Video lesson
Get the PDF chord sheet (2 pages)
- Support me on Patreon.com to get access to this and 200+ other PDF chord sheets I've made, plus new PDFs I make going forward (1-2 added each week).
- The cost is $3/month (one month minimum, cancel anytime). Annual plans also available. Here's a free sample if you're on the fence. Thanks!
After clicking the button and logging in to Patreon, look for the PDF attached to the bottom of the post.
Editorβs notes
In this lesson, Iβll teach you how to play βHigh and Dryβ by Radiohead, complete with chords and intro tabs. This song is from the 1995 album βThe Bends,β which personally is my favorite Radiohead album. Iβll show you two different ways to play the intro riff β one on the higher frets (thicker strings), and another on the lower frets (thinner strings). Iβm not sure which is the way Radiohead actually plays it β but to my ear, they both sound valid. Otherwise, the song uses only 3 chords in a single progression that repeats for the entire song. I hope you enjoy!
Lyrics w/ chords
INTRO
Variation 1 (play twice)
e |ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0ββββ
B |ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0ββββ
G |ββ13β13β13βββ11ββ11β11β11ββ11βββββ13β13β13ββββ9βββ9ββ9ββ9βββ9βββββ1ββββ
D |ββ11β11β11ββββ9βββ9ββ9ββ9βββ9βββββ11β11β11ββββ7βββ7ββ7ββ7βββ7βββββ2ββββ
A |ββ11β11β11ββββ9βββ9ββ9ββ9βββ9βββββ11β11β11ββββ7βββ7ββ7ββ7βββ7βββββ2ββββ
E |ββ0βββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββ0βββββββββββ0βββββββββββββββββββ0ββββ
Variation 2 (play twice)
e |ββ4ββ4ββ4βββββ2βββ2ββ2ββ2βββ2βββββ4ββ4ββ4βββββ0βββ0ββ0ββ0βββ0βββββ0ββββ
B |ββ0ββ0ββ0βββββ0βββ0ββ0ββ0βββ0βββββ0ββ0ββ0βββββ0βββ0ββ0ββ0βββ0βββββ0ββββ
G |ββ6ββ6ββ6βββββ4βββ4ββ4ββ4βββ4βββββ6ββ6ββ6βββββ2βββ2ββ2ββ2βββ2βββββ1ββββ
D |ββ6ββ6ββ6βββββ4βββ4ββ4ββ4βββ4βββββ6ββ6ββ6βββββ2βββ2ββ2ββ2βββ2βββββ2ββββ
A |ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ2ββββ
E |ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ0ββββ
VERSE
F#m
Two jumps in a week I bet you
A E
Think you're pretty clever, don't you boy
F#m
Flying on your motorcycle
A E
Watching all the ground beneath you drop
You'd kill yourself for recognition
Kill yourself to never, ever stop
You broke another mirror
You're turning into something you're not
CHORUS
F#m A E
Don't leave me high....... Don't leave me dry
F#m A E
Don't leave me high....... Don't leave me dry
Drying up in conversation
You'll be the one who cannot talk
All your insides fall to pieces
You just sit there wishing you could still make love
They're the ones who'll hate you when you
Think you've got the world all sussed out
They're the ones who'll spit at you
You'll be the one screaming out
[ chorus ]
(instrumental verse with solo)
It's the best thing that you've ever had
The best thing that you've ever, ever had
It's the best thing that you've ever had
The best thing you have had has gone away
[ chorus x2 ]
How to play the chords
Hereβs how to play the three chords used in the song. For the A-major, Iβll sometimes play a barre chord on the 5th fret (shown below).
e |ββββ0βββββββββ2βββββββββ0ββββββββββββββ5βββββββββββββ
B |ββββ0βββββββββ2βββββββββ2ββββββββββββββ5βββββββββββββ
G |ββββ1βββββββββ2βββββββββ2ββββββββββββββ6βββββββββββββ
D |ββββ2βββββββββ4βββββββββ2ββββββββββββββ7βββββββββββββ
A |ββββ2βββββββββ4βββββββββ0ββββββββββββββ7βββββββββββββ
E |ββββ0βββββββββ2ββββββββββββββββββββββββ5βββββββββββββ
E F#m A (open) A (barred)
Chord progressions
If you havenβt noticed yet, check out how the entire song uses this same progression! Makes things quite easy to remember.
INTRO
| F#m . . . | A . . . | E . . . | E . . . |
...repeat, played with riff
VERSE
"Two jumps in a week..."
| F#m . . . | A . . . | E . . . | E . . . |
...repeat
CHORUS
"Don't leave me high..."
| F#m . . . | A . . . | E . . . | E . . . |
...repeat
Intro riff, variation #1
For the intro verse, there are two ways Iβll teach you to play it. Note for each of the two variations, each of the three chords positions use the same βshapeβ β itβs just a matter of moving your hand to the proper frets.
