How To Play Just The Way You Are

In 1977 Billy Joel wrote the words and music to Just The Way You Are from The Stranger. I understand Billy Joel will be in San Diego for a May concert. If you are a Billy Joel fan, you'll definitely want to go. Here's a chord chart to one of Billy's great songs. Have fun playing along!


Chords & Lyrics

INTRO:  D  Gm6  D  G  D*
        D  Gm6  D  G  D*


D        Bm6      Gmaj7      Bm       D7
Don't go changing to try and please me
Gmaj7     Gm            D
You never let me down before
Am   D7
Mm-m-m-m-m
Gmaj7    Gm   D            Bm7
Don't imagine you're too familiar
Bm7          E9         A9sus
And I don't see you anymore


D           Bm6       Gmaj7       Bm     D7
I would not leave you in times of trouble
Gmaj7    Gm                   D
We never could have come this far
Am   D7
Mm-m-m-m-m
Gmaj7      Gm6
I took the good times 
D             Bm7
I'll take the bad times
Em7           A9sus          D  Gm  G  D
I'll take you just the way you are


INTRO (Gm6  G  D)


D        Bm6    Gmaj7      Bm    D7
Don't go trying some new fashion
Gmaj7            Gm             D
Don't change the color of your hair
Am   D7
Mm-m-m-m-m
Gmaj7      Gm      D           Bm7
You always have my unspoken passion
E9sus           E9              A9sus
Although I might not seem to care


D            Bm6    Gmaj7 Bm    D7
I don't want clever conversation
Gmaj7   Gm                  D
I never want to work that hard
Am   D7
Mm-m-m-m-m
Gmaj7       Gm     D                Bm7
I just want someone that I can talk to
Em7            A9sus
I want you just the way you are


D  Gm6  G  D 
D  Gm6  D  D7


G         A                    F#m7    B7
I need to know that you will always be
Em7          A              D
The same old someone that I knew
Am Bb           C                Am7      D  D7
Oh what will it take 'till you believe in me
Gm7          C            A9sus
The way that I believe in you


D        Bm6
I said I love you
Gmaj7         Bm  D7
And that's forever
Gmaj7      Gm              Gm Gm6 D
and this I promise from the heart
Am   D7
Mm-m-m-m-m
Gmaj7           Gm6 D   Bm7
I couldn't love you any better
Em7                 A9sus
I love you just the way you are


INTRO (D  Gm6  G D  Gm6  G  D)


SOLO:  D  Bm6  Gmaj7  Bm  D7
       Gmaj7  Gm  D  Am  D7
       Gmaj7  Gm6  D  Bm7  Em7  Asus4


D            Bm6    G7 Bm    D7
I don't want clever conversation
Gmaj7   Gm                  D
I never want to work that hard
Am7   D7
Mm-m-m-m-m
Gmaj7       Gm6     D                Bm7
I just want someone that I can talk to
Em7            G            Bb  C  Am7  D7  Gm7  A7 Dmaj7
I want you just the way you a....................re


SOLO...repeat through fade out!

Chord Breakdown

L.H. / R.H.

A9sus = AG/BDGA

Am = AG/CEG

Am7 = AG/CEG

A = A/C#E

A7 = A/C#DB

Bm = B/BDF#B and BF#/BDB

Bm6 = BG#/DF#BD

Bm7 = BA/DF#D

B7 = B/D#F#B

Bb = Bb/FBbD

C = C/EGC

D = DA/F# and F#D/A

D7 = D/CF# and B/CDF# and DF#/CDF#

Dmaj7 = DA/F#AC#F#

E9 = EG#/DF#E

E9sus = E/ADF#

Em7 = E/BDG

F#m7 = F#/C#EA

Gmaj7 = GD/BDF#

Gm7 = G/DFBb

G7 = GF/FBD

Gm = GD/BbDF#

Gm6 = GD/BbDE

G = DD/DGB

Greatest Hits Volume I & Volume II

 Other Billy Joel Posts with Chords:

New York State Of Mind

Piano Man

Billy Joel is a great musician and I just love all of his songs. Whether you read notes and/or... play by ear, it helps to have an understanding about music theory. You might consider investing in the 300pg Piano By Ear Home Study Course.

photo credit: Billy Joel Concert - Billy, the Revolving Piano Man via photopin (license)

*affiliate links in post*

All the best,





"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

How To Play: If I Ain't Got You

I love to hear the intro to this famous song written and performed by Alicia Keys, If I Ain't Got You from The Diary of Alicia Keys. Are you a fan?

Key: Em
Time: 3/4 Moderately slow, in one

Chords & Lyrics: If I Ain't Got You

Intro

Cmaj7 Bm7 Am7 Gmaj7  Am7  Bm7 
Cmaj7 Bm7 Bbm7 Am7 Gmaj7 

Gmaj7                        Em7 
Some people live for the fortune
Am7                           D7 
Some people live just for the fame
Gmaj7                        G#dim7 
Some people live for the power yeah
Am7                               D7 
Some people live just to play the game

Bridge

Gmaj7       Am7            Bm7      Am7 
Some people think that the physical things
Gmaj7  Am7     Bm7 
Define what's within
Cmaj7 Bm7  Am7 Gmaj7  Am7
I've been there before
Bm7          Am7 
But that life's a bore
Gmaj7       Am7     Bm7 
So full of the superficial

Chorus

Cmaj7 
Some people want it all
Bm7 
But I don't want nothing at all
Am7 
If it ain't you baby
Gmaj7 
If I ain't got you baby
Am7 Bm7           Cmaj7
Some people want diamond rings
               Bm7 
Some just want everything
Bbm7                  Am7
But everything means nothing
Gmaj7 
If I ain't got you

Verse

Gmaj7                     Em7
Some people search for a fountain

Am7                D7
Promises forever young

Gmaj7                         G#dim7
Some people need three dozen roses

Am7                                        D7
And that's the only way to prove you love them

Bridge

Gmaj7         Am7       Bm7    Am7
Hand me the world on a silver platter

     Gmaj7  Am7         Bm7
And what good would it be

Cmaj7  Bm7  Am7  Gmaj7  Am7
No one to share

Bm7         Am7   Gmaj7
No one who truly cares for me

Chorus

Some people...

