Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Honesty on piano
By Billy Joel
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- 1978
- Easy
Learn Honesty in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm7 – Cm – Bb – Bb7 – Bb7 – Fm7 – Gb – D
Honesty sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 8 chords: Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; Cm is C, Eb and G; Bb is Bb, D and F; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Fm7 is F, Ab, C and Eb; Gb is Gb, Bb and Db; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Cm7ii7CmiiBbIBb7I7Bb7I7Fm7v7GbbVIDIII- Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
- CmC · Eb · G
- BbBb · D · F
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- Fm7F · Ab · C · Eb
- GbGb · Bb · Db
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Push and land
A push just before beat 3, then two calm landings. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Offbeat skank
Chords only on the “and”: reggae and swing. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 130 BPM
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: Eb – F – Bb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
Play next
Questions about Honesty
What chords are in Honesty?
The loop is Cm7 – Cm – Bb – Bb7 – Bb7 – Fm7 – Gb – D (ii7 – ii – I – I7 – v7 – bVI – III – ii7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Honesty in?
Bb major, at about 130 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Honesty?
Push and land: root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Honesty easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Honesty?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the opening of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.