue.
Artists David Gilmour shares an essential tone tip for guitarists using a whammy bar with a delay pedal
radiohead
Artists “If the point of Radiohead songs isn’t to make you feel good, what is their music for?”: A music professor breaks down the theory behind Radiohead's Let Down
Josh Homme in the No One Knows video
Artists “Of course it was gonna be a hit! This song really is original”: Inside the making of a Queens Of The Stone Age classic
Overhead shot of electronic drum set plugged into a laptop running a VST
Drum Lessons & Tutorials “At certain points in music history it became fashionable to place accents on certain beats”: How to score a drum part
Paul Gilbert
Recording Four big-name guitarists spill their recording secrets
Logic Drums
Music Production Tutorials How to think like a human drummer when building software beats
Drummer
Drummers 10 tips to help drummers to develop better timing
A PRS McCarty 594 on a hard case
Electric Guitars Best electric guitars 2025: Our pick of guitars to suit all budgets
Music Production Tutorials How to program MIDI drums that sound like the real thing
Drummers Listen to 11 isolated drum tracks from rock's drumming legends
Taylor Jacob Collier GS Mini: featuring a brightly-coloured rosette graphic designed with the musical polymath, this beginner friendly acoustic has a bold five-string design for his signature DAEAD tuning.
Artists Taylor teams up with Jacob Collier for signature acoustics that declare standard tuning DAEAD – and they’re accessibly priced
Ableton Live MIDI tools tutorial
Music Production Tutorials Stuck for ideas? Here's how to create fresh basslines and melodies with Ableton Live 12’s MIDI tools
Jack and Meg White in 2003
Artists “It was a challenge to myself: ‘I’m not gonna have a chorus in this song’”: How Jack White created the riff of the century
More
  • Pete Townshend on smashing - and fixing - his guitars
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • AI slop hits #1
  • The pain that birthed Don't Speak
  • Europe vs AI
  1. Tutorials
  2. Guitar Lessons & Tutorials

Quick licks: easy #5

News
By Guitar Techniques ( Guitar Techniques ) published 28 August 2011

Radiohead rhythm playing and Nick Drake-style picking

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Easy lick one: Radiohead rhythm

Easy lick one: Radiohead rhythm

Here's an open position chord example reminiscent of Radiohead that's a good exercise for maintaining the upper part of a chord whilst changing the bass notes to create new harmonies. Aim to make these chord changes as smooth as possible by keeping the fourth finger stationary for the first four chords.

Dial in a clean valve amp tone and observe the strumming patterns to make sure the rhythm is right.

Page 1 of 2
Page 1 of 2
Easy lick two: Nick Drake picking

Easy lick two: Nick Drake picking

This is a great introduction to fingerpicking and similar to a classic blues progression. Make sure you keep your picking hand relaxed as your third finger alternates between striking the first and second strings between chord changes, and remember to arch the fingertips of your fretting hand to ensure that the chords sound clearly without buzzing.

Page 2 of 2
Page 2 of 2
Guitar Techniques
The worlds best high-quality guitar tuition from the UKs foremost teachers and players image
The worlds best high-quality guitar tuition from the UKs foremost teachers and players
Subscribe and save today!
More Info
Read more
Side profile of a person playing a drum kit
13 easy drum songs every beginner should learn
 
 
Greg Mackintosh of Paradise Lost plays his custom 7-string V live onstage with red and white stagelights behind him.
Greg Mackintosh on the secrets behind the Paradise Lost sound and why he is still trying to learn Trouble’s tone tricks
 
 
David Gilmour plays a Black Stratocaster onstage in New York, on a moody stage lit in dark blue.
David Gilmour shares an essential tone tip for guitarists using a whammy bar with a delay pedal
 
 
radiohead
“If the point of Radiohead songs isn’t to make you feel good, what is their music for?”: A music professor breaks down the theory behind Radiohead's Let Down
 
 
Josh Homme in the No One Knows video
“Of course it was gonna be a hit! This song really is original”: Inside the making of a Queens Of The Stone Age classic
 
 
Overhead shot of electronic drum set plugged into a laptop running a VST
“At certain points in music history it became fashionable to place accents on certain beats”: How to score a drum part
 
 
Latest in Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
Close up of a person playing guitar
With a massive 89% discount, $99 for a year's worth of Guitar Tricks online lessons is the best way to upgrade your guitar playing this Black Friday
 
 
Close up of a person holding an acoustic guitar bathed sunlight
Ignite your inner guitar god for just 27 cents a day with TrueFire’s July 4th sale - save 60% on online lessons
 
 
MusicNomad fret tuition
Can you fix your guitar's frets yourself? We try three innovative approaches from MusicNomad to investigate how they might conquer a major cause of fret buzz
 
 
George Harrison
How to play like George Harrison on The Beatles' Abbey Road
 
 
MusicNomad guitar fret cleaning
"You owe your guitar the chance to be its best": How to clean and polish your guitar frets a better way
 
 
Jimmy Page
Play like Jimmy Page! Exclusive video lesson
 
 
Latest in News
The Epiphone Mike Dirnt G-3 Grabber is an affordable replica of his original Gibson and features a trio of Gibson USA pickups, custom wiring, and is available in Natural and Silverburst finishes.
Epiphone unveils signature G-3 Grabber with Gibson USA pickups for Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt
 
 
ASM Diosynth
ASM launches Diosynth, its follow up to the Hydrasynth – but it’s probably not what you were expecting
 
 
Disney Beatles
Giles Martin unpacks the upcoming remastered Beatles Anthology series
 
 
melosurf
Is this the future of the DAW? Melosurf is a voice-controlled AI assistant that lets you talk to Ableton Live
 
 
A hand holding concert tickets
Secondary ticket ripoffs – Government to finally act?: Next King’s Speech likely to include ban on profiteering
 
 
TORONTO, ONTARIO - SEPTEMBER 01: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE, EDITORIAL USE ONLY, NO COMMERCIAL USE, NO SPECIAL INTEREST OR SINGLE ARTIST PUBLICATION USE) Dua Lipa performs during the Radical Optimism Tour at Scotiabank Arena on September 01, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for ABA)
“Dua sings everything”: Dua Lipa’s live engineer reveals how he adds the “pop shine” to her vocals
 
 

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...