Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
How to play Movin’ Out on piano
By Billy Joel
- D minor
- 4/4
- 132 BPM
- 1977
- Medium
Learn Movin’ Out in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Gm7 – C – Dm – G7
Movin’ Out sits in D minor: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Gm7 is G, Bb, D and F; C is C, E and G; Dm is D, F and A; G7 is G, B, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Gm7iv7CVIIDmiG7IV7- Gm7G · Bb · D · F
- CC · E · G
- DmD · F · A
- G7G · B · D · F
- 2
Left hand: Busy-bee pulse
Busy and bouncy, with pushes before beat 3 and at the very end. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 · 4& (root bass rhythm), a medium pattern heard in 176 songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Pumping chords
A chord on every eighth note, driving the song forward. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 132 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
- DD · F# · A
Play next
Questions about Movin’ Out
What chords are in Movin’ Out?
The loop is Gm7 – C – Dm – G7 (iv7 – VII – i – IV7) in D minor, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is Movin’ Out in?
D minor, at about 132 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Movin’ Out?
Busy-bee pulse: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2& · 3& · 4 · 4&, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Movin’ Out 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.
Can I hear the real melody of Movin’ Out?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 4 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.