Creator Area
Sign in Creator Area

Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees - Acoustic Guitar Lesson

Practice Studio

Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees - Acoustic 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 major
Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees acoustic guitar lesson video
GuitarZero2Hero
GuitarZero2Hero Top Contributor
YouTube: 1.8Msubs 335Kviews
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.
The Bends album cover
The Bends
1995 4:51
Listen on Spotify
Radiohead 1995 A major
Capo Advisor 0 A major · Original key

Fake Plastic Trees

Fake Plastic Trees is a standout track from Radiohead's 1995 album The Bends. This melancholic rock song features intricate guitar work and atmospheric layering that challenges players beyond basic strumming. Learning it develops fingerpicking technique, dynamics control, and understanding of how effects and arrangement create emotional depth in modern rock.

  • Released as the third UK single and first US single from The Bends in 1995.
  • Combines clean electric guitar textures with layered production typical of mid-90s alternative rock.
  • The song's dynamics shift from quiet verses to a powerful crescendo, testing control and expression.
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)