The first variation uses these three positions:
e |βββββββββββ e |βββββββββββ e |βββββββββββ
B |βββββββββββ B |βββββββββββ B |βββββββββββ
G |βββββ13ββββ G |ββββ11βββββ G |βββββ9βββββ
D |βββββ11ββββ D |βββββ9βββββ D |βββββ7βββββ
A |βββββ11ββββ A |βββββ9βββββ A |βββββ7βββββ
E |βββββ0βββββ E |βββββ0βββββ E |βββββ0βββββ
In time, theyβd be played as follows (use whatever strumming you want, so long as you make the changes in the counts below):
e |ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββ
B |ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββ
G |ββ13βββ11βββββββββββββββββ13ββββ9βββββββββββββββββ|ββ1ββββ
D |ββ11ββββ9βββββββββββββββββ11ββββ7βββββββββββββββββ|ββ2ββββ ...
A |ββ11ββββ9βββββββββββββββββ11ββββ7βββββββββββββββββ|ββ2ββββ
E |ββ0βββββ0βββββββββββββββββ0βββββ0βββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Intro riff, variation #2
Hereβs the other variation β played on the thinnest 4 strings.
e |βββββ4βββββ e |βββββ2βββββ e |βββββ0βββββ
B |βββββ0βββββ B |βββββ0βββββ B |βββββ0βββββ
G |βββββ6βββββ G |βββββ4βββββ G |βββββ2βββββ
D |βββββ6βββββ D |βββββ4βββββ D |βββββ2βββββ
A |βββββββββββ A |βββββββββββ A |βββββββββββ
E |βββββββββββ E |βββββββββββ E |βββββββββββ
Likewise, hereβs how youβd play these chords in time w/ the riff β using whatever strumming you prefer.
e |ββ4βββββ2βββββββββββββββββ4βββββ0βββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββ
B |ββ0βββββ0βββββββββββββββββ0βββββ0βββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββ
G |ββ6βββββ4βββββββββββββββββ6βββββ2βββββββββββββββββ|ββ1ββββ
D |ββ6βββββ4βββββββββββββββββ6βββββ2βββββββββββββββββ|ββ2ββββ ...
A |ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ2ββββ
E |ββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββββ|ββ0ββββ
1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +
Good luck!
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any comments or feedback. Thanks!
Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!
If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).
You can also support me on Patreon. For only $3/month you'll get access to a print-friendly PDF of my notes for each new lesson (view free sample).
Thanks!
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!
Recent video lessons:
π Print-friendly PDFs now available for all new lessons I make, including all those listed below. Get a free sample Β»
-
7 Summers
by Morgan Wallen
Jan 16, 2020 β’Β Lesson #347
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
Wellerman (Sea Shanty)
by Nathan Evans
Jan 13, 2020 β’Β Lesson #346
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
Melody Notes in "Can't Help Falling in Love"
Warm-Up Exercise
Jan 10, 2020 β’Β Lesson #344
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
Blank Guitar Tab Templates
Free PDF (7-pages)
Jan 9, 2020 β’Β Lesson #345
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
Auld Lang Syne
traditional New Years song
Dec 30, 2020 β’Β Lesson #203
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
Sunday Morning Coming Down
by Johnny Cash / K. Kristofferson
Dec 28, 2020 β’Β Lesson #98
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
O Holy Night
by Sufjan Stevens
Dec 24, 2020 β’Β Lesson #343
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
Nothing Compares 2 U
by Chris Cornell
Dec 12, 2020 β’Β Lesson #339
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
Cats in the Cradle
by Harry Chapin
Dec 5, 2020 β’Β Lesson #341
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
Sweet Virginia
by The Rolling Stones
Nov 29, 2020 β’Β Lesson #340
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
Last Christmas
by Wham!
Nov 28, 2020 β’Β Lesson #200
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
You've Got a Friend in Me
Toy Story / Randy Newman
Nov 22, 2020 β’Β Lesson #338
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
Enough to Leave
by Billy Strings
Nov 15, 2020 β’Β Lesson #337
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
by Bob Dylan
Nov 8, 2020 β’Β Lesson #88
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
"Starlight" Riff in F#
Warm-Up Exercise
Nov 8, 2020 β’Β Lesson #336
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
Thunder Road
by Bruce Springsteen
Nov 1, 2020 β’Β Lesson #335
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
G finger position guide
Tips & Technique
Oct 25, 2020 β’Β Lesson #334
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
Wish You Were Here
by Pink Floyd
Oct 23, 2020 β’Β Lesson #65
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
Father and Son
by Cat Stevens
Oct 18, 2020 β’Β Lesson #333
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»
-
Layla (acoustic)
by Eric Clapton
Oct 11, 2020 β’Β Lesson #103
Watch Video & Get PDF Β»