Radiohead - No Surprises Chords
Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.
Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar A chord diagram
Guitar Gm chord diagram
Guitar Dm chord diagram
[Opening]
A [D]heart that’s full up, like a [G]landfill
A job that slowly [Em]kills you,
[A]Bruises [A]that won’t [D]heal [Gm]
[D]You look so tired, unhappy
[G]Bring down the government
[Em]They don’t, [A]they don’t [A]speak for [D]us [Gm]
[D]I’ll take a quiet life
A [G]handshake of carbon monoxide and
[verse 2]
And [Em]no alarms and [A]no [A]surprises
[Em]No alarms and [A]no [A]surprises
[Em]No alarms and [A]no [A]surprises
[D]Silent, [Gm] [D]silent [Gm]
[verse 3]
[D]This is my final fit
My [G]final bellyache with
[verse 4]
With [Em]no alarms and [A]no [A]surprises
[Em]No alarms and [A]no [A]surprises
[Em]No alarms and [A]no [A]surprises, [D]please [Gm]
[verse 5]
[A] [Gm] [A] [Gm] [Em] [Gm]
[D]Such a pretty house and
[G]Such a pretty garden
[Closing]
[Em]No alarms and [A]no [A]surprises (get me out of here)
[Em]No alarms and [A]no [A]surprises (get me out of here)
[Em]No alarms and [A]no [A]surprises (get me out of here)
[outro]
[Dm] [Gm] [D]
How to play No Surprises on Guitar (Step-by-step)
Radiohead - No Surprises on guitar requires 6 chords and 9 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.
No Surprises uses these transitions most often: Em → A (11), A → Em (6), and Gm → D (6). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with D - G chord transition.
1. D → G chord transition
To move from D to G;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.
2. G → Em chord transition
To move from G to Em;
- While playing G, lift your index finger from A string fret 2.
- Lift your middle finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
3. Em → A chord transition
To move from Em to A;
- Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 2.
- Place index finger on D string fret 2.
4. A → D chord transition
To move from A to D;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on B string from fret 2 to fret 3.
5. D → Gm chord transition
To move from D to Gm;
- Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Keep ring finger on B string fret 3.
- Place pinky on E string fret 3.
6. Gm → A chord transition
To move from Gm to A;
- While playing Gm, lift your pinky from E string fret 3.
- Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
- Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on B string from fret 3 to fret 2.
7. Gm → Em chord transition
To move from Gm to Em;
- While playing Gm, first lift your index finger and pinky.
- Lift your middle finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger from B string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
8. A → Dm chord transition
To move from A to Dm;
- Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
- Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
- Slide your ring finger on B string from fret 2 to fret 3.
9. Dm → Gm chord transition
To move from Dm to Gm;
- Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
- Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
- Keep ring finger on B string fret 3.
- Place pinky on E string fret 3.
No Surprises chord transition analysis
A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in No Surprises.
- No Surprises includes 50 chord transitions, 9 of them unique.
- These transitions represent 0.01% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
- No Surprises contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
- These transition patterns show how No Surprises connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.After A, the most likely next chords across Chordier are D (29%), G (13%), and E (12%).
- A → D: 29%
- A → Em: 7%
After Em, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (26%), G (18%), and D (17%).- Em → A: 5%
- Em → Gm: 0%