“Piano Man” is one of Billy Joel's most famous songs. Written at the beginning of his career, when he worked as a pianist in bars, the song tells the story of a piano player who plays to drink for free and to cheer the lonely people who come to listen to him. It is now a classic piano piece, and can also be played by those at an intermediate level. By learning the chords and the right hand position, and paying attention to its rhythm - the typical one of the waltz - you can delight your friends by reinterpreting this classic. To really impress them you can also insert the harmonica. “It's nine o'clock on a Saturday….
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Learn the Piano Part
Step 1. Learn the basic chords
While it takes technique and rhythm to play the song, start by learning the basic chords. There are not many chord turns: intro, verse / chorus, a small riff that transitions between the instrumental parts and the vocals, and bridge.
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The intro chords are:
- D minor 7
- D 7 diminished
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The chords for verse / chorus are:
- C major
- C diminished / Yes
- A minor
- A minor / Yes
- F major
- D minor / F #
- Sol 7
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The chords of the transition riff are:
- C major
- F major
- Do 7
- G major
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The bridge chords (where he sings “La la la…”) are:
- A minor
- A minor / Sol
- D major / F #
- F major
- G major
Play Piano Man Step 2 Step 2. Learn the right hand position
In this song, the chords are played mainly with the right hand, while the left accompanies them with descending bass notes (marked above with the note following the “/” sign). During the sung part, play the chords with your right hand and accompany them with the notes played in the lowest octave. The same goes for bridge.
- The descending bass line forms an important part of the song. In the verse, for example, the right hand essentially plays a C, but the bass line drops from C to B (“Play me a song…”). Listen to the song to understand the exact tempo and practice playing the low notes the right way.
- Both during the phrasing of the intro and in the riff between the verses, the left hand plays the chords, while the right plays melodic trills on the basic chords.
Play Piano Man Step 3 Step 3. Learn the structure of the song
When you've figured out how to make all the chords, the song itself isn't all that complicated. In fact, it presents some short stanzas - consisting of four bars - as well as the insertion of the harmonica between some of them. Before each chorus ("Sing us a song, you're the piano man …") there is the bridge which increases the dynamics of the piece, while subsequently there is a transition of chords accompanied by the harmonica. that some verses are not composed of only 4 bars, and in some the arrangement of the chords also varies, so you will have to practice a little to be able to do everything correctly. In general, the structure of the piece is:
- Intro / Verse / Harmonica rif / Verse / Bridge
- Chorus / Harmonic riff / Transition
- Verse / Verse / Bridge / Verse / Harmonica Riff / Verse / Piano Solo
- Chorus / Harmonic riff / Transition
- Verse / Verse / Bridge
- Chorus / Harmonic riff / Transition
Play Piano Man Step 4 Step 4. Get in the right mood
The song is a bar ¾ ballad, which means it must be played like a melancholy waltz. It also needs to be played quite smoothly, like a drinking song that comes from a piano in the corner of a smoky bar.
- Practice playing the keys with a light touch and listen carefully, so as to catch the right dynamic changes that Billy Joel makes in his version. The verses are played quite straight, without too many frills with the right hand - which indeed performs the chords accompanied by the bass line given by the left hand - while the introduction riff, which is repeated several times during the song, is more dynamic.
- Listen to the song repeatedly to grasp the nuances. Not even the scores manage to capture the intensity of the song and the little phrasing that Joel improvises. Understanding the mood of this song is more important than knowing all the right notes.
Method 2 of 2: Add the Harmonica
Play Piano Man Step 5 Step 1. Get a harmonica in the key of C
If you really want to leave everyone speechless, include the harmonica in your performance as well. You can't play any song on a harmonica. So make sure that the harmonica you get is in C, otherwise it will sound out of tune.
In general, most beginner harmonics are in C, so play a song you know in this key and check if it sounds in tune; in this way you will know you have the right harmonica. Lee Oskar harmonicas cost around € 30 and have a high quality sound, cheaper ones can sound much worse
Play Piano Man Step 6 Step 2. Get a harmonica stand
Following the example of Joel, Neil Young and Bob Dylan, place the harmonica on a stand around your neck so that you have your hands free to play the piano at the same time. Harmonica stands are usually found in guitar or instrument stores in general and don't cost much. Adding the harmonica will give a different flavor to your songs too.
Play Piano Man Step 7 Step 3. Put your lips on the harmonica in the right position
Pucker your lips as if you were about to whistle, and place them on the center hole of the harmonica, which should be the fifth from the left. By blowing through this single hole you will play the E.
Practice a little to learn how to find different sounds on the harmonica. By inhaling through each of the holes, you will create a slightly higher pitched sound than you would get by blowing normally. The notes follow the standard order of the C scale; blowing through the holes to the right of the E there are, then Sol, Do, Mi, Sol and Do, while inhaling you will get Fa, La, Si, Re, Fa and La
Play Piano Man Step 8 Step 4. Play the harmonica riff
Billy Joel would be the first to tell you that it doesn't take a scientist to learn how to play that riff. Since the key of the harmonica is in C, you will never be able to emit an out of tune note: it is therefore a matter of experimenting by blowing and inhaling inside the right holes to get closer to the correct melody.
