Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play Just The Way You Are on piano
By Billy Joel
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 98 BPM
- 1977
- Medium
Learn Just The Way You Are in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Ebmaj7 – Ebm7 – Ab7 – Bbmaj7 – Fm7 – Bb7
Just The Way You Are sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: Ebmaj7 is Eb, G, Bb and D; Ebm7 is Eb, Gb, Bb and Db; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb; Bbmaj7 is Bb, D, F and A; Fm7 is F, Ab, C and Eb; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Ebmaj7IVmaj7Ebm7iv7Ab7bVII7Bbmaj7Imaj7Fm7v7Bb7I7- Ebmaj7Eb · G · Bb · D
- Ebm7Eb · Gb · Bb · Db
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
- Bbmaj7Bb · D · F · A
- Fm7F · Ab · C · Eb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Rolling waves
Rolls up to the high third and back down, like a wave on the shore. Musicians call it open arpeggio 1-5-10-5 (open arpeggio), a medium pattern heard in 545 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Tiptoe chords
One firm chord, then three tiptoe chords between the beats. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 98 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
- BbBb · D · F
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Questions about Just The Way You Are
What chords are in Just The Way You Are?
The loop is Ebmaj7 – Ebm7 – Ab7 – Bbmaj7 – Fm7 – Bb7 (IVmaj7 – iv7 – bVII7 – Imaj7 – v7 – I7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is Just The Way You Are in?
Bb major, at about 98 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Just The Way You Are?
Rolling waves: open arpeggio 1-5-10-5, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Just The Way You Are easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 6 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Just The Way You Are?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 10 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.