Counting Stars – OneRepublic – Piano Notes and Chords

Piano Letter Notes and Chords for Counting Stars – OneRepublic

This post will provide the melody notes (right hand letter notes) and chords (left hand notes) for the song Counting Stars by OneRepublic.

Key Information for the Song Counting Stars by OneRepublic

Key Signature: Four sharps (F#, C#, G#, D#)
Scale: C# minor / E Major Scale (four black keys)
E Major Scale Notes: E, F#, G#, A, B, C#, D#

The relative minor of E major is C# minor (i.e., the same notes but arranged in a different order).
C# minor Scale Notes: C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B

Tempo: 118 bpm
Time Signature: 4/4
Difficulty Level: Intermediate, Advanced

The piano in Counting Stars is a key element. A simple, yet catchy melody played on the piano carries the verses. The chorus explodes with a driving piano accompaniment that complements the soaring vocals.

The song is in E major with a tempo of 118 BPM and a 4/4 time signature i.e common time. These notes are intended for piano and are suitable for players with some experience.

The piano is prominent throughout, playing a gentle arpeggiated figure in the verses that builds to a fuller, more energetic chord progression in the chorus.

Tips to Play the Piano Notes for Counting Stars

Octave - Asterisk (Star symbol)

Middle Octave: C D E F G A B
Higher Octave: Star symbol after the note - C* D* E* F* G* A* B*
Lower Octave: Star symbol before the note - *C *D *E *F *G *A *B

Fast Notes – Brackets

Some letter notes for the song Counting Stars are given in brackets like (notes); they are meant to be played quickly or fast, similar to 16th, 32nd, or sometimes 8th notes in sheet music.

Play these notes continuously and connectedly, following the Counting Stars song’s rhythm and lyrics.

The next regular note is written immediately after the closing bracket.

Sustained Notes – Wavy Lines

The wavy line symbol ~ (tilde) following a note indicates sustained notes.

One tilde signifies a quarter-note duration on the piano sheet.
Two tildes denote a half-note duration.
Three tildes signify a whole note duration.

Therefore, press and hold the note for the appropriate duration based on the number of tildes while playing the piano notes for the Counting Stars song.

Tips to Play the Chords for Counting Stars

Letter notes are written above the words, showing you which note to sing for each syllable.
Chords are written below the lyrics to tell you which chords to play on your instrument along with the song.
A vertical bar (like this: |) is placed within the lyrics to show you exactly where to change chords.

Counting Stars Piano Chords

Notes of the C# (C Sharp) Minor Scale:
C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A, B, C#

Chords of the C# (C Sharp) Minor / E major Scale:
C#m, D#dm, E, F#m, G#m, A, and B
(i.e., C# minor, D# diminished, E major, F# minor, G# minor, A major, and B major)

Chords used for the song Counting Stars are:
C#m, E, B, A, F#m

Notes for the Counting Stars Chords are:
C#m (C-sharp minor): C#, E, G#
E (E major): E, G#, B
B (B major): B, D#, F#
A (A major): A, C#, E
F#m (F-sharp minor): F#, A, C#

Counting Stars Piano Notes and Chords

Intro (Part 1)

Lately, I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be

F# G# B G#
| Lately I’ve been,
| C#m

(F# G#) (F# E) G#~~
| I’ve been losing sleep
| E

(F# F#) (G#) A G# F#
| Dreaming about the things
| B

E G# C#~ E~~
that | we could be
| A

Intro (Part 2)

But baby, I’ve been, I’ve been praying hard
Said, “No more counting dollars, we’ll be counting stars”
Yeah, we’ll be counting stars

C# F# G# B G#
But, | baby I’ve been,
| C#m

(F# G#) (F# E) G#~~
| I’ve been praying hard
| E

(F# F# G#) (A G#) (F#) E~
| Said no more counting dollars,
| B

G# F# F# E E C#~~
| we’ll be counting stars
| A

*A (G# F#) (F#) E~~ E C#~~
Yeah, we’ll be counting stars |
| C#m

Interlude Chords

Verse 1

I see this life, like a swinging vine
Swing my heart across the line
And in my face is flashing signs
Seek it out and ye shall find

  F# G# G#  G#~ (G# G#)   (G#) G#  G#~
|  I   see this | life   like a        swinging vine,
| A                | C#m

G# G# G#~ (G#) B (B) F#~
| Swing my heart across the line
| E

(G# F#) (E C#) G# F# F#~
| In my face is flashing signs,
| B

(G# F# E) C# (G# F#) F#~
| Seek it out and ye shall find.
| A

Refrain

Old, but I’m not that old
Young, but I’m not that bold
And I don’t think the world is sold
On just doing what we’re told

