Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play Just The Way You Are on piano
By Diana Krall
- Eb major
- 4/4
- 120 BPM
- 1977
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
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: Eb7 – Ab – Abm – Eb
How it goes
Just The Way You Are sits in Eb major: Eb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Eb7 is Eb, G, Bb and Db; Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Abm is Ab, Cb and Eb; Eb is Eb, G and Bb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Eb7I7AbIVAbmivEbI- Eb7Eb · G · Bb · Db
- AbAb · C · Eb
- AbmAb · Cb · Eb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- 2
Left hand: Bossa sway
How it goes
Long-short, long-short, leaning ahead: a gentle Brazilian sway. Musicians call it root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Lingering chords
How it goes
Two chords, then a late one after beat 3 that hangs in the air. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 120 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: Eb – Abm – Eb
How it goes
The last chords are I – iv – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbAbmEb
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Questions about Just The Way You Are
What chords are in Just The Way You Are?
The loop is Eb7 – Ab – Abm – Eb (I7 – IV – iv – I) in Eb major, and the song ends on Eb – Abm – Eb.
What key is Just The Way You Are in?
Eb major, at about 120 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Just The Way You Are?
Bossa sway: root bass · bossa (1 · 2& · 3 · 4&), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Just The Way You Are 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.