Lady Gaga - Shallow - Guitar Cover

A Star Is Born Soundtrack

2018 3:36

Listen on Spotify

About Shallow

At its core, "Shallow" is a fingerpicked and strummed acoustic piece that rewards a clean right-hand technique. The song sits in G major at a steady 104 BPM in standard tuning, making it accessible in terms of setup, but the chord transitions in the verse require smooth, deliberate fretting. The opening fingerpicked pattern sets the whole mood, so getting that motion locked in early is worth the time. Lady Gaga co-wrote this as a raw, stripped-back ballad, and that simplicity means every sloppy transition or muted string will stand out. The big challenge for most players is bridging the gentle verse fingerpicking into the fuller, strummed chorus without losing the groove. Use the Practice Toolbar to loop the verse-to-chorus shift slowed down until the dynamic change feels natural rather than forced. Pop songs like this live or die on feel, so prioritise smooth chord changes over speed.

• The opening riff uses a fingerpicked pattern in G major that establishes the song's mood and is the first thing worth isolating in practice.
• At 104 BPM in standard tuning, the tempo is moderate, but clean transitions between the verse and chorus chords are the real technical hurdle.
• The dynamic shift from quiet fingerpicking in the verse to fuller strumming in the chorus is the key technique to nail for a convincing performance.