G#~ (G# F#) G# G# G#~
| Old but I’m not that old
| C#m

G#~ (G# F#) G# G# G#~
| Young but I’m not that bold
| E

(G#) (G# F# E C#) (G# F#) F#~~
| And I don’t think the world is sold
| B

(G# F# E) C#~ (G# F#) F#~
| I’m just doing what we’re told
| A

Pre-Chorus (Part 1)

I feel something so right
Doing the wrong thing

And I feel something so wrong
Doing the right thing

     C#* (C#* E* C#**) B*~
|    I~~~                   | feel~
| C#m                      | E

F#* E*      F#*  G#* F#*~
something so  | right
                         | B

D#* C#* D#*  E*~     C#*~~
Doing     the | wrong  thing
                    | A

    G#   C#* (C#* E* C#**) B*~
|   And  I~~~             | feel~
| C#m                       | E

F#* E*       F#*   G#* F#*~
something  so   | wrong
                        | B

D#* C#* D#*  E*~     C#*~~
Doing     the | right thing
                    | A

Pre-Chorus (Part 2)

I couldn’t lie, couldn’t lie, couldn’t lie
Everything that kills me makes me feel alive

(No chords for this part)

B C#*~ (B) C#* C#*~ (B) C#*
I couldn’t lie, couldn’t lie,

C#*~ (B) C#* B~
couldn’t lie

C#* B F# E F# G#
Everything that kills me

(F# E C#) (*B C#)
makes me feel alive

Chorus

Lately, I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be

But baby, I’ve been, I’ve been praying hard
Said, “No more counting dollars, we’ll be counting stars”

Notes and chords are same as the Part 1

F# G# B G# (F# G# F# E) G#~~
| Lately I’ve been, | I’ve been losing sleep
| C#m | E

(F# F# G#) A      G# F#       E       G#   C#~   E~~
|  Dreaming about the things that | we could be
| B                                               | A

E F# G# B G# (F# G# F# E) G#~~
But, | baby I’ve been, | I’ve been praying hard
| C#m | E

(F#    F#   G#    A) (G# F#)   E~    G#    F#  F# E    E C# E~~
|  Said no more counting dollars, | we’ll be counting stars
| B                                               | A

Chorus

Lately, I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things we could be

But baby, I’ve been, I’ve been praying hard
Said, “No more counting dollars, we’ll be, we’ll be counting stars”

Notes are same as Part 1 but in higher octave

F#* G#* B* G#* (F#* G#* F#* E)* * G#~~
| Lately I’ve been, | I’ve been losing sleep
| C#m | E

(F#* F#* G#* A)* (G#* F#)* E~*
| Said no more counting dollars,
| B

G#* F#*~ G#* F#* F#* E* E* C#*~ B~
| we’ll be we’ll be counting | stars
| A | C#m

Verse 2

I feel your love, and I feel it burn
Down this river, every turn
Hope is our four-letter word
Make that money, watch it burn

(G# G# G#) G#~ (G#  G# G#)  G# G#~
I feel your | love,   and I feel it burn
| A           | C#m

G# G# G#~ (G#) B (B) F#~
| Down this river, every turn
| E

(G# F# E C#) G# F# F#~
| Hope is our four-letter word
| B

(G# F# E) C# ( G# F#) F#~
| Make that money, watch it burn
| A

Refrain

Old, but I’m not that old
Young, but I’m not that bold
And I don’t think the world is sold
On just doing what we’re told

G#~ (G# F#) G# G# G#~
| Old but, I’m not that old
| C#m

G#~ (G# F#) G# G# G#~
| Young, but I’m not that bold
| E

(G#) (G# F# E C#) (G# F#) F#~~
| And I don’t think the world is sold
| B

(G# F# E) C#~ (G# F#) F#~
| I’m just doing what we’re told
| A

Pre-Chorus

I feel something so right
Doing the wrong thing

And I feel something so wrong
Doing the right thing

I couldn’t lie, couldn’t lie, couldn’t lie
Everything that kills me makes me feel alive

    C#* (C#* E* C#**) B*~  F#* E*      F#*  G#* F#*~
|   I~~~           | feel~            something so  | right
| C#m             | E                                        | B

D#* C#* D#*  E*~     C#*~~
Doing     the | wrong  thing
                     | A

    G#   C#* (C#* E* C#**) B*~ F#* E*       F#*  G#* F#*~
|   And  I~~~                      | feel~  something  so   | wrong
| C#m                                | E                                 | B

D#* C#* D#*  E*~     C#*~~
Doing     the | right thing
                     | A

B C#*~ (B) C#* C#*~ (B) C#* C#*~ (B) C#* B~
I couldn’t lie, couldn’t lie, couldn’t lie

C#* B F# E F# G# (F# E C#) (*B C#)
Everything that kills me makes me feel alive

Chorus

Lately, I’ve been, I’ve been losing sleep
Dreaming about the things that we could be
But baby, I’ve been, I’ve been praying hard
Said, “No more counting dollars, we’ll be counting stars”