Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Miami 2017 on piano
Written by Billy Joel
- D major
- 2/2
- 128 BPM
- vi–I–vi–I loop
- 1976
- Medium
Learn Miami 2017 in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Bm – D – Bm – D
Miami 2017 sits in D major: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Bm is B, D and F#; D is D, F# and A. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BmviDIBmviDI- BmB · D · F#
- DD · F# · A
- 2
Left hand: Groovy roots
Notes jump around the “ands”, giving the bass a funky bounce. Musicians call it root bass · syncopated 8ths (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 363 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Groovy chords
Chords jump around the “ands” for a funky, dancing feel. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 128 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: G – A – D
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
GAD- GG · B · D
- AA · C# · E
Play next
Questions about Miami 2017
What chords are in Miami 2017?
The loop is Bm – D – Bm – D (vi – I – vi – I) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Miami 2017 in?
D major, at about 128 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in Miami 2017?
Groovy roots: root bass · syncopated 8ths, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Miami 2017 easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.