Piano chords · Bossa beach
How to play You May Be Right on piano
By Billy Joel
- A major
- 4/4
- 150 BPM
- 1980
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn You May Be Right in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A – C – E – C
How it goes
You May Be Right sits in A major: A is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A is A, C# and E; C is C, E and G; E is E, G# and B. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
AICbIIIEVCbIII- AA · C# · E
- CC · E · G
- EE · G# · B
- 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: Double-clap chords
How it goes
Quick double claps on beats 2 and 4, leaving beats 1 and 3 empty. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 150 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: D – E – A
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DEA- DD · F# · A
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Questions about You May Be Right
What chords are in You May Be Right?
The loop is A – C – E – C (I – bIII – V – bIII) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is You May Be Right in?
A major, at about 150 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in You May Be Right?
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 You May Be Right 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 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.