How to Play City of Stars on Piano
Justin Hurwitz
About this piece
City of Stars is a beginner-intermediate piano piece by Justin Hurwitz that most students can learn in 3-4 weeks.
The Oscar-winning song from La La Land, with a jazzy, wistful melody that's more approachable than Mia & Sebastian's Theme. The arrangement works beautifully as a solo piano piece with its natural chord voicings.
Practice tips
- The verse melody follows the vocal line closely — listen to the original and match Ryan Gosling's casual, conversational phrasing rather than playing every note with equal emphasis.
- The Dm-Gm-A7-Dm jazz progression uses seventh chords — practice the voice leading between the 7th of one chord resolving to the 3rd of the next for smooth transitions.
- The bridge modulates to a brighter key — mark the modulation point in your score and practice the four bars surrounding it as a separate passage.
Common mistake
Playing the melody too rigidly in time — this is a jazz-inflected piece that needs gentle rubato, especially at the end of phrases where the melody 'sighs.'
How long to learn
Frequently asked questions
How hard is City of Stars to play on piano?
City of Stars is rated Beginner-Intermediate. The Oscar-winning song from La La Land, with a jazzy, wistful melody that's more approachable than Mia & Sebastian's Theme.
How long does it take to learn City of Stars?
For a beginner, expect 3-4 weeks. An intermediate player can learn it in 1 week.
What key is City of Stars in?
City of Stars is in D minor, typically performed at around 104 BPM.
What's the most common mistake when learning City of Stars?
Playing the melody too rigidly in time — this is a jazz-inflected piece that needs gentle rubato, especially at the end of phrases where the melody 'sighs.'
Where to find the sheet music
- Free scores on IMSLP (Petrucci Music Library)
- Community sheet music on MuseScore
- Wikipedia: Justin Hurwitz
Free public-domain editions of works like Beethoven, Chopin, and Debussy are on IMSLP. For contemporary works, MuseScore has community arrangements.
Ready to practice City of Stars?
Upload your sheet music and start learning — at your tempo, hands separately, looping the hard parts.
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