As a fan of pop music, I have a total blast whenever I play “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic on piano. What a fun, catchy tune! I was humming this one for hours after I recorded the YouTube lesson. I chose to do this one for a few reasons:
1. Left hand arpeggio pattern
Here, in this section from this particular arrangement at the Intermediate difficulty level, we don’t have any block chords. Instead, we play through each chord shape using a low-to-high arpeggio pattern. In other words, we play the lowest note first, followed by the middle, and finally by the highest.
This technique sounds great because in addition to supplying the harmony of the chords, you are also playing the rhythm of the song too! Think of your left hand playing double duty here: it’s the drums and the guitar. A fantastic and fun workout for the left hand.
2. Right hand: rhythmically interesting, but melodically accessible
This is a quick tempo, and the right hand melody has a good amount of 8th notes in its part. Good thing the hand position does not require anything too difficult! This also leaves room for the left hand to shine with its more melodic pattern too, since more of your energy and attention can be placed on the left hand while the right hand plays within its position.
Now it’s your turn to play “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic
If you love using your favorite songs to learn the piano, check out “Counting Stars” by OneRepublic at the Playground Sessions YouTube channel.
If you like what you see you can download our app to learn the rest of this song with our interactive sheet music.
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