Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Vienna on piano

Written by Billy Joel

Tuning the piano…

Learn it

Learn Vienna in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Ab – Bb7 – Am – F7 – Cm7 – Gb – Ab7
Vienna sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 7 chords: Ab is Ab, C and Eb; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab; Am is A, C and E; F7 is F, A, C and Eb; Cm7 is C, Eb, G and Bb; Gb is Gb, Bb and Db; Ab7 is Ab, C, Eb and Gb. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AbbVIIBb7I7AmviiF7V7Cm7ii7GbbVIAb7bVII7
- AbAb · C · Eb
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- AmA · C · E
- F7F · A · C · Eb
- Cm7C · Eb · G · Bb
- GbGb · Bb · Db
- Ab7Ab · C · Eb · Gb
2
Left hand: Pop heartbeat
Long, short, long: the heartbeat under a thousand pop songs. Musicians call it root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3) (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
Pop heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Hopscotch bells
A high bell note, a chord, a skipped beat, and one more chord. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Hopscotch bellsBlock chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 85 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: Eb – F – Bb
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
EbFBb
- EbEb · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- BbBb · D · F

What chords are in Vienna?

The loop is Ab – Bb7 – Am – F7 – Cm7 – Gb – Ab7 (bVII – I7 – vii – V7 – ii7 – bVI – bVII7) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.

What key is Vienna in?

Bb major, at about 85 beats a minute in 2/2.

What does the left hand play in Vienna?

Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Vienna easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 7 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Vienna?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.