Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Joy on piano
By Peter Furler
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- I–V–ii–IV loop
- 2000
- Easy
Learn Joy in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bb – F – Cm – Eb
Joy sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; F is F, A and C; Cm is C, Eb and G; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIFVCmiiEbIV- BbBb · D · F
- FF · A · C
- CmC · Eb · G
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Butterfly heartbeat
A quick fluttery group at the start, then a long glide to beat 4. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 4 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 89 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 120 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: Cm – Eb – Bb
The last chords are ii – IV – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CmEbBb
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Questions about Joy
What chords are in Joy?
The loop is Bb – F – Cm – Eb (I – V – ii – IV) in Bb major, and the song ends on Cm – Eb – Bb.
What key is Joy in?
Bb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Joy?
Butterfly heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 1a · 2 · 2& · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Joy easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.