Always Remember Us This Way

by A Star is Born • Lesson #220 • Feb 28, 2019

Video lesson

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Editor’s notes

In this lesson I’ll show you an easy acoustic guitar lesson for “Always Remember Us This Way” by Lady Gaga, as heard in the movie A Star is Born. I’ll teach you the chords, strumming pattern, progressions, and demonstrate a few ways to simplify (and likewise, spice up!) some of the sequences you’ll be playing. If you enjoyed this lesson, check out my others for songs from A Star is Born. Good luck!

Video timestamps:

  • 0:00 Lesson preview & agenda
  • 1:45 Chords shapes needed
  • 4:53 Chord progressions
  • 7:04 Strumming patterns
  • 11:18 Chorus: strum & timing
  • 14:05 Chorus: advanced voicings
  • 16:23 Putting it all together
  • 18:03 Farewell & thanks

Lyrics w/ chords

VERSE
                 Am                     F
    That Arizona sky... burning in your eyes
        C                                        G
    You look at me and, babe... I wanna catch on fire
                      Am                      F
    It’s buried in my soul... like California gold
        C                                     G
    You found the light in me that I couldn’t find

PRE-CHORUS
                    F                                    C
        So when I'm all choked up and I can't find the words
              Am                           G
        Every time we say goodbye, baby it hurts

CHORUS
                     F   G    Am              F    G     C
            When the sun goes down... and the band won't play
                 F          G             C
            I'll always remember us this way

VERSE #2
                  Am                       F
    Lovers in the night... poets trying to write
       C                                    G
    We don't know how to rhyme, but damn we try
                     Am                           F
    But all I really know... you're where I wanna go
        C                                 G
    The part of me that's you will never die

PRE-CHORUS
                    F                                     C
        So when I'm all choked up, and I can't find the words
              Am                           G
        Every time we say goodbye, baby it hurts

CHORUS
                     F   G    Am              F    G     C
            When the sun goes down... and the band won't play
                  F         G             Bb
            I'll always remember us this way... whoa yeah,

BRIDGE
                F
                I don't wanna be just a memory, baby, yeah
                C               Bb              F               G
                Oooh, ooooh.... Oooh, ooooh.... Oooh, ooooh.... ohhhh----

PRE-CHORUS
                    F                                     C
        So when I'm all choked up, and I can't find the words
              Am                             G
        Every time we say goodbye, baby it hurts

CHORUS
                     F   G    Am              F    G     C
            When the sun goes down... and the band won't play
                  F         G         Am
            I'll always remember us..... this way, whoa yeah

OUTRO
                 F    G  Am
        When you look at me
                F     G     C
        And the whole world fades
             F        G         (no chord)            F  Bb  F  C
        I'll always remember us............. this way-----..... ohhhhhh

Chords used

Here’s the chord shapes you’ll need for this song, shown in their standard positions. The Bb (B-flat) is a bit tricky, but keep on reading and I’ll show you some tips.

E –––0––––0––––1––––3–––       E –––––      E ––6––
B –––1––––1––––1––––0–––       B ––3––      B ––6––
G –––0––––2––––2––––0–––       G ––3––      G ––7––
D –––2––––2––––3––––0–––       D ––3––  or  D ––8––
A –––3––––0––––3––––2–––       A ––1––      A ––8––
E –––––––––––––1––––3–––       E –––––      E ––6––
     C    Am   F    G              Bb           Bb

Here are some creative voicings for these chords, some of which are easier than their normal counterparts above. For the F and Bb, for example, you can get by just fine by only playing the middle 4 of the strings (instead of all 6, which is tougher):

4 string voicings:        3 string voicings:

E –––––––––––––––         E –––––––––––––––
B –––1–––3–––6–––         B –––1–––3–––6–––
G –––2–––4–––7–––         G –––2–––4–––7–––
D –––3–––5–––8–––         D –––3–––5–––8–––
A –––3–––5–––8–––         A –––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––         E –––––––––––––––
     F   G   Bb                F   G   Bb

Chord progressions

Big picture, here’s the progressions you’ll be playing. For each chord listed below (as well as each “/”), you’ll be playing the strumming pattern once. The “/” character means to repeat the prior chord for one measure.

Verse:        Am    /    F     /    C    /    G    /  x2

Pre-chorus:   F     /    C     /    Am   /    G    /  x1

Chorus:       F (G) Am   F (G) C    F    G    C    /  x1

Bridge:       Bb    /    F     /    C    /    Bb   /    F   /   G    /  x1

Strumming pattern

For the verse and pre-chorus sections, reference any of the following strumming patterns (based on your ability and preference when it comes to dynamics & volume).

Simple strum:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +         D = down strum
D       D

Intermediate strum:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +         D = down strum
D   D   D   D           > = accented strum
>       >

Full strum:

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 +         D = down strum
D   D   D   D U         U = up strum
>       >               > = accented strum

Chorus strumming

There’s one part of the song that deviates from the main strumming pattern – which is the very distinctive chorus. Quite simply, you’ll only want to do downstrums on the following beats:

"....Sun goes down.........band won't play..."
E –––1–––––3––0––––––––––––––1–––––3––0––––(3)–––––––
B –––1–––––0––1––––––––––––––1–––––0––1––––––––––––––
G –––2–––––0––2––––––––––––––2–––––0––0––––––––––––––
D –––3–––––0––2––––––––––––––3–––––0––2––––––––––––––
A –––3–––––2––0––––––––––––––3–––––2––3––––––––––––––
E –––1–––––3–––––––––––––––––1–––––3–––––––––––––––––
     F     G  Am             F     G  C
     1  2  3  4  1  2  3  4  1  2  3  4  1  2  3  4

With the chorus, you can also get creative. For example, I like to play these voicings on the “When the sun goes down…” part of the song.

"....Sun goes down.........band won't play..."
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––10–––––8––5––––––––––––––1–––––3––5–––––8––––––––
G ––10–––––7––5––––––––––––––2–––––4––5––––––––––––––
D ––10–––––9––7––––––––––––––3–––––5––5––––––––––––––
A –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     F     G  Am             F     G  C
     1  2  3  4  1  2  3  4  1  2  3  4  1  2  3  4

Thanks!

If you liked this, check out out my other lessons for songs from A Star is Born:

Shallow

Guitar lesson:

Play-along cover (full song):

Maybe It’s Time

Guitar lesson:

Play-along cover (full song):

Once more, thanks for reading & watching! I hope are these lessons help take you wherever you want to go.

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