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Radiohead - Present Tense Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsEm, Am, B, G#m, G, C, F, Dm, Bm, D, A
Strumming↓-↓↑-↓↑-↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
  • Guitar B chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-4-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar B chord diagram
  • Guitar G#m | A♭m chord diagram Fingering: 4-6-6-4-4-4 Barre at fret 4. Base fret 4.Guitar G#m | A♭m chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram
  • Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram
  • Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
  • Guitar A chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-2-0Guitar A chord diagram

[Opening]
[Em] [Am] [B] [G#m] [G] [C] [F] [Dm] [G]
[Em] [Am] [B] [G#m] [G] [C] [F] [Dm] [G]
[Em] [Am] [Em] [Am]
[Em]This [Am] [Em]dance, this [Am]dance
[C](This dance) is like a [Bm] [C]weapon, is like a [Bm]weapon
[Em]Of self [Am]defense, [Em]of self [Am]defense
[C]Against the [Bm] [C]present, against the [Bm]present
[C]Present [D]tense

[verse 2]
[Em]I won’t get [Am] [Em]heavy, don’t get [Am]heavy
[C]Keep it [Bm]light [C]and, keep it [A]moving
[C]I am [Bm] [C]doing, no [D]harm

[verse 3]
[Em]As my [Am] [Em]world, comes [Am]crashing down
[C]I’m [Bm] [C]dancing, freaking [A]out
[C]Deaf, [D]dumb, and [Em]blind

[chorus]
[Em] [D] [G] [C] [A] [Em] [D] [G]
In you I’m lost, in you I’m [C]lost [A]

[verse 4]
[Em]I won’t turn [Am]around, when the penny drops
[B]I won’t stop [G#m]now, I won’t slack off
[G]Or all this [C]love, will be in vain

[Closing]
[F] [Dm] [G] [Dm]
[Em]Stop from [Am]falling, down a mine
[B]It’s no one’s [G#m]business, but mine
[G]That all this [C]love, could be in vain

[chorus]
[F] [Dm] [G] [Em] [D] [G]
In you I’m lost, in you I’m [C]lost [A]
[Em] [D] [G]
In you I’m lost, in you I’m [C]lost [A]

[outro]
[Em] [Am] [Em] [Am] [Em] [Am] [Em] [Am] [Em]

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SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistRadiohead
AlbumA Moon Shaped Pool
GenresAlternative, Indie, Rock
Year2016
KeyEm

How to play Present Tense on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Radiohead - Present Tense on guitar requires 11 chords and 18 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.

Present Tense uses these transitions most often: Em → Am (18), Am → Em (10), and G → C (8). 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 Em - Am chord transition.

1. Em → Am chord transition

Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram

To move from Em to Am;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Place index finger on B string fret 1.
Em to Am

2. Am → B chord transition

Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
Guitar B chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-4-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar B chord diagram

To move from Am to B;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger on D string from fret 2 to fret 4.
  3. Slide your ring finger on G string from fret 2 to fret 4.
  4. Place pinky on B string fret 4.
Am to B

3. B → G#m chord transition

Guitar B chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-4-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar B chord diagram
Guitar G#m | A♭m chord diagram Fingering: 4-6-6-4-4-4 Barre at fret 4. Base fret 4.Guitar G#m | A♭m chord diagram

To move from B to G#m;

  1. While playing B, lift your middle finger from D string fret 4.
  2. Slide your index finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 4.
  3. Slide your ring finger from G string fret 4 to A string fret 6.
  4. Lift your pinky from B string fret 4 and place it on D string fret 6.
B to G#m

4. G#m → G chord transition

Guitar G#m | A♭m chord diagram Fingering: 4-6-6-4-4-4 Barre at fret 4. Base fret 4.Guitar G#m | A♭m chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

To move from G#m to G;

  1. While playing G#m, lift your pinky from D string fret 6.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 4 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 6 to E string fret 3.
  4. Place middle finger on E string fret 3.
G#m to G

5. G → C chord transition

To move from G to C;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.

6. C → F chord transition

To move from C to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

7. F → Dm chord transition

To move from F to Dm;

  1. While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on G string fret 2.
  4. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to B string fret 3.

8. Dm → G chord transition

To move from Dm to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

9. G → Em chord transition

To move from G to Em;

  1. While playing G, lift your index finger from A string fret 2.
  2. Lift your middle finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.

10. Am → C chord transition

To move from Am to C;

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 3.

11. C → Bm chord transition

To move from C to Bm;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 4.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 4.

12. Bm → Em chord transition

To move from Bm to Em;

  1. While playing Bm, first lift your index finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your middle finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger on D string from fret 4 to fret 2.

13. C → D chord transition

To move from C to D;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.

14. D → Em chord transition

To move from D to Em;

  1. While playing D, lift your index finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Lift your middle finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from B string fret 3 to D string fret 2.

15. C → A chord transition

To move from C to A;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 2.

16. D → G chord transition

To move from D to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

17. A → Em chord transition

To move from A to Em;

  1. While playing A, lift your index finger from D string fret 2.
  2. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from B string fret 2 to D string fret 2.

18. Dm → Em chord transition

To move from Dm to Em;

  1. While playing Dm, lift your index finger from E string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from B string fret 3 to D string fret 2.

Present Tense chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Present Tense.

  • Present Tense includes 109 chord transitions, 18 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Present Tense contains 5 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Present Tense connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After Em, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (26%), G (18%), and D (17%).
    • Em → D: 17%
    • Em → Am: 12%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → F: 16%
    • C → D: 11%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.