Piano chords · Rock drive
How to play It's Still Rock And Roll To Me on piano
By Billy Joel
- C major
- 4/4
- 146 BPM
- 1980
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn It's Still Rock And Roll To Me in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Cm – Em – Cm7 – F – Am – G – C
How it goes
It's Still Rock And Roll To Me sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 7 chords: Cm is C, Eb and G; Em is E, G and B; Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; Am is A, C and E; G is G, B and D; C is C, E and G. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CmiEmiiiCm7i7FIVAmviGVCI- CmC · Eb · G
- EmE · G · B
- Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- AmA · C · E
- GG · B · D
- CC · E · G
- 2
Left hand: Heartbeat octaves
How it goes
Low, high, low, high: a bouncing heartbeat. Musicians call it rocking octaves (rocking octaves), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Tap-and-nudge
How it goes
Waits a beat, taps the root five times, then nudges one step up. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 146 BPM
How it goes
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: F – G – C
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
FGC
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Questions about It's Still Rock And Roll To Me
What chords are in It's Still Rock And Roll To Me?
The loop is Cm – Em – Cm7 – F – Am – G – C (i – iii – i7 – IV – vi – V – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is It's Still Rock And Roll To Me in?
C major, at about 146 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in It's Still Rock And Roll To Me?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is It's Still Rock And Roll To Me easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 7 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of It's Still Rock And Roll To Me?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.