Mr. Brightside

How to play Mr. Brightside by The Killers on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 1 you play C, F, B, Am, D, G and more, the shapes the player above shows.

This is a great song to learn because it has a driving, urgent feel that stays exciting from start to finish. You get a strong, upbeat rock pulse that feels satisfying once the changes lock in, and the opening C# - F# - C# - F# pattern immediately gives you that familiar momentum.

The main challenge is that most of the song uses barre shapes, while C is the easier open shape. You will want to watch the switch between C and the barre chords, especially when the progression moves quickly and you have to keep the rhythm steady without hesitating.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly until your hands know the shape changes. Then add the rest of the chart in small sections, always aiming for clean transitions before speed. Once the changes feel automatic, bring it up to tempo and keep your strumming even.

Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.