Song Rig

There There

Jonny Greenwood · Hail to the Thief · 2003

Tone Overview

What Makes This Sound Unique

Greenwood's most tribal, percussive guitar tone — driven by a marimbas-inspired approach to guitar playing where the strings are struck rather than plucked, creating a woody, percussive quality. The guitar is thick and slightly distorted but primarily rhythmic rather than melodic.

Signal Chain

1Fender Telecaster or Starcaster (Radiohead used both)
2Marshall amplifier (moderate gain)
3Tremolo effect (subtle, slow speed)

Amp Settings

Gain / Volume6

Bass7

Mid6

Treble5

Reverb3

Moderate Marshall overdrive — There There was one of the more traditionally rock-sounding Radiohead tracks from this era. The bass frequencies are boosted compared to other Greenwood tones because the part is functioning as both guitar and bass in the low-end arrangement.

Technique

How to Play It

Percussive strumming pattern inspired by African and Brazilian percussion — the guitar part developed from Greenwood playing along to Clive Deamer's and Phil Selway's drum improvisation sessions. The emphasis is on rhythm and attack rather than note selection.

Budget Alternative

Achievable With

Telecaster → Marshall-style amp at moderate gain → boss TR-2 tremolo (subtle) → practice the pattern to a metronome, focusing on the percussive, marimba-like attack of each stroke.

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