How to Solve the Music Puzzle in ARC Raiders’ Buried City 

ARC Raiders‘ new Legendary instrument, the Acoustic Guitar, is tied to a puzzle in Buried City that players call the music note puzzle. Solving it is the only way to get the Guitar, unless players trade for one or murder a poor musician topside.

The following guide explains how to solve the music puzzle on ARC Raiders‘ Buried City map and get yourself a nice Acoustic Guitar. It also includes a few beginner tips to make the process easier.

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How to Get an Acoustic Guitar

In ARC Raiders, getting a Guitar requires solving the music note puzzle in Buried City’s Red Tower. The puzzle involves pressing fifteen buttons in a specific order, inspired by music notes, to unlock a secret room filled with Guitars.

Unlike some other button-based door puzzles in ARC Raiders, the Red Tower buttons always spawn in the same locations. The real challenge is not finding them, but pressing all fifteen in the correct order before the map gets nuked.

Buried City Music Note Puzzle Explained

Image via Embark Studios

To the north of the Red Tower on the Buried City map, there is an abandoned building with a locked door on the right side of its entrance. The door is surrounded by lights and has a musical note painted on it. If you search the building carefully, you will also find a bar, a short segment of musical notation, painted on one of the walls. This acts as the puzzle’s main clue. By locating the buttons that match the music symbols on the wall and pressing them in the same order, the door will unlock and reward you with a couple of Legendary Acoustic Guitars.

The catch is that pressing the buttons in the wrong order resets the entire puzzle, forcing you to start from scratch. Since the process takes a fair amount of time, you may even need to restart the match just to give yourself enough time to finish it.

How to Solve the Music Note Puzzle

Image via Embark Studios

Here’s a step-by-step guide for solving Buried City’s music puzzle and getting the Acoustic Guitar.

First Button: The Building Across Farmacia

For the first puzzle button, locate the abandoned house directly across the drug store in Plaza Rosa. Head to the highest floor, find the kitchen, and press the button hidden behind the cabinets.

Second Button: Galleria Basement

In the Galleria, make your way into the basement and look for a cluster of large gas tanks in a corner. Following the big red pipes will lead you there. The second music puzzle button is right next to these containers.

Third Button: Warehouse Rooftop

Go to the Warehouse and climb up to the rooftop. You will spot several skylights grouped together. The third button is nearby, tucked between a crack in the surrounding structures.

Fourth Button: Marano Park Bookstore

In the middle of ARC Raiders‘ Marano Park, there is a small abandoned bookstore. The fourth button can be found inside.

Fifth Button: Grandios Apartments, Sixth Floor

Head to the top floor of the Grandios Apartments and look for a piano surrounded by oil paintings. The button is located near the piano.

Sixth Button: Piazza Arbusto

In Piazza Arbusto, there is a blue building with a windcatcher. You can find the sixth button on the ledge of this structure.

Seventh Button: The Bus Near the Library

Outside the Library, there is a decayed bus. Inside, you can find the seventh music puzzle button.

Eighth Button: Corso de Vinci, Yellow Building

Look for a yellow building near the Corso de Vinci area and find the piano on its highest floor. The eighth button is in the bedroom next to the piano.

Ninth Button: South of Buried Properties

Near the Buried Properties area, there is a Field Depot. To its right, you will find an abandoned structure with a generator-like device. The ninth button is just to the left of it.

Tenth Button: Hospital Basement

Using the Hospital entrance near the metro, you will find a stairway filled with wet-floor signs and boxes. The tenth music note is visible under the stairs, and the button is located nearby among the wall panels.

Eleventh Button: Abandoned Highway Camp

Follow the Abandoned Highway until it splits into two sections. Beneath one of these halves is the next music note button. Use the nearby rooftops to reach the area.

Twelfth Button: Church Ruins

Search for a half-buried house in the Church Ruins and check around its chimney to find the twelfth button.

Thirteenth Button: Santa Maria Houses

Search the attic of one of the houses on the western side of the Santa Maria Houses to locate the thirteenth button.

Fourteenth Button: Piazza Roma

Outside Piazza Roma, there is a small tower-like structure next to the street. The fourteenth music note button is located there.

Fifteenth (Final) Button: North of the Red Tower

After pressing the other fourteen buttons in the correct order, return to the Red Tower and interact with the button on the locked door. This completes the puzzle and unlocks the secret room, where you can grab a stash of Legendary Acoustic Guitars.

Tips for Getting the Acoustic Guitar Faster

• Familiarize yourself with the buttons’ locations. Before attempting the puzzle, take some time to find each button and learn where they are. This way, during the actual run, you can focus on pressing them in the correct order instead of wasting time searching.
• Bring plenty of ziplines. You will need to move across the map quickly to press all the music puzzle buttons within the time limit, so having several ziplines helps you bypass obstacles and travel faster.
• Use Adrenalin Shots. Fill your inventory with ARC Raiders‘ Adrenalin Shots to keep moving quickly without interruptions, as pressing all the buttons in a single match is otherwise very challenging.

Released

October 30, 2025

ESRB

Teen / Violence, Blood