Video lesson
Get the sheet music(4 pages)
- A properly licensed, print-friendly arrangement is available for individual purchase at Musicnotes.com
- This sheet music was designed & hand-crafted by me (David Potsiadlo) with care, providing you with everything needed to both learn and play this song.
- On the fence? Here's a video guide I made showing the purchase & print process.
Patreon supporters: click here to get the 50% off discount code on this purchase
Editor’s notes
Welcome to my guitar lesson for an acoustic version of “City of Stars,” specifically the duet version that is the 9th track of the La La Land soundtrack. This lesson will show you a relatively “strum-along” version of the song, which uses some strumming and some fingerpicking. Some important notes:
- Capo on the 3rd fret. I’m doing this so you don’t need to use crazy barre chords, which are much harder to play. If you don’t have a capo, you can use the notes/tabs/chords I’m showing you, but you won’t be able to play along with my video (or the soundtrack) and be in the same key.
- This isn’t meant to be a super-precise recreation of the piano version, note-for-note. There’s a lot of subtlety and complexity to the piano soundtrack version, and this arrangement most certainly does not intend to capture all the intricacies. My lesson will, however, get to the spirit of things.
Full play-along cover
Chords needed
Here’s all the chords you’ll need for this song. For the “7th” chords (Bm7, F#7, A7, etc) you can, if you prefer, play the normal version of those chords. I’ll include both normal and “7th” versions here just so you have them.
E –––0–––0–––0–––2–––2–––2–––2––––2–––2–––2–––2–––3–––
B –––0–––2–––2–––3–––3–––3–––2––––2–––3–––2–––1–––0–––
G –––0–––2–––0–––4–––2–––4–––3––––3–––2–––2–––2–––0–––
D –––2–––2–––2–––4–––4–––4–––4––––2–––0–––0–––0–––0–––
A –––2–––0–––0–––2–––2–––0–––4––––4–––––––––––––––2–––
E –––0–––––––––––––––––––––––2––––2–––––––––––––––3–––
Em A A7 Bm Bm7 Bm/A F# F#7 D Dmaj7 D7 G
Chord progressions
Now that you have the chords, here’s how you’ll distribute them across the verse and chorus. Pay attention to the patterns in the progression below! For instance:
- In the verse and chorus, you always start each 4-measure sequence with the same chord (Em in the verse; G in the chorus).
- In the verse and chorus, you always end the final sequence with a Bm => Bm/A walkdown.
- In the verse and chorus, the first 3 sequences (out of 4) transition to the same 2nd chord of A7 (in the verse and chorus).
- In the verse and chorus, the final sequence (out of 4) always transitions to a F#7 (in both verse and chorus).
Here’s what they look like:
Verse
Em . . . A7 . . . Bm7 . . . Bm7 . . .
Em . . . A7 . . . D . . . D . . .
Em . . . A7 . . . D . Dmaj7 . D7 . . .
Em . . . F#7 . . . Bm . . . Bm/A . . .
Chorus
G . . . A7 . . . F#7 . . . Bm7 . . .
G . . . A7 . . . Bm7 . . . Bm7 . . .
G . . . A7 . . . F#7 . . . Bm7 . . .
G . . . F#7 . . . Bm . . . Bm/A . . .
Fingerpicking riffs
Note, I only like to fingerpick the intro and the first couple lines of each verse. I strum the rest of the song. If you want to fingerpick the entire song, feel free – apply a similar pattern to what I’m showing below for all chords. These riffs below are ones that match the piano (on the soundtrack), so I’m calling out the tabs specifically.
Intro riff
I prefer to play the intro like this. Put your left hand in an E-minor position and repeat this as desired (use your pinky for that 3rd fret note on the B string):
E –––––––––0––––0––––––––
B –––––––0––––––––3––0–––
G –––––0–––––––––––––––––
D –––2––––––––––––––––––– ...repeat as desired
A –––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––
Em
To play the riff an octave lower, you can do this. I don’t care for this, typically (feels too cramped) – but if it works for you, run with it.
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––––––––––––––––––––––
G –––––––––––––––––––––––––
D ––––––––––2––––2––0–––––– ...repeat as desired
A ––––––––2––––––––––––2–––
E –––0––3––––––––––––––––––
Em
Bm7 riff
I fingerpick the first line of each verse with this riff. The trick here is to lift up your middle finger (on the B string) so that the barred 2nd fret sounds on the second half of each Bm7.
"City of stars, are you shining just..."
E –––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––––––0–––––––––––––|–––––––––2–––––––––––––
G –––––––0–––––––0–––0–––|–––––––0–––––––0–––0–––
D –––––2–––––––––––2–––––|–––––2–––––––––––2–––––
A –––––––––––––––––––––––|–––0–––––––––––––––––––
E –––0–––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––
Em A7
"...for me?"
