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Imagine Dragons - Radioactive - Guitar Cover

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Key B minor
Imagine Dragons - Radioactive guitar cover video
Kfir Ochaion
Kfir Ochaion Top Contributor
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Classic Rock

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Night Visions album cover
Night Visions
2012 3:07
Listen on Spotify
Imagine Dragons Alternative Rock 2012 B minor
Capo Advisor 0 B minor · Original key

About Radioactive

Few songs from 2012 planted themselves so firmly in the muscle memory of beginner and intermediate players as "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons. The track sits in B minor at a steady 120 BPM in standard E tuning, which means no retuning required before you dig in. The backbone of the song is a four-chord progression that looks simple on paper but demands a clean, confident attack to nail the heavy, synth-driven feel on guitar. Getting the rhythmic chug right is where most players stumble: the pattern needs to sit firmly in the pocket without rushing, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop a single bar slowed down until the groove is locked in before you bring it back up to tempo. Muting and release control matter a lot here, since sloppy palm mutes will muddy the low-end thud that defines the alternative rock tone of the track. Once the rhythm is solid, the song is genuinely rewarding to perform.

  • The song's core guitar part is a four-chord progression in B minor that relies heavily on controlled palm muting and precise rhythmic release.
  • Running in E Standard tuning at 120 BPM, the tempo is moderate enough to practise cleanly, but the groove must stay locked to sound convincing.
  • The main challenge is matching the heavy, punchy attack of the recorded tone, so focus on pick angle and mute pressure before worrying about speed.

How to Play Radioactive

Tuning: E Standard · Key: B minor · Tempo: 120 BPM

The core of this song in B minor is a repeating power-chord progression that drives nearly every section, so locking in that main riff with consistent down-picking is the primary task. At 120 bpm the tempo is moderate, but maintaining a heavy, controlled attack without rushing the quarter-note feel is where most players slip. The verse and chorus share similar harmonic material, so once the main progression is solid, transitions between sections come naturally. Watch the muting between chords: sloppy transitions are the most common issue, and looping the main riff at reduced speed to clean up the silences between hits pays off quickly.

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Wayne Sermon's primary instrument for Imagine Dragons, the Telecaster's bright single-coil pickups and natural clarity enable his precise palm-muting technique and aggressive downpicking to cut through without heavy effects. The high-output bridge pickup paired with increased action prevents buzz during the band's clean-to-slightly-overdriven tones, making every picking articulation audible.

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