Fake Plastic Trees: Ukulele TAB

Radiohead's catalog translates remarkably well to ukulele, and this collection captures 16 of their most recognizable songs in arrangements that preserve the emotional core of each piece. Students get to play genuinely great modern rock music on an instrument that feels accessible and fun, without sacrificing musical substance.

These arrangements capture Radiohead's signature blend of angular guitar riffs, lush harmonic layers, and introspective melodies. On ukulele, the result feels intimate and slightly unconventional, stripping songs down to their emotional essence while preserving the sonic details that make them memorable.

Ukulele players who want to move beyond beginner folk repertoire and tackle contemporary rock music with real emotional weight. This book works for intermediate players willing to work through some technical passages and for Radiohead fans curious about how these songs translate to a smaller stringed instrument.

• Pay close attention to the tab notation for string bends and slides; they're essential to the character of these songs and shouldn't be skipped.
• Use a metronome even on ballads like 'Fake Plastic Trees' and 'High and Dry' to lock in the underlying pulse before adding dynamics and expression.
• Experiment with different fingerpicking patterns on the more rhythmically complex arrangements; the tab shows one option, but your interpretation can shift the feel.
• Let sustain breathe on sustained chords, especially in atmospheric passages; don't rush to the next section.

Feature this in a contemporary music showcase or rock repertoire concert where ukulele students can represent modern songwriting. Students can also work through individual songs as performance projects throughout the year or use them as supplemental material for developing fingerstyle technique.

• Reading and executing tablature with string bends, slides, and hammer-ons
• Adapting guitar-based songwriting to ukulele voicing and tuning
• Fingerpicking patterns across four strings with rhythmic precision
• Phrasing and dynamics in contemporary rock contexts
• Sustain and dynamic control on sustained harmonic passages