Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Just Friends on piano
- G major
- 2/2
- 114 BPM
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn Just Friends in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Am7 – D7 – Am – B7 – Em
How it goes
Just Friends sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 5 chords: Am7 is A, C, E and G; D7 is D, F#, A and C; Am is A, C and E; B7 is B, D#, F# and A; Em is E, G and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Am7ii7D7V7AmiiB7III7Emvi- Am7A · C · E · G
- D7D · F# · A · C
- AmA · C · E
- B7B · D# · F# · A
- EmE · G · B
- 2
Left hand: Pausing footsteps
How it goes
Three even steps, then a quiet beat to breathe. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 3 (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Hopscotch chords
How it goes
Chord, chord, skip beat 3, chord: hopping over a square. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 114 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: C – D – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CDG- CC · E · G
- DD · F# · A
- GG · B · D
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Questions about Just Friends
What chords are in Just Friends?
The loop is Am7 – D7 – Am – B7 – Em (ii7 – V7 – ii – III7 – vi) in G major, and the song ends on C – D – G.
What key is Just Friends in?
G major, at about 114 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Just Friends?
Pausing footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 3, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Just Friends easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 5 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Just Friends?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro 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.