Outro

Gmaj7  Cmaj7  Bm7  Am7  Gmaj7  Am7  Bm7 

Cmaj7  Bm7  Bbm7  Am7  Gmaj7

© 2003 EMI April Music, Inc.

Chord Intro

The catchy, beautiful intro is filled with triplets in the right hand with bass walk down, plus left hand octaves. 

C/E-B-G (single note triplets) // B/D-A-F# (single note triplets)

A/C-G-E (single note triplets) // G/B-F#-D (single note triplets)

GG/B-F#-D

AA/C-G-E

BB/D-A-F#

CC/E-B-G

BB/D-A-F#

BbBb/Db-Ab-F

AA/C-G-E

GG/DF#B

Chord Breakdown

Gmaj7 = G/DF#B

G#dim7 = G#/BF

Em7 =  E/DA

Am7 = A/EGC

D7 = D/F#CD

Bm7 = B/AD

Bbm7 = Bb/DbFB

Chord Outro

AA/C-G-E

GG/DF#B,  GG/F#BD. GG/BDF#, GG/DF#A

Then play part of a chromatic scale in the r.h.

GG/B-C-C#-D-D#-E-F-F#-G-G#-A-A#-B

Chord Charts to Other Alicia Key Songs

1. A Woman's Worth

2. No One

3. Unbreakable

4. You Don't Know My Name

Do you have a favorite Alicia Keys song?

You may be interested in Hear and Play's music resource, Advanced Gospel Courses

*affiliate links in post*

All the best,







"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey

Across The River: Bruce Hornsby

Released in 1990 from the album, A Night on the Town, Bruce Hornsby picked up the

Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group. Here's one of his popular songs 

to learn. If you're anxious to try some other songs by this great artist, check out:

how-to-play-mandolin-rain

thats-just-way-it-is

Chords & Lyrics to Across The River

Words & Music by B.R. Hornsby and John Hornsby

Key: D Major

Time: 4/4 Moderately Fast

Intro

D5 // F // Am7 // D5 // G/D // D5 // G/D //
D F Am7 D

She moved back around here thirty five weeks ago today 

G/D           D

Oh down the lane 

D                                                      F        Am7

At night she walks on the banks and remembers how she  

D                                       G/D

Dreamed of rowing away  

D

And how she left one day 

Am7                    G/D

She left with a driven look in her eyes  

D

Came back around with it still inside 

Am7        G/A

They said give it some time and you'll forget about it too 

Em11

We know they always do  

D

Well i know some fine day 

G/C       Am7        D/G  Em7        D

You will find your way across the river  

D               G/B

Row down slow 

Am7 D/G Em7

There's a long way to go  

D

Across the river 

She was proud and so strong

And she tried not to listen to idle talk

Downtown where she walked

They sit around and they say

That she came back with her tail between her legs

Like they always said she would

Well i hear it's better on the other side

They say you'll never do it so don't even try

Well you may be beaten downwith your closed mind

But don't try and make it mine

Well i know

Some fine day

You will find your way across the river

Row down slow

There's a long way to go

Across the river

Bb F Gadd2

your wild days are through is what they said

Bb F Gadd2

I dreamed she came, when i was down and

Em7

I walked where she led

Guitar Solo

D // G/B // G/C Am7 // D/G Em7 // D // D5 // F // Am7 //

D5 // G/D // D5 // G/D // D.S. al Coda

Standing on the shore

She looks to the west with a look of longing

To where the grass seems greener

There's a hard and distant prize

It probably won't happen but i think i'll try

Well even if it doesn't happen for me

It still beats hanging around here

Well i know Some fine day

You will find your way across the river

Row down slow

There's a long way to go

Across the river

Coda

D // G/B // G/C Am7 // D/G Em7 // D //

D5 // F // Am7 // D

©1990 WB Music Corp, Zappo Music and Basically Gasp Music

Chord Breakdown

Intro

D5 = D/ADA

F = F/ACF

Am7 = A/EGC

G/D = D/ DGB

Verse

D = D/DF#A

F = F/FAC

Am7 = A/CEA

G/D = D/BDG

Em11 = E/DGA

Chorus

D = D/ADF#

G/B = B/GBD

G/C = C/DGBD

Am7 = A/FAE

D/G = G/F#AD

Em7 = E/DGB

Bb = Bb/FBbD

F = F/CFA

Gadd2 = G/DGA

D5 = D/ADA

F = F/ACF

Am7 = A/EGC

D = DF#A

You can download the music, in Google Docs and play some of his other songs at riff station. Here's a great purchase for Hornsby fans:

Bruce Hornsby -- Anthology: Piano/Vocal/Chords

I think you'll find the riffs to many of the songs to be quite accurate. Give it a try!







"Jazz washes away the dust of every day life." -- Art Blakey