Major view
G major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = F# (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = C (the note that leans on the 3rd)
Radiohead - Karma Police - Chord
Key G major – E minor Chords D, G, Am, Bm, C, E7, Em, F … Easy key C (capo 7)
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Key: G | Em
Capo: 0
Am D Em G Am F Em G
Am D G D C Bm Am Am Bm D
Am D Em G Am
Karma Police, arrest this man
F Em G Am
He talks in maths, he buzzes like a fridge
D G D C Em Am Bm D
He's like a detuned ra di o
Am D Em G Am
Karma Police, arrest this girl
F Em G Am
Her Hitler hairdo is making me feel ill
D G D C Em Am Bm D
And we have crashed her party yy
C D G F#7
This is what you'll get
C D G F#7
This is what you'll get
C D G
This is what you'll get
Bm C Bm D
When you mess with us
Am D Em G Am
Karma Police, I've given all I can
F Em G Am
It's not enough, I've given all I can
D G D C Em Am Bm D
But we're still on the payro oll
C D G F#7
This is what you'll get
C D G F#7
This is what you'll get
C D G
This is what you'll get
Bm C Bm D
When you mess with us
Bm D G
For a minute there
D G D E7 E7
I lost myself, I lost myself
Bm D G
Phew, for a minute there
D G D E7 E7
I lost myself, I lost myself
Bm D G D
G D E7 E7
Bm D G
For a minute there
D G D E7 E7
I lost myself, I lost myself
Bm D G
Phew, for a minute there
D G D E7 E7
I lost myself, I lost myself
Bm D G D
G D E7 E7
End of song Play again?
Radiohead - Karma Police Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
Radiohead – Karma Police: key and chord analysis
The song opens on Am and ends on E7. Its chords belong to both G major and Em, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
E minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = C (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = D (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the G major side because G is heard 30 times against 11 for Em. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from E minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to G or to Em; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.
Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | G | Tonic — home | G · B · D | 30× |
| ii | Am | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | A · C · E | 17× |
| iii | Bm | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | B · D · F# | 15× |
| V/vi | B | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Emsecondary dominant | B · D# · F# | — |
| IV | C | Subdominant — moves away from home | C · E · G | 12× |
| V | D | Dominant — strongest pull home | D · F# · A | 42× |
| vi | Em | Relative minor — the melancholy side | E · G · B | 11× |
| V7/ii | E7 | Secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B · D | 12× |
| bVII | F | bVII — borrowed (Mixolydian / parallel minor)borrowed chord | F · A · C | 4× |
| vii° | F#dim | Leading-tone chord — tension | F# · A · C | — |
| V7/iii | F#7 | Secondary dominant V/iii — leads to Bmsecondary dominant | F# · A# · C# · E | 4× |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Em | Tonic — home | E · G · B | 11× |
| V7/iv | E7 | Secondary dominant V/iv — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B · D | 12× |
| bII | F | Neapolitan bII — a dark, dramatic colour a half step above the tonicborrowed chord | F · A · C | 4× |
| ii° | F#dim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | F# · A · C | — |
| V7/v | F#7 | Secondary dominant V/v — leads to Bmsecondary dominant | F# · A# · C# · E | 4× |
| III | G | Relative major — the bright side | G · B · D | 30× |
| iv | Am | Subdominant — moves away from home | A · C · E | 17× |
| v | Bm | Minor dominant — soft pull | B · D · F# | 15× |
| V | B | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | B · D# · F# | — |
| VI | C | Submediant — warm colour | C · E · G | 12× |
| VII | D | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | D · F# · A | 42× |
Analysis
The key pair is G major and its relative E minor (1 sharp). 9 different chords appear 147 times in total; 6 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. E7, F#7 act as secondary dominants, briefly pointing at another chord of the key. F is borrowed from the parallel minor, adding a darker shade to the major side.
Chord movement
- D G GV → Iauthentic cadence EmVII → III ×22
- Am D Gii → Vii → V Emiv → VII ×8
- C D GIV → VIV → V EmVI → VIIVI → VII ×6
- D Em GV → videceptive cadence EmVII → iAeolian arrival ×4
- C Em GIV → vi EmVI → iVI → i ×3
The move to watch is D → G, heard 22 times. From the G side it reads V → I (authentic cadence: the strongest arrival home); from the Em side it is VII → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- G major pentatonic and E minor pentatonic are the same five notes (G – A – B – D – E): start from G for a brighter phrase, from E for a bluesier one.
- Over D, land on D, F#, A — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over Am, land on A, C, E — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- On F, follow the chord's notes (F · A · C) rather than the key's scale — it's a borrowed colour.
The song on the circle of fifths
- Played in the song — chord of the key
- Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
- Played — borrowed or outside chord
- Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii
Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.
Capo and easier keys
With G major shapes
- No capo — open G shapes
- Capo 3 + E shapes
- Capo 5 + D shapes
With E minor shapes
- No capo — open Em shapes
- Capo 2 + Dm shapes
- Capo 7 + Am shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 5 semitones up · capo 7 keeps the original pitch
The song's harmonic story
The first chord is Am; the ear learns where home is within a second. The backbone is D, G, Am, Bm — V–I–ii–iii from the G side, VII–III–iv–v from the Em side. E7 adds a moment of surprise: secondary dominant V/ii — leads to Am. Keep an ear on D → G (V → I in G, VII → III in Em): authentic cadence — the strongest arrival home. Ending on E7, the song seals G as home.
This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.
Radiohead - Karma Police Chords on Guitar, Ukulele and Piano
Hover over or tap a chord in the lyrics for its shapes, its degree in both keys and a listen button. Here you have every chord of the song side by side.
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