Creator Area
Sign in Creator Area

Practice Studio

OneRepublic - Counting Stars - Guitar Lesson

Sections · Loop · Speed · Metronome

Not in tune?

Select a Loop

Start of your loop
End of your loop

Speed Control

Speed
100%

Tools

BPM
Key C minor
OneRepublic - Counting Stars guitar lesson video
Guitar 365
Guitar 365 Top Contributor
YouTube: 1.6Msubs 105Kviews
Creator Page →
PLAY WITH BACKING TRACK
·
–50¢ 0 +50¢
· Tap to start

Your browser will ask for microphone permission.

Amp Settings

Classic Rock

Gain6
Bass6
Mid7
Treble6
Presence5
Master7
AI tone preset

AI-selected preset based on genre and era — adjust the knobs to taste.

Roll back the gain slightly and pick near the neck for a warmer, more open crunch.
Listen on Spotify
OneRepublic Pop Rock C minor
Capo Advisor 0 C minor · Original key

About Counting Stars

The driving force behind "Counting Stars" is a fingerpicked arpeggiated figure in C minor that repeats throughout the song and gives it that instantly recognizable, slightly hypnotic feel. At 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the tempo is comfortable but keeping that arpeggio pattern perfectly even under your fingers takes more control than it first appears. The chord shapes themselves are not exotic, but the picking hand coordination demands real attention, especially when the energy lifts into the chorus and strumming takes over from the picking. That transition between fingerpicking and strumming is where most players lose their footing, so isolate it with the Practice Toolbar, loop it slowed down until the switch feels automatic. OneRepublic blend Pop Rock songwriting with a roots-influenced rhythmic feel here, which means locking in with the groove matters as much as hitting the right notes. Getting that right-hand rhythm consistent is the real work in this one.

  • The song's signature part is a repeating fingerpicked arpeggio in C minor, so developing clean, even right-hand finger independence is the main technical challenge.
  • At 120 BPM in E Standard tuning, the tempo is approachable, but the transition between fingerpicking verses and strummed choruses requires deliberate practice.
  • Using the Practice Toolbar to slow down the fingerpicking pattern lets you build muscle memory before bringing it back up to full speed.

How to Play Counting Stars

Tuning: E Standard · Key: C minor · Tempo: 120 BPM

Use the section loop to isolate a passage, drop the speed below 100%, and set the metronome to 120 BPM to build it up to tempo.

Fender Stratocaster
Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Drew Brown uses Stratocasters for their warmer, rounded clean tones that blend smoothly under Onerepublic's dense pop arrangements. The guitar's versatility in expressing dynamics pairs perfectly with their delay and reverb-heavy effects chain.

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Zach Filkins favors Telecasters for their bright, snappy single-coil clarity that cuts through layered pop mixes without muddiness. The lower output of these pickups responds dynamically to picking intensity, essential for their clean, effected aesthetic.

Gibson ES-335
Guitar

Gibson ES-335

Drew Brown's semi-hollow ES-335 provides warm, rounded PAF-style humbucker tones that occupy separate sonic space from Filkins' brighter single-coils. This tonal contrast is fundamental to how Onerepublic layers guitars in their production.

Fender Twin Reverb
Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb's pristine clean headroom and natural reverb circuits shape Onerepublic's signature lush, spacious guitar tones. Running it clean with moderate volume keeps the focus on effects processing rather than power-tube breakup.

Fender Deluxe Reverb
Amp

Fender Deluxe Reverb

The Deluxe Reverb delivers the same pristine clean platform and responsive reverb as the Twin but in a more compact form for live settings. Its moderate wattage allows natural breakup when needed while maintaining clarity through dense effects chains.

Vox AC30
Amp

Vox AC30

The AC30's chime-like clean tones and harmonic richness add texture and shimmer to Onerepublic's guitar layers. When pushed lightly, it contributes the band's signature blend of pristine cleans with subtle harmonic complexity.

Recommended for You

Play with Backing Track

Play with Backing Track

Solo (Backing Track)

Solo (Backing Track)