Hey Radiohead lovers! Have you ever dreamed of playing “Creep” on your piano? This is your lucky day. Sit down behind your keyboard and prepare to dive into this amazing song with us. This is the Songs Explained piano edition for “Creep” by Radiohead with chord diagrams, note charts and video tutorials.
Estimated reading time: 16 minutes
In Songs Explained about ‘Creep” by Radiohead you’ll find
Main takeaway
With this edition we’re aiming to help piano players to play “Creep” by Radiohead. In this article we’ll do it step by step. First, we’ll talk about the song structure and the main chord progression, so you can get an impression of what this track consists of.
Then you can choose your level: beginner or intermediate. For each level we’ll explain how to play “Creep” on your piano, part by part. At the end of this article you’ll be able to play the entire song, and yes, we will also give you the lyrics so you can sing along.
And for those who are always hungry for more, we have prepared detailed note charts of how to play the intro on your piano. Yeah, yeah, we know that the song’s main instrument is the guitar, but we promise you that the arpeggio related riff sounds super on your keyboard.
Song structure
Would you be surprised if we said that this song consists of only four chords, repeating over and over again? Hard to believe, right? The variety of vocal lines, rich instrumentation and lyrics makes “Creep” by Radiohead intriguing and interesting. Wait and see, we’ll talk about every part of the structure in detail.
Based on the vocal lines, lyrics and instrumentation, “Creep” can be divided into the following parts:
Figure 1 – Song structure.
Main chord progression
As we mentioned already, the song consists of four chords, which are repeated over and over again. For each part – Intro, Verse, Chorus, Bridge – the amount of repetition varies, with the exception of the Outro – which consists of only one chord, the G.
Here is the main chord progression of Radiohead’s “Creep”:
Figure 2 – The chord progression for ‘Creep’ by Radiohead.
If you know how to play these four chords, you can play the entire song from the beginning till the end. That’s pretty cool, right? That being said, we’ve come to a crossroad, friends. From this moment on, it’s time to choose your skill level and follow us down the rabbit hole of “Creep” by Radiohead.
So what’s your piano level – beginner or intermediate? If you’re not sure, just start reading, and go through all the levels. In the end, our goal is that you’re able to play this song from the beginning till the end.
Beginner
- Chord diagrams for beginners
- Chord progressions for beginners
- Video tutorial
- Chords & lyrics
Chord diagrams for beginners
Hello beginners, are you ready for some epic Radiohead jamming? We’re going to show you how to play all the four “Creep” chords on piano with one hand. We’ll also teach you how to connect them by using inversions to get smoother voicings. By doing so your fingers will move swiftly from one chord to the next.
On the chord diagrams, you’ll also find the number of fingers which we recommend you to use. Remember, for piano notations: fingers of the left and right hand have the same number
- Thumb – 1,
- Index finger – 2;
- Middle finger – 3;
- Ring finger – 4;
- Pinky – 5.
In the table below you can see the four chords of the song and the chord diagrams:
Chord progression for beginners
Now you know the chord diagrams. It’s time to take a closer look at all the parts of the song. Here you’ll see the charts and the explanatory video. Remember that although the song contains several parts, the chord progression does not change. The number of repetitions of these chords changes.
Here is the chord progression for the Intro:
Figure 3 – Intro chord progression.
On this figure you can see these four chords – G, B/F#, C/G and Cm/G. Each chord is played for two bars. Therefore, the chord loop is 8 bars (2 bars per chord). By loop, we mean that this 8 bar chord progression is repeated over and over again during the song.
Here is the chord progression for the Verse:
Figure 4 – Verse chord progression with the repetition sign.
At the end you see a repetition sign. So, this chord progression loop is repeated twice. Therefore, instead of 8 bars, the Verse consists of 16 bars. Below you can see what the Verse looks like without the repetition sign.
Here is the chord progression for the Chorus:
Figure 6 – Chorus chord progression.
