Always Remember Us This Way (from A Star Is Born): Piano/Vocal/Guitar

This collection captures a soundtrack written specifically for dramatic storytelling, which means every song serves character development and emotional arc rather than existing as a standalone hit. For pianists and singers studying contemporary songwriting, these charts offer masterclasses in how to build tension, sustain balladic vulnerability, and use harmonic sophistication within an accessible pop framework. The variety of tempos and moods across 17 songs gives vocalists real range to explore.

Cinematic and introspective, these songs inhabit a world of yearning and resilience. From the melancholic opening of "Black Eyes" through the soaring catharsis of "Shallow," there's a through-line of emotional honesty that feels both intimate and theatrical. The arrangements honor the film's visual glamour while keeping focus on vocal vulnerability and the interaction between piano, guitar, and voice.

This collection appeals to intermediate to advanced pianists, guitarists, and singers who want to explore contemporary songwriting at a dramatic level. It works equally well for vocalists preparing audition material, music theater students building contemporary repertoire, or piano students seeking songs that bridge pop accessibility and genuine compositional craft.

• Study the film scenes these songs accompany. Knowing whether a piece supports a moment of discovery, conflict, or reconciliation will inform your phrasing and dynamic choices at the keyboard.
• Balance lyrical warmth with rhythmic precision in the uptempo material. Pop songwriting often relies on groove; let the piano and guitar parts anchor that pocket while your voice sits on top.
• In ballads like "Shallow" and "I'll Never Love Again," resist oversinging. These songs trust silence and space as much as melodic content; give the pauses their full weight.
• Use the chord voicings provided to understand the harmonic language. Many of these changes favor open, modern sonorities that require careful voice leading on piano to sound intentional rather than sparse.

Program individual selections in recitals exploring contemporary song or film music, or teach the collection as a unit in a course on musical theater composition and pop songwriting. This material works particularly well for showcasing how songs function narratively, making it valuable for students interested in film scoring, musical theater, or understanding the craft behind modern popular music.

• Reading and interpreting slash chord notation and modern harmonic voicings
• Balancing melodic phrasing across ensemble textures (voice, piano, guitar)
• Understanding song form in contemporary dramatic contexts
• Performing with dynamic restraint and textural sensitivity in balladic material
• Coordinating rhythm section (piano and guitar) to maintain rhythmic integrity in groove-based songs