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Radiohead - Creep - Guitar Cover

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Key G major
Radiohead - Creep guitar cover video
Kfir Ochaion
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Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
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Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Pablo Honey album cover
Pablo Honey
1993 3:59
Listen on Spotify
Radiohead Alternative Rock 1993 G major
Capo Advisor 0 G major · Original key

About Creep

Few songs reward a beginner guitarist as quickly as "Creep," yet the detail that makes it memorable is easy to overlook. The four-chord progression in G major, G, B, C, Cm, sits comfortably in E Standard tuning, but the real character comes from that crunched, scratchy guitar hit that jolts the song out of its quiet verse before each chorus. Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead reportedly scraped his pick hard across the strings to intentionally disrupt the mood, and nailing that aggressive attack while keeping the surrounding chords clean is the core challenge here. At 92 BPM the tempo is very approachable, so the work is mostly about contrast: quiet and delicate in the verse, then sudden and forceful on the pre-chorus hit. The Cm chord, a barre chord, is where beginners often slow down, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop that transition at a reduced speed until the shape locks in. This Alternative Rock classic is a great early study in dynamic control.

  • The signature pre-chorus 'crunch' is produced by aggressively raking the pick across the strings, requiring deliberate right-hand technique rather than just chord changes.
  • The four chords, G, B, C, and Cm, are played in E Standard tuning, with the Cm barre chord being the main hurdle for less experienced players.
  • At 92 BPM the song is slow enough to focus on dynamics: practicing verse chords softly before hitting the pre-chorus hard builds essential expressive control.

How to Play Creep

Tuning: E Standard · Key: G major · Tempo: 92 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 92 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Ed O'Brien's Eric Clapton Signature Strat with active mid-boost circuitry gives him the jangly, shimmering foundation for Radiohead's layered textures. The Gold Lace Sensors push cleaner signals hotter into his sprawling effects chain, essential for the band's evolving experimental sound.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Jonny Greenwood's 1975 Telecaster Plus with Lace Sensor pickups delivers the focused, noiseless midrange that cuts through dense mixes without hum. Its slightly compressed character became Radiohead's workhorse tone from 'Pablo Honey' through 'OK Computer,' defining the band's early guitar voice.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

Greenwood's Twin Reverb provides the crystalline clean headroom that lets intricate arpeggios shine on tracks like 'Paranoid Android.' Its natural sag and headroom allow him to run effects-driven signals without breaking up the clarity essential to Radiohead's complex arrangements.

Vox AC30
Amp

Vox AC30

Both Greenwood and O'Brien rely on the AC30's warm compression and rich harmonic response for its chimey, breaking-up British crunch across 'The Bends' and 'OK Computer.' The amp's natural breakup character makes it ideal for layering with pedals while maintaining tonal coherence.

DigiTech Whammy
Pedal

DigiTech Whammy

The Whammy is central to Radiohead's compositional approach, creating the iconic pitch-shifting octave effects on 'Paranoid Android' and countless other tracks. Greenwood uses it as a core songwriting tool rather than simple embellishment, transforming the guitar's harmonic possibilities.

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