Here is the chord progression for the Bridge:
Figure 7 – Bridge chord progression.
Again, here you can see the repetition sign, and you know what that means now. Yes, you have to repeat the same bars again.
Here is the chord progression for the Outro:
Figure 8 – Outro chord progression.
Chord & lyrics
So far, we talked about each part of the song separately and we played them, repeating these four chords over and over again. Let’s put everything together and play the whole song, following its structure and lyrics. Are you excited? We are.
Below you can see the charts with chords and lyrics. There are three important things to mention:
- The Verse and Chorus parts are repeated twice: Verse 1 – Chorus 1 – Verse 2 – Chorus 2. For this purpose there are two repetition signs: in the beginning of Verse 1 and 2, and at the end of Chorus 1 and 2.
- Within this repetition you can see two lines of lyrics – the upper line for Chorus 1 and Verse 1; the lower line for Chorus 2 and Verse 2.
- For Verse 1, Verse 2, and Verse 3 we use the chord progression without the repetition sign (see figure 5).
So, let’s try and play the whole song. Enjoy!
Figure 9: Chords & Lyrics.
Intermediate
- Chord diagrams for intermediate level players
- Chord progression for intermediate level
- Video tutorial
- Chords & lyrics
Chord diagrams for intermediate level players
Hey piano lovers, welcome to the intermediate level secrion for “Creep” by Radiohead. We’re going to show you how to play all these four chords on piano with five voicings – two voicings in the left hand and three voicings in the right. We’ll show you how to connect them by using inversions so that you can move your fingers smoothly from one chord to the next.
On the chord diagrams, you’ll also find the number of fingers which we recommend you to use. Remember, for piano notations, fingers of the left and right hand have the same number:
- Thumb – 1,
- Index finger – 2;
- Middle finger – 3;
- Ring finger – 4;
- Pinky – 5.
In the table below you can see the four chords of the song and the chord diagrams:
Chord progression for intermediate level
Alright, now that you know the chord diagrams, we’ll take a closer look at all the parts of “Creep”. Here you’ll see the charts and the explanatory video. Keep in mind that it’s not the chord progression that changes, but the number of repetitions.
Here is the chord progression for the Intro:
Figure 10 – Intro chord progression.
On this figure you can see these four chords – G, B/F#, C/G and Cm/G. Each chord is played for two bars. Therefore, the chord loop is 8 bars (2 bars per chord). By loop, we mean that this 8 bar chord progression is repeated over and over again during the song.
Here is the chord progression for the Verse:
Figure 11 – Verse chord progression with the repetition sign.
Here you can see a repetition sign, so this chord progression is repeated twice. Therefore, instead of 8 bars, the Verse consists of 16 bars. Without the repetition sign, this would look like the figure below.
Figure 12 – Verse chord progression without the repetition sign.
Here is the chord progression for the Chorus:
Figure 13 – Chorus chord progression of ‘Creep’.
Here is the chord progression for the Bridge:
Figure 14 – Bridge chord progression of ‘Creep’ by Radiohead.
Here you also see the repetition sign, causing this sequence to repeat.
Here is the chord progression for the Outro:
Figure 15 – Outro ‘Creep’ chord progression.
Chords & lyrics for ‘Creep’
We went through all the parts of the song separately and we played them, repeating these four chords over and over again. Don’t you think it’s time to put everything together and play the whole song with chords and lyrics? Let’s do it!
Below you can see the charts with chords and lyrics. There are three important things to mention:
- The Verse and Chorus part are repeated twice: Verse 1 – Chorus 1 – Verse 2 – Chorus 2. For this purpose there are two repetition signs: in the beginning of Verse 1 and 2, and at the end of Chorus 1 and 2.
- Within this repetition you can see two lines of lyrics – the upper line for Chorus 1 and Verse 1; the lower line for Chorus 2 and Verse 2.
- For Verse 1, Verse 2, and Verse 3 we use the chord progression without the repetition sign (see figure 5).
