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Honesty: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Billy Joel
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 130 BPM
- 1978
- Easy
Honesty written out as piano music: the ii7 – ii – I – I7 – v7 – bVI – III – ii7 loop in Bb major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays push and land (root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 4) and the right hand offbeat skank.
Honesty chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in Bb major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cm7 | ii7 | C Eb G Bb |
| 1 | Cm | ii | C Eb G |
| 2 | Bb | I | Bb D F |
| 2 | Bb7 | I7 | Bb D F Ab |
| 3 | Fm7 | v7 | F Ab C Eb |
| 4 | Gb | bVI | Gb Bb Db |
| 4 | D | III | D F# A |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: push and land (root bass · 1 · 2& · 3 · 4) in the left hand and offbeat skank in the right, over the Cm7 – Cm – Bb – Bb7 – Bb7 – Fm7 – Gb – D chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
To see the real melody written out, play “The part you know”: the sheet music changes to it.
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Questions about Honesty
Does the sheet music for Honesty have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
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.