Muse - Starlight - Guitar Tab

Black Holes and Revelations

2006 4:00

Listen on Spotify

About Starlight

Few Muse songs make as strong a case for clean, locked-in rhythm playing as "Starlight." The backbone of the track is a repeating arpeggiated figure in B major that sits right on top of the bass line, and getting that figure to feel smooth at 128 BPM in E Standard tuning is the main challenge for most players. The chord voicings are relatively open, but the picking hand needs to stay relaxed and consistent across the whole song, because any tension will show up immediately at this tempo. If the arpeggio pattern is tripping you up, use the Practice Toolbar to loop that section at a reduced speed until the right-hand motion becomes automatic before you push the tempo back up. Muse keep the arrangement sparse enough that every note you miss is audible, which actually makes this a great song for building precision. Fans of Alternative Rock guitar will find this an accessible but genuinely rewarding piece to get under their fingers.

• The signature arpeggiated figure runs through most of the song in B major, so knowing your B major chord shapes in E Standard tuning is essential before tackling it.
• At 128 BPM the pattern is moderate but unforgiving, making right-hand consistency the key technical focus rather than speed.
• The sparse arrangement means looping it slowed down with the Practice Toolbar is especially useful for spotting any uneven picking before returning to full tempo.