Together Again

The BBC/Hulu limited series Normal People has been recommended to me for years. I’ve always loved the music, and I was deeply familiar with the minimalist piano soundtrack by Irish composer Stephen Rennicks long before I actually watched the show.

Having just finished it with my wife, Jennifer, I completely see why so many people recommended this to me. First off, it’s a visceral and edgy show—packaged into 28-minute episodes. With only 12 of them, it’s a fast, easy watch with no long-term investment.

The performances by Paul Mescal (Connell) and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Marianne) are two of the best you’ll ever see; I’m still shaking my head over it. Jennifer made a great point: Mescal is so good in this that we have to re-watch and re-assess Gladiator 2.

Essentially, the show is about the intense attraction between Connell and Marianne as their torrid relationship is followed from late high school through college. These two characters are on opposite sides of the personality and popularity spectrum, and their relationship follows a secretive, often illicit track.

The remarkable thing is that the show is nearly unexplainable. You’ll just “get” these two and understand their (often frustrating) decision-making on a universal level. Even in my late 40s, I still have an amazing connection to my high school friends—it feels like yesterday—and I saw relationships like this unfold firsthand. They really do affect an individual’s lifelong trajectory.

“Together Again” is a brilliant chord progression from Normal People (Episode 5) when Connell and Marianne reunite at college. It translated easily to fingerstyle guitar, and it’s become one of my most favorite arrangements.

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How to play Together Again | fingerstyle guitar

The guitar tab for this piece is beautifully written across a single page. It’s great for beginner guitar players and up. Enjoy! The guitar tab is available below:

You’ll play the entire passage 2x

[guitar tab] **Normal People (2020): Together Again | fingerstyle guitar

This arrangement is played in standard tuning with a capo on the 1st fret.