Creator Area
Sign in Creator Area

Practice Studio

Radiohead - Karma Police - Guitar Lesson

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

Not in tune?

Select a Loop

Start of your loop
End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key A minor
Radiohead - Karma Police guitar lesson video
Guitar 365
Guitar 365 Top Contributor
YouTube: 1.6Msubs 376Kviews
Creator Page →
PLAY WITH BACKING TRACK
·
–50¢ 0 +50¢
· Tap to start

Your browser will ask for microphone permission.

Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
OK Computer album cover
OK Computer
1997 4:24
Listen on Spotify
Radiohead Alternative Rock 1997 A minor
Capo Advisor 0 A minor · Original key

About Karma Police

Few songs reward careful listening at the guitar quite like "Karma Police." The chord work sits in A minor and leans heavily on descending bass-note motion beneath open-voiced chords, so your fretting hand needs to move precisely while keeping those inner voices clean. The verse progression sounds deceptively simple, but nailing the subtle push and pull of the strumming feel takes more attention than the shapes themselves suggest. The chorus opens up with a slightly more aggressive strum, and the contrast between those two textures is really where the musical interest lives. If the descending bass movement is tripping you up, set a loop around just those two or three chord changes in the Practice Toolbar and slow it down until your thumb is landing confidently on each root. Radiohead built the arrangement around a piano part, so on guitar you are essentially adapting that voicing logic into something idiomatic for the instrument, which is a genuinely useful skill to develop.

  • The chord progression uses descending bass notes under sustained upper voicings, so clean left-hand finger independence is the main technical challenge.
  • Because the song is piano-driven, guitarists adapting it should focus on voice-leading between chords rather than strumming patterns alone.
  • Looping the verse changes slowed down in the Practice Toolbar will help lock in the bass-note movement before bringing the tempo back up.

How to Play Karma Police

Key: A minor · Tempo: 75 BPM

Loop each section and focus on clean, even timing rather than speed, with the metronome at 75 BPM.

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.

Recommended for You

Play with Backing Track

Play with Backing Track

Solo (Backing Track)

Solo (Backing Track)