What instruments are used in the song paranoid Android?
“Paranoid Android” is a song by English alternative rock band Radiohead, featured on their 1997 album OK Computer. The over 6-minute track is considered one of the band’s signature songs, and has been acclaimed by critics as one of the greatest rock songs of all time.
The song is known for its unconventional structure and avant-garde instrumentation. It contains several distinct sections that transition between acoustic balladry, hard rock, and experimental sound collages. Some of the unique instrumentation used on “Paranoid Android” includes Hammond organ, mellotron, various guitars, strings, and the ondes Martenot electronic instrument.
Guitars
The main guitar parts in “Paranoid Android” consist of acoustic and electric guitar elements. Thom Yorke plays the fingerpicked acoustic guitar throughout the song, including the intro and verses. According to the song’s guitar tab, Yorke uses an intricate fingerpicking pattern on the acoustic guitar, utilizing arpeggios and alternating bass notes to create a complex rhythmic feel.
On electric guitar, Jonny Greenwood performs the song’s iconic clean guitar riffs in the intro and between verses. The recognizable riff consists of an ascending and descending chromatic line played in octaves. For the song’s two epic guitar solos following the second and third choruses, Greenwood utilizes distortion and guitar effects like delay and modulation to craft soaring psychedelic guitar leads.
The interplay between Yorke’s acoustic fingerpicking and Greenwood’s electric guitar riffs and solos creates an intriguing blend of tones and textures throughout “Paranoid Android.” The acoustic brings a melancholic, folk-inspired sound while the electric guitar injects an aggressive, rock energy into the Mixxbetta Music.
Bass
The bassline in “Paranoid Android” was funk-inspired and played an integral role in driving the song forward.[1] Bassist Colin Greenwood utilized a driving, repetitive bass riff during the choruses that helped give the song its manic energy. The bass riff consists of an eighth note rhythm outlining the chord progression, providing a strong rhythmic foundation for the rest of the band to build upon. Greenwood’s nimble fingers dance up and down the fretboard during the verses and instrumental breaks as well, providing countermelodies that interact with the vocals and guitar lines. His versatile bass playing is essential in tying together the various complex sections and time signature changes of the song.
Drums
The drum patterns in “Paranoid Android” were heavily influenced by jazz drumming. Phil Selway, the drummer for Radiohead, uses complex rhythms and syncopation throughout the song. There are frequent time signature changes, shifting from 4/4 to 7/8 to 3/4, which gives the song an unusual and unpredictable rhythmic feel.
During the acoustic guitar-driven opening section, Selway plays delicate jazz-inspired brush patterns on the drums and cymbals. According to the drum tab on Songsterr, this section is in 7/8 time, with Selway accenting the 2nd and 6th beats in each measure [1].
When the song transitions into the heavy distorted guitar riff, the drums switch to a driving 4/4 rock beat with emphasis on the 2 and 4 of each measure. In the bridge section, the time signature changes frequently, alternating between 7/8, 4/4, and 3/4, which highlights Selway’s jazz drumming background and ability to navigate complex rhythms.
Piano
The song makes sparse use of piano, with occasional melodies and dissonant chords played on the instrument. The opening melody is played on piano, alternating between dissonant chords and a lonely-sounding melody line. According to the sheet music published on Musescore, the piano part consists of a repeating chord progression in the verse, while the chorus features more melodic piano lines.
The piano provides an unsettling and atmospheric backdrop for Thom Yorke’s vocals throughout the song. The Musescore sheet music shows the use of chromatic non-chord tones and clashing intervals to create an ominous mood. The piano chords tend to avoid clear resolutions, adding to the tense and paranoid feeling. Overall the piano plays an important textural role despite its sparse presence in the song.
Source: https://musescore.com/user/30900046/scores/6774512
Ondes Martenot
The Ondes Martenot is a unique electronic instrument that was invented in 1928 by French physicist Maurice Martenot. It produces an eerie, wavering sound by using the principle of oscillation frequencies to generate tones. The Ondes Martenot was used to create the haunting, almost crying effect that can be heard during the bridge section of “Paranoid Android.”
Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood is known for incorporating unusual instruments like the Ondes Martenot into the band’s music. The Ondes Martenot became a signature part of Radiohead’s sound during their 1990s albums like OK Computer, lending an otherworldly, sci-fi texture to songs. Its wavering, vibrato notes almost mimic the human voice in their emotional expressiveness.
The Ondes Martenot is played by sliding a ring along a wire, similar to a theremin. However, the Ondes Martenot has a keyboard as well, allowing for precise notes to be played. This combination of sliding notes and keyboard make it capable of very distinct effects. In “Paranoid Android,” the Ondes Martenot’s crying tones work perfectly to heighten the song’s sense of menace and madness.
Strings
The string arrangements in “Paranoid Android” were written by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood.1 The song makes extensive use of string instruments like violins, violas, and cellos to create dark, tense atmospherics. According to the sheet music published by JW Pepper, the string section consists of 2 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, and 1 double bass.1
The strings are first heard during the eerie, ethereal bridge section after the second verse. They start by playing sustained notes and slides to build tension. The strings then play an unsettling minor key melody featuring chromatic phrases and dissonant clusters of notes. This creates an ominous, foreboding mood.
During the chaotic guitar solo section, the strings turn more abrasive and aggressive. They play disjointed melodies and rhythms, screeching and sliding up and down wildly. This heightens the section’s manic intensity. Finally, in the outro, the strings return playing sorrowful descending lines and slides, bringing the song to an emotional close.
Vocals
Paranoid Android features lead vocals by Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke, who delivers an emotive and intense performance throughout the multi-part track. The verses showcase Yorke’s iconic falsetto singing, while the choruses feature his lower register vocals.
For the song’s catchy choruses, Thom Yorke is backed up by multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood providing supporting vocals. This adds additional harmonies and depth to the chorus hooks. As noted on Reddit, Radiohead guitarist Ed O’Brien does not appear to contribute any backing vocals to Paranoid Android [1].
Audio Engineering
“Paranoid Android” showcases innovative production techniques by Radiohead and their producer Nigel Godrich. The song layers together overlapped sounds and textures to create a dense, immersive sonic landscape. According to the Radiohead Knowledge Base, the band pieced together parts from three different songs to create the final track, allowing them to blend together disparate musical ideas. Some highlights of the production include:
- Intricate vocal layering in the chorus, with Thom Yorke’s lead vocal accompanied by angelic backing vocals sung by Jonny Greenwood and filtered to sound distant.
- The guitar solo section featuring layers of squealing, distorted guitar recorded in parts and spliced together.
- Symphonic strings layered underneath the guitars in the climax of the song.
- Clips of radio tuning and white noise blended into the background.
The accumulation of details creates a “paranoid” atmosphere, while showcasing the band’s meticulous recording process. According to What Makes Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” So Perfectly Uncomfortable?, producer Nigel Godrich’s techniques were crucial in shaping the innovative textures and unsettling mood of the track.
Conclusion
Paranoid Android features an eclectic mix of instrumentation that underscores the song’s complex themes and emotions. From the driving electric guitars to the melancholy strings, the arrangement heightens the sense of disillusionment and frustration expressed in the lyrics. The dominant instruments are the multiple layered guitars, which range from crisp, chunky rhythms to soaring leads. The bass provides a dark counterpoint, while the drums alternate between steady grooves and chaotic bursts. Piano and Ondes Martenot add eerie textures, culminating in the song’s epic climax. But perhaps the most striking instrument is Thom Yorke’s vocals, which convey fragility, anger, and alienation. Ultimately, it’s the inventive blending of all these elements that makes Paranoid Android so groundbreaking. The song’s adventurous instrumentation paved the way for more experimental rock music in the decades that followed.