You can stop reading now. It’s jam time!
Figure 16 – ‘Creep’ by Radiohead Chords & Lyrics.
Pro level
- Note charts for the Intro section of ‘Creep’ by Radiohead
- How to practice the Intro for ‘Creep’
- Video tutorial
Note charts for the Intro section of ‘Creep’ by Radiohead
In this section, we’ll challenge you to play the guitar intro of “Creep” on the piano by providing you with the note charts. This is also a great exercise to develop the coordination of your left and right hand. Don’t be surprised, the charts are in the bass clef!
Figure 17 – Note chart Intro for ‘Creep’.
How to practice the Intro of ‘Creep’ on piano
Practice it slowly. Play two bars of each chord separately and try to combine both your hands. In our explanatory video, we’re showing you an example of playing this intro with both hands.
So, start playing only the 1st and the 2nd bar of the G chord, then move to the 3rd and 4th bar of the B/F# chord. Then try to connect these chords together by playing the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th bars in a row. Do it as slowly as you feel comfortable with, gradually raising the speed to the original tempo.
Music theory behind ‘Creep’
As we already mentioned, “Creep” has four chords. These chords create a loop, which is repeated over and over again during the whole song. The big question is: How does it still sound fresh and interesting? Besides the fact that this song has great instrumentation, we’ll take a look at why these chords work so well together.
The chord progression:
Figure 18 – ‘Creep’ chord progression.
G – is the I (tonic) chord of the song. Check out our music dictionary to get a better understanding of what a tonic is, and what it does within a chord progression.
C – is the IV chord.
The B is the chord of the III degree of G major. Usually on the III degree of major scales we have a minor chord. However, in this particular song we have a B major chord, which can be considered as a secondary dominant – the dominant chord moving to an Em chord (VI degree of G). But this secondary dominant (B) doesn’t resolve to Em, it moves to a C chord. You don’t have to be schooled in music theory to feel the difference when you hear this. Emotionally you are longing for the Em, but you get the C chord instead.
At the end of the chord progression, the C (IV chord of the G major) turns into a C minor chord, which is resolved back to the G chord. This cadence of IV – IV minor – I chord is known as a minor plagal cadence. And as you have noticed already, it sounds amazing.
Trivia – Why Radiohead hates ‘Creep’
“Creep” by Radiohead tells the story of a person that is in love. The protagonist follows his love around, but fails to make his passion explicit. Then something weird happens in the lyrics: the protagonist subconsciously becomes his beloved one.
When asked about the song, frontman Thom Yorke explained: “I have a real problem being a man in the ‘90s… Any man with any sensitivity or conscience toward the opposite sex would have a problem.
“Fuck off, we’re tired of it”
To actually assert yourself in a masculine way without looking like you’re in a hard-rock band is a very difficult thing to do… It comes back to the music we write, which is not effeminate, but it’s not brutal in its arrogance. It is one of the things I’m always trying: To assert a sexual persona and on the other hand trying desperately to negate it.”
So far, so good, what could possibly go wrong? The track became an underground hit in the UK and the United States. The only problem was that Radiohead subconsciously became “Creep”, just like the protagonist in the story, and that bothered the group. It bothered them so much that after a while they refused to play it live. Thom Yorke even yelled at the audience of Montreal during a gig when they were begging him to play “Creep”: “Fuck off, we’re tired of it.”
Anthem
The anthem that made the band big had transformed into a monster that demanded to be fed, and Radiohead resisted. The resistance also grew among the “real” fans in the ‘90s, which created the ultimate test. If you are ever asked what your favorite Radiohead song is, and you answer “Creep”, then you’re a phony.
Now, almost thirty years after this awesome track was written, we can say only one thing: wow, it really has contributed a lot to the curriculum of modern rock music, and it would be a shame if we didn’t jam along. If Radiohead won’t do it, it’s up to you.
Happy jamming!
By Kirill Dumchenko and Teo Lazarov.