radiohead

Daydreaming

Having a camera focused squarely on Thom Yorke for 6 minutes, 25 seconds is never a bad idea. He’s impossible to look away from.

Daydreaming is a beautiful song and totally depressing. In the video, Thom Yorke navigates a maze buildings and rooms that seem to symbolize the larger superstructure that society has created. He looks disheveled, old, and tired. The only respite, are the brief instrumental chorus sections where he’s back in natural world. To me, this symbolizes, a longing for the wonderment of childhood.

When I referred to “the superstructure” (I’m getting the weeds here) I mean the systems and customs that have been put in place, by society, to manage your time. Like the “8 hour work day” for instance. Or the fact that we must remain in school, 7 hours per day, till we’re 18. In general — unscientific, unnecessary rules that keep us corralled and uncreative.

Thankfully, we are becoming more conscious, and the veil is being lifted even faster. Old, unnecessary systems are being disrupted, in favor of smarter, faster, and more creative solutions.

How to play Daydreaming fingerstyle guitar

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I didn’t feel the need to jerry-rig Thom Yorke’s vocal into this arrangement. The vocals are more of an auxiliary instrument in Daydreaming, and it would have been impossible anyway.

Daydreaming has two brilliant chord progressions, both are vintage Radiohead: the verse scheme is bookended by the same melody while only the bass line changes. The chorus, is just a crazy series of arpeggios.

The guitar tab for Daydreaming only 2 pages long, and is written to be as simple as possible:

  • The song begins with phase 1 of the Intro, which is played 2x. On the second go through, you’ll follow the arrow into the second phase of the introduction.
  • The Verse is played 3x. On the 3rd go around, you’ll follow the arrow to the Chorus.

This may sound complicated, but it’s really not, especially if you’re familiar with the song from a listening standpoint.

Enjoy, the guitar tab is available below:

**Daydreaming | fingerstyle guitar

Daydreaming is played in a DADGAD tuning. In other words, your tuning will look like this from low to high: D A D G A D.