Radiohead — Creep
Your First Cover
Your first cover as a guitarist. A timeless song with only 4 chords — but they need to ring clean. The secret is in the dynamic contrast between the quiet verses and the explosive chorus.
Chord Progression
Same 4 chords repeat through the whole song. Click a chord to highlight it below.
G
4 beats
→
B
4 beats
→
C
4 beats
→
Cm
4 beats
⚡ The B chord is the trickiest — it's a barre chord or a modified open. Master it and you're 80% there.
Chord Diagrams
G
320003
B
x24442
C
x32010
Cm
x35543
🟡 Gold = index finger/barre · 🔵 Blue = additional fingers
Song Sections
Verse
✨ Clean & Quiet
Arpeggiate or strum softly. Let each chord breathe. Guitar tone: clean, no distortion. This is where the longing lives.
Pre-Chorus
📈 Building Tension
"But I'm a creep..." — Same chords, energy builds. Start strumming harder. Tension is everything here.
Chorus
🔥 Full Crunch
Distortion kicks in. Strum hard and fast. This is the release — let it rip. Volume up, attack up, attitude up.
The Iconic CHUNK CHUNK 🎸
🎸 Jonny Greenwood's Guitar Scrape
Right before each chorus hits, Jonny scrapes his fingers down the wound strings (A, D, G) from fret 12 toward the nut while palm-muting. This creates that signature "CHUNK CHUNK" scratchy, percussive attack before the distortion wall.
Tablature:
Fun fact: Jonny said he did it to ruin the song because he thought it was too soft. Instead, it became one of the most recognizable moments in 90s rock.
Right before each chorus hits, Jonny scrapes his fingers down the wound strings (A, D, G) from fret 12 toward the nut while palm-muting. This creates that signature "CHUNK CHUNK" scratchy, percussive attack before the distortion wall.
Tablature:
PM. [scrape down strings] ~ CRUNCHFun fact: Jonny said he did it to ruin the song because he thought it was too soft. Instead, it became one of the most recognizable moments in 90s rock.
Strum Pattern
D = Down stroke U = Up stroke x = Muted/dead stroke
Verse (soft):
Beat: 1 2 3 4
D D U D U
Chorus (hard):
Beat: 1 2 3 4
D U D U D U D U
Or simplified (great for beginners):
D D D D
💡 Start with all downstrokes until the chord changes feel natural. Speed comes later.
🥁 Metronome
92
BPM — Creep is ~92
Time Signature
Quick BPM Presets
⏱️ Practice Timer
00:00
Session note (optional):
📋 Session History
No sessions logged yet. Start playing!
🔄 Chord Transition Trainer
Practice switching between two random chords. Hold each for the countdown, then switch!
Chord Pool
Seconds per chord
FROM
—
→
TO
—
—
Press Start to begin
Stats
0
Transitions
0:00
Session Time
0
All-Time
📊 Your Progress
Overall Completion
0%
🎸 Individual Chords
🔄 Transitions
🎵 Song Progress
🎤 Vocalist Milestones
📖 Open Chord Library
The essential chords every beginner needs. These are the building blocks.
Strumming Patterns Guide
All Down (Absolute Beginner)
D D D D
Beat: 1 2 3 4
Beat: 1 2 3 4
Down-Up Basic
D U D U
Beat: 1 + 2 + (each + is "and")
Beat: 1 + 2 + (each + is "and")
Creep Verse Pattern
D · DU · DU
Beat: 1 · 2+ · 3+ · 4
Beat: 1 · 2+ · 3+ · 4
The Classic Rock Pattern
D · DU · UDU
Beat: 1 · 2+ · +3+ · 4
Beat: 1 · 2+ · +3+ · 4
🎤 Tips for a Vocalist Learning Guitar
Don't look at your hands — you need to look at the crowd. Practice making chord changes while looking straight ahead. Uncomfortable at first, essential long-term.
Separate the skills first — get the chord changes automatic before you try to sing. Your brain can't fully focus on both until the guitar is muscle memory.
Hum, then sing — once chords feel solid, hum the melody while playing. Then add words. Build the layers slowly.
Your rhythm is already there — as a vocalist, you feel timing naturally. Trust that. Strum on beats 1-2-3-4 and let your internal clock do the work.
Slow = fast later — practice at 60-70 BPM until it's boring. Speed is a byproduct of accuracy, not the other way around.
Creep is perfect — 4 chords, repeating, clear dynamics between sections. You'll have the chord changes down before you know it. Then it's just about feel.
Own the dynamic shift — as a vocalist, you KNOW when the chorus hits emotionally. Let that guide your strum intensity. Your stage instincts translate directly to guitar feel.
Quick Reference
String Names
e (thinnest, 1st)
B (2nd)
G (3rd)
D (4th)
A (5th)
E (thickest, 6th)
B (2nd)
G (3rd)
D (4th)
A (5th)
E (thickest, 6th)
Finger Numbers
1 = Index
2 = Middle
3 = Ring
4 = Pinky
T = Thumb
x = Muted
2 = Middle
3 = Ring
4 = Pinky
T = Thumb
x = Muted