Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Stars on piano
Written by John Cooper, Korey Cooper & others
- C major
- 4/4
- 74 BPM
- vi–V–I–vi loop
- 2016
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Stars in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am – G – C – Am
How it goes
Stars sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Am is A, C and E; G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AmviGVCIAmvi- AmA · C · E
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
How it goes
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Ticking clock
How it goes
One high note repeated on every quick beat: tick, tick, tick. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 74 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: Am – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are vi – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
AmGC
Play next
Questions about Stars
What chords are in Stars?
The loop is Am – G – C – Am (vi – V – I – vi) in C major, and the song ends on Am – G – C.
What key is Stars in?
C major, at about 74 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Stars?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Stars easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.