How to Play Fake Plastic Trees Chords by Radiohead on Guitar

WalkerSeptember 7, 2023Last Updated: May 20, 2024

10 3 minutes read

Fake Plastic Trees is an alternative rock song by English band Radiohead, released in 1995 as the third single from their second studio album The Bends. The song was written by Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O’Brien, Colin Greenwood, and Phil Selway, and produced by John Leckie. Fake Plastic Trees is a melancholic and atmospheric song that features acoustic guitar, electric guitar, organ, and strings. The song was inspired by the artificial and consumerist nature of modern society, as well as Yorke’s personal experiences and emotions. The song received critical acclaim and became one of Radiohead’s most popular and influential songs.

In this blog post, we will show you how to play Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead on guitar using chords, strumming patterns, and capo positions. We will also provide some tips and tricks to make your playing easier and more enjoyable.

Chords

The chords for Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead are relatively simple and common. You will need to know how to play the following chords: A, Asus4, F#m, Amaj7, Dsus2, D, E7sus4, E7, Bm6. If you are not familiar with these chords, you can find diagrams and tutorials online. Here are the chord shapes for reference:

A: x02220
Asus4: x02230
F#m: 244222
Amaj7: x02120
Dsus2: xx0230
D: xx0232
E7sus4: 020200
E7: 020100
Bm6: x20102

You can also use a capo to transpose the song to a different key that suits your voice or preference. For example, if you put a capo on the first fret, you can play the song using G#, G#sus4, Fm, G#maj7, C#sus2, C#, D#7sus4, D#7, Bbm6 instead of A, Asus4, F#m, Amaj7, Dsus2, D, E7sus4, E7, Bm6.

Strumming

The strumming pattern for Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead is not very complicated either. You can use a simple down-down-up-up-down-up pattern for most of the song, with some variations depending on the rhythm and dynamics of the song. For example, you can accentuate the first and third beats of each measure by strumming harder or louder. You can also mute some of the strings with your palm or fingers to create a percussive effect. Here is an example of how to strum the verse:

D   D   U   U   D   U
A Asus4 A green plastic watering can
D   D   U   U   D   U
F#m E7sus4 For a fake chinese rubber plant
D   D   U   U   D   U
Dsus2 A Dsus2 In fake pla-ah-stic earth
A Asus4 A That she bought from a rubber man
F#m E7sus4 In a town full of rubber plans
Dsus2 A Dsus2 To get ri-i-d of itself

You can also experiment with different strumming patterns and find what works best for you.

Capo

As mentioned earlier, you can use a capo to change the key of the song. A capo is a device that clamps across the fretboard of your guitar and shortens the strings, raising their pitch. By using a capo, you can play the same chord shapes in different keys without having to learn new fingerings or use barre chords. For example, if you put a capo on the first fret and play an A chord shape, you are actually playing an A# chord.

Using a capo can have several benefits for playing Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead on guitar. First of all, it can make the song easier to sing along with if you have a higher or lower voice than Yorke. You can adjust the capo position until you find a comfortable range for your vocal cords. Second of all, it can make the song sound more interesting and varied by changing its tonality and mood. You can experiment with different capo positions and see how they affect the feel and emotion of the song.

Here are some suggestions for capo positions for Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead:

Capo on 1st fret: This is a higher key that can make the song sound more bright and upbeat. You can sing in a higher octave or use falsetto if you have a lower voice.
Capo on 3rd fret: This is the original key of the song as recorded by Radiohead. You can play along with their track or sing in their pitch if you have a similar vocal range.
Capo on 5th fret: This is a lower key that can make the song sound more dark and melancholic. You can sing in a lower octave or use chest voice if you have a higher voice.

Conclusion

Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead is a popular and powerful song that you can learn to play on guitar with some basic chords, strumming patterns, and capo positions. You can also use your creativity and personal style to make the song your own and express your emotions through music. We hope this blog post has helped you to play Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead on guitar and have fun with it.