E –––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––––––3––––3––2–––––|–––––––––3––––3––2–––––
G –––––––2–––––––––––2–––|–––––––2–––––––––––2–––
D –––––4–––––––––––––––––|–––––4–––––––––––––––––
A –––2–––––––––––––––––––|–––2–––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––
Bm7 Bm7
D riff
I fingerpick the second line of each verse with this riff. It’s similar to the Bm7, but you resolve to a D instead of a Bm7. Same deal with using your index finger to barre the 2nd fret, and applying your middle finger to the 3rd fret of the B string. Check out my video lesson to see this in action.
"City of stars, there's so much that I..."
E –––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––––––0–––––––––––––|–––––––––2–––––––––––––
G –––––––0–––––––0–––0–––|–––––––0–––––––0–––0–––
D –––––2–––––––––––2–––––|–––––2–––––––––––2–––––
A –––––––––––––––––––––––|–––0–––––––––––––––––––
E –––0–––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––
Em A7
"...can't see."
E –––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––––2––3––––3––2––––|–––––––2––3––––3––2––––
G –––––2––––––––––––––2––|–––––2––––––––––––––2––
D –––0–––––––––––––––––––|–––0–––––––––––––––––––
A –––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––|–––––––––––––––––––––––
D D
Lyrics with chords
INTRO
Em
VERSE 1
Em A7 Bm7
City of stars.... are you shining just for me?
Em A7 D
City of stars... there's so much that I can't see
Em A7 D Dmaj7 D7
Who knows? ...I felt it from the first embrace I shared with you
Em F#7 Bm Bm/A
That now our dreams... they've finally come true
VERSE 2
Em A7 Bm7
City of stars... just one thing everybody wants
Em A7 D (Dmaj7)
There in the bars... and through the smokescreen of the crowded restaurants
Em A7 D Dmaj7 D7
It's love..... yes, all we're looking for is love from someone else
Em F#7
A rush, a glance, a touch, a dance
CHORUS
G A F#7
A look in somebody's eyes, to light up the skies
Bm7
To open the world and send it reeling
G A Bm7
A voice that says, I'll be here, and you'll be alright
G A F#7
I don't care if I know, just where I will go
Bm7
'Cause all that I need is this crazy feeling
G F#7 Bm Bm/A
A rat-tat-tat on my heart... I think I want it to stay
FINAL VERSE
Em A7 Bm7
City of stars... are you shining just for me?
Em F#7 Bm
City of stars... you never shined so brightly
Good luck!
Thanks for reading! I hope this helped you.
Get my lessons in your inbox!
Every couple weeks I send out an email newsletter with links to whatever new lessons I've made. Sign up here and stay in the loop!
Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!
If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).
You can also support me on Patreon. For only $3/month you'll get access to a print-friendly PDF of my notes for each new lesson (view free sample).
Thanks!
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!
Recent video lessons:
📝 My "song" PDFs are now individually purcasheable! I've arranged a licensing agreement with Musicnotes, a service that lets you buy sheet music. Patreon suppoters get 50% off each purchase. Get the latest info here » (last updated July 1, 2021)
October 14, 2021
How to Tune Half-Step Down (E-Flat Tuning)
A quick guide to tuning all your strings down 1/2 step (E-flat tuning), which is a very common alternate tuning used in many songs.
October 2, 2021
F Chord Cheat Sheet! 7 Easier Ways to Play It
A quick inventory of 8 different ways to play the dreaded F chord, 7 of which are easier than the dreaded six-string barred version.
September 28, 2021
Beginner Riffs with Major 7th Arpeggios
A quick exercise where I share over 10 riffs based on a single arpeggio shape, using major 7th chord tones. Backing track included!
September 19, 2021
Key of C Major Cheat Sheet!
A deep dive into everything you need to know when playing in the Key of C: notes, chords, fretboard map, tips & tricks, easier ways to play the F chord, and plenty more.
September 12, 2021
Major Scale Positions & CAGED Chord Shapes
A deep-dive into the common positions of the major scale, and how they each relate to the CAGED chord shapes... which makes it all easier to understand!
August 29, 2021
First Electric! 8 Things I Didn't Expect
I recently got my 1st electric guitar, and was surprised how many things immediately confused me. Here's a quick inventory, in case it helps anyone else starting out!
Browse my all lessons
By lesson type
By song decade
By musical genre
By guitar technique
By musical key
By popular artist
- Johnny Cash
- Tyler Childers
- Tom Petty
- Neil Young
- Nirvana
- Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Willie Nelson
- John Denver
- Guns N' Roses