Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
Just The Way You Are: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Billy Joel
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 98 BPM
- 1977
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Just The Way You Are written out as piano music: the IVmaj7 – iv7 – bVII7 – Imaj7 – v7 – I7 loop in Bb major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays rolling waves (open arpeggio 1-5-10-5) and the right hand tiptoe chords.
Just The Way You Are 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 | Ebmaj7 | IVmaj7 | Eb G Bb D |
| 2 | Ebm7 | iv7 | Eb Gb Bb Db |
| 2 | Ab7 | bVII7 | Ab C Eb Gb |
| 3 | Bbmaj7 | Imaj7 | Bb D F A |
| 4 | Fm7 | v7 | F Ab C Eb |
| 4 | Bb7 | I7 | Bb D F Ab |
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: rolling waves (open arpeggio 1-5-10-5) in the left hand and tiptoe chords in the right, over the Ebmaj7 – Ebm7 – Ab7 – Bbmaj7 – Fm7 – Bb7 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.
Play next
Questions about Just The Way You Are
Does the sheet music for Just The Way You Are 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 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.