Creator Area
Sign in Creator Area

Guitar Songs, Tabs & Lessons

The Chainsmokers

2 guitar songs · Tabs, Lessons & Tone Guide Pop Rock

Choose a The Chainsmokers Song to Play

Band Overview

The Chainsmokers are an American electronic/pop duo consisting of Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, formed in New York City in 2012. While they rose to massive fame as EDM producers and DJs, their music (especially from 2016 onward) incorporates a surprising amount of guitar-driven elements that blend pop-rock songwriting with electronic production. Songs like "Closer" and "Paris" feature prominent acoustic and electric guitar parts layered into synth-heavy arrangements, making them excellent study material for guitarists who want to understand how guitar fits into modern pop and electronic music production. Neither Alex nor Drew is primarily known as a guitarist, but their recordings and live performances frequently feature session and touring guitarists who bring real string work into the mix. The guitar parts in Chainsmokers tracks tend to be rhythmic, loop-friendly, and melodically simple, often serving as textural hooks rather than technical showcases. This makes their catalog surprisingly accessible for beginner and intermediate guitarists looking to learn recognizable songs without facing shred-level difficulty. The focus is on clean tone, tight rhythm, and knowing how to lock in with programmed beats and synth pads. For guitarists, the real value of learning Chainsmokers songs lies in developing skills that translate to modern music contexts: playing clean arpeggiated patterns with precision, strumming in a way that sits well inside a dense electronic mix, and understanding how minimalist guitar parts can carry a song's emotional weight. You will work on your sense of timing against a click or electronic beat, clean chord voicings (especially barre chords and open-position shapes with added color tones), and dynamic control. Overall difficulty sits in the beginner-to-intermediate range, making these tracks perfect for newer players who want to perform crowd-pleasing songs or for experienced players looking to refine their pop arrangement instincts. If you want to play guitar in a modern band that blends genres, studying how guitar is used in Chainsmokers productions teaches you restraint, tone awareness, and the art of making a simple part sound huge in a full mix. It is less about showing off and more about serving the song.

What Makes The Chainsmokers Essential for Guitar Players

  • "Closer" features a clean, arpeggiated guitar hook that loops throughout the song. It is built on simple open chord shapes (primarily D, E minor, C, and G voicings) played with a light fingerpicking or hybrid picking approach. Nailing the timing against the electronic beat is the real challenge here.
  • "Paris" uses a warm, slightly overdriven electric guitar riff that adds indie-rock texture to the pop production. The part revolves around two-note intervals and single-note melodic lines rather than full chords, making it a great exercise in economy of motion and clean fretting.
  • Dynamic control is essential for Chainsmokers guitar parts. You need to be able to strum softly during verses and add intensity during choruses without changing your tone drastically. Practice controlling your pick attack and strumming velocity to nail these arrangements.
  • Many Chainsmokers guitar parts use capo positions to simplify chord voicings while achieving bright, jangly tones. Learning these songs will familiarize you with common capo placements (especially at the 2nd and 4th frets) and how they affect the overall key and feel of a song.
  • Rhythm precision is more important than note complexity in this catalog. Playing along with the original tracks or a metronome is critical because the guitar parts are quantized alongside electronic elements. If your timing drifts even slightly, it will be obvious against the rigid programmed beats.

Did You Know?

The iconic guitar loop in "Closer" was created in a production session by layering a simple clean guitar figure with electronic processing, showing how a basic four-chord pattern can become a worldwide hit when paired with the right production.

The Chainsmokers frequently use guitar samples and loops from sample libraries, then have session guitarists re-record and humanize the parts for final recordings, blending the precision of programmed music with the feel of real strings.

During their live shows, the duo brings touring guitarists who play through amp modelers and direct-input rigs rather than traditional amp stacks, prioritizing consistency and mix control in large venue settings.

"Paris" was partly inspired by indie rock bands like The Fray and Lifehouse, which explains why its guitar tone leans more toward a warm, slightly driven electric sound rather than a typical EDM synth lead.

