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The Stranger: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Billy Joel
- E minor
- 4/4
- 76 BPM
- 1977
- Easy
The Stranger written out as piano music: the VImaj7 – V – VImaj7 – I – VII – iii° loop in E minor for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays stumbling footsteps (root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 4) and the right hand shy chords.
The Stranger chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in E minor. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cmaj7 | VImaj7 | C E G B |
| 2 | B | V | B D# F# |
| 3 | Cmaj7 | VImaj7 | C E G B |
| 4 | E | I | E G# B |
| 4 | D | VII | D F# A |
| 4 | G#dim | iii° | G# B D |
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: stumbling footsteps (root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 4) in the left hand and shy chords in the right, over the Cmaj7 – B – Cmaj7 – E – D – G#dim 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.
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Questions about The Stranger
Does the sheet music for The Stranger 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 The Stranger?
The loop is Cmaj7 – B – Cmaj7 – E – D – G#dim (VImaj7 – V – VImaj7 – I – VII – iii°) in E minor, and the song ends on C – D – Em.
What key is The Stranger in?
E minor, at about 76 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in The Stranger?
Stumbling footsteps: root bass · 1 · 2 · 2a · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is The Stranger easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of The Stranger?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 3 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.