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
  • Artist news
  • Guitars
  • Controllers
  • Drums
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Guitar Amps
  • Music Gear Reviews
  • Synths
  • Software & Apps
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About us
More
  • "She knew what she'd created": Back to Black
  • Trower's '80s supergroup
  • Music theory tricks
  • Stage Tour game
  • 95k+ free music samples
  1. Tutorials
  2. Guitar Lessons & Tutorials

Quick licks: easy #5

News
By 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
Read more
Radiohead
Artists How to get Radiohead’s resonant National Anthem vocal effect in software
 
 
Music theory basics: understanding intervals, and how they define the distance in pitch between two notes
Music Theory And Songwriting 10 music theory tricks every producer and songwriter should know
 
 
Guitar Picks
Electric Guitars Do you know that there's a right and wrong way to hold a guitar pick? How to best handle your plectrum while playing
 
 
Smiling woman in green jumper sits at a piano
Tutorials How to play a piano with both hands
 
 
Restringing your guitar
Electric Guitars Broken strings? Lifeless tone? Terrible playing? It’s not you… It’s your strings: How to restring a guitar fast to play and sound great again
 
 
Drake
Artists How to re-create Drake’s smooth Burning Bridges sound using plugins
 
 
Latest in Guitar Lessons & Tutorials
Guitar Tricks Summer Black Friday promo
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials Get almost $1k of guitar tuition from our number one online platform for only $99 with this epic Summer Black Friday deal – over 11,000 lessons, plus bonus gifts
 
 
Chords
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials Confused by guitar tabs and notation? Use this complete guide to reading music for guitar
 
 
Scale
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials "Don't play scales just to get faster. Speed is a happy by-product of playing more accurately": Beginner Guitar Lessons - nailing scales
 
 
Guitar maintenance
Guitars "There isn't one correct answer": 6 things you need you need know about how to clean and condition your guitar fretboard
 
 
Tom Morello
Artists How Tom Morello used his guitar to drill into the off-limits domain of the turntablist
 
 
Close up of a person playing guitar
Guitar Lessons & Tutorials 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
 
 
Latest in News
Beck during Liz Phair and Beck Perform at McCabe's Guitar Store, 1993 at McCabe's Guitar Store in Santa Monica, CA, United States. (Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc)
Artists “I had no idea what I was doing": Beck admits that he was as surprised as anyone by his ‘90s breakthrough
 
 
Lil Wayne in Fortnite
Singers & Songwriters Lil Wayne steps into Fortnite tomorrow with new bundle of accessories
 
 
Acon Digital Acoustica 8 audio editor
Software & Apps Acon Digital’s Acoustica 8 audio editor is the company’s “most ambitious release to date”
 
 
Tony Iommi
Artists “I said to Ozzy, ‘I don’t think we should do it’”: Tony Iommi says that Black Sabbath’s final show almost didn’t happen
 
 
Arturia Audiofuse Studio rev2 audio interface
Audio Interfaces Arturia’s Audiofuse Studio Rev 2 aims to be a desktop interface for all occasions
 
 
Cameron Winter of GEESE performs at the Gobi stage during the 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Bands “That seemed like a reasonable explanation”: Geese say they had doubts about how ‘real’ their fans actually were
 
 

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 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...