Drew Taggart has mentioned in interviews that learning basic guitar chords was part of his songwriting process, using acoustic guitar to sketch out melodies before translating them into electronic productions.

The guitar in many Chainsmokers tracks is processed with studio effects like reverb, delay, and subtle chorus to make it sit inside the electronic mix. Learning to dial in these effects on your own rig is a practical takeaway from studying their sound.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Collage album cover
Collage 2016

This EP contains both "Closer" and "Don't Let Me Down" and represents the peak of guitar integration in Chainsmokers productions. "Closer" teaches clean arpeggiated picking over electronic beats, while the EP overall shows how minimalist guitar parts can anchor a pop-electronic song. Perfect for beginners working on timing and clean tone.

Spotify Apple Music
Memories...Do Not Open album cover
Memories...Do Not Open 2017

Their debut full-length includes "Paris" and several other tracks with prominent guitar layers. Songs like "The One" and "Honest" feature acoustic strumming patterns and clean electric lines that are great for practicing dynamic range and rhythmic consistency. This album is the best single collection for guitarists wanting to explore how guitar serves pop-electronic arrangements.

Spotify Apple Music

Tone & Gear

Guitar

The Chainsmokers' recordings and live performances typically feature versatile guitars like the Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster for clean and lightly driven electric parts, and a Martin or Taylor acoustic for the arpeggiated and strummed patterns heard in songs like "Closer." No heavily modified or signature instruments are associated with the project. A standard acoustic or a clean-sounding single-coil electric will get you in the ballpark for most of their catalog.

Amp

Most guitar parts in Chainsmokers tracks are recorded direct into the DAW using amp modeling plugins like Kemper or Line 6 Helix, or through a clean Fender-style amp sim. Live, their touring guitarists use modelers going direct to front-of-house for consistency. Think Fender Twin Reverb-style clean tones: sparkly, with plenty of headroom and minimal breakup. For home practice, a clean amp setting or a quality amp modeler will do the job perfectly.

Pickups

Single-coil pickups are ideal for replicating the bright, articulate guitar tones heard in Chainsmokers songs. The neck and middle positions on a Stratocaster-style guitar will give you the warm, glassy cleans of "Closer," while a Telecaster bridge pickup delivers the slightly snappier tone heard in "Paris." Output should be moderate (around 5-7k ohms) to keep the sound clear and dynamic rather than compressed or overdriven.

Effects & Chain

Reverb is the most essential effect for nailing the Chainsmokers guitar sound. A medium-length plate or hall reverb adds the spacious, atmospheric quality that defines their tracks. Add a subtle stereo chorus or a short delay (around 200-300ms) to thicken the tone. For "Paris," a touch of light overdrive (like a low-gain Tube Screamer or Klon-style pedal) gives the guitar its indie-rock warmth. Keep the signal chain simple: tuner, light overdrive, chorus, delay, reverb. Less is more with this style.

Recommended Gear

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

The Chainsmokers use Stratocasters for their warm, glassy clean tones, especially in songs like 'Closer.' The neck and middle positions deliver the articulate, spacious sound that defines their atmospheric production style.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

The Telecaster's bright bridge pickup gives The Chainsmokers the snappy, indie-rock edge heard in tracks like 'Paris.' Its single-coil clarity cuts through dense production while maintaining their signature clean aesthetic.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb's sparkly, headroom-rich clean tone perfectly matches The Chainsmokers' studio and live guitar approach. Its reverb circuitry naturally complements their spacious, atmospheric production without adding breakup or coloration.

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9
Pedal

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9

The Chainsmokers use a light Tube Screamer-style overdrive on tracks like 'Paris' to add subtle warmth and indie-rock grit. Its smooth, transparent drive preserves their clean tones while adding just enough character for punch.

How to Practice The Chainsmokers on GuitarZone

Every The Chainsmokers song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice Paris - Guitar CoverPractice Closer - Guitar Lesson