i can play both hands seperate, but when i try to play it together it goes completely wrong.. This is also my first really piano solo, i would be very glad if you uploaded af video of what the right hand plays when u play the octaves with the left, :--) It would make it alot easier!
@Xopie6400 Putting the hands together takes some time to get just right, so be patient with yourself as you learn it. I'm not sure that I could do a separate video, but I'll keep your suggestion in mind!
@pianojohn113 i know i takes time ;) But i got no idea how to start. In all other songs ive learned i just watched when to play the left hans key in relation to the right hand. So this is impossible for me to do without! :--) but thanks alot! ;)
That was great except at the end where you used two hands, like @toniammirati it would be great if you could do a slow version using 2 hands so we can tell when to press the keys on the left hand. Other than that these vids WIN!
ok this guy is to good he's the best and how could anyone dilike this that is a discrace to people who are good. i know why because those people are jealous.
You are flippin' AWESOME! I FINALLY found someone who knows this ride!!!! THANK UUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!! BTW..whoever gave those thumbs down..are either insanely jealous or know nothing about music..YOU ARE AMAZING and you do NOT know how much I appreciate your videos!! Debbie Lynn/The Contenders
@pianojohn113 at 2:45 you say to play a C major or A minor, whichever works, but at the end you play an F major. That makes sense, since the F is in the bass anyway. Either way, this video has been SOOOO helpful. You are a very cool dude for posting this and the other videos. I literally learned everything I know about piano from you. Thanks a million
@WellConditionedChimp Ah, I see what you mean.. yeah, I think I meant to play the Am downward arpeggio, but played the F instead. The F should be in the bass, and the RH should play either the Am or C arpeggio. Glad the vids have been helpful!
@pianojohn113 I almost have this solo down! I was hoping you might do a tutorial on Pure Imagination. It's such a beautiful tune and I'm sure you could whip up something jazzy for us laymen. Either way, thanks a lot
@Downcom1 He plays some great solos in his live performances of Piano Man. They're mostly based on the blues scale in A. I'll try to upload or or two sometime soon.
This is exactly what I needed, thank you! ha, my dad wants me to learn the song as a condition to him bringing me to a concert, and this solo is where I got stuck :P
I really love all the tutorials you have on here and I'm really grateful. Do you have any advice for someone who's hand is cramping up al the time from playing octaves? My hand isn't exactly big enough to comfortably play all of the notes.
@joji64theninja That can be a problem, especially if you're not used to playing octaves. If you're a very young person, your hand will probably grow to where you'll be able to reach an octave without much trouble. If not, you can just play the lower note of the octave instead of both notes, and that will help with the hand cramps.
The reason they do not include the notes for the solo in piano books is because it is an improvisation. Just listen to Billy himself, he plays something different every time (talking about live performances). The solo is based on several chords, which are also often given in books. These chords are Am, Am/G, D7 and F and the minor blues scale Am. As a side note, I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a F chord where you play and say it should either be a C or Am chord ( 2:43 - 3:01 ).
pianojohn113 do you have the video were you have the entire song without singing because i would like to sing it to my self instead with billy joel singing with me
I don't have the song with a melody line, but you can play it the way the tutorial suggests and still sing it yourself. Were you just looking for a right hand melody line?
im going to melbourne in about a month to see a queen tribute concert, and the hotel im staying at has a grand piano in the bar, your allowed to go in and just play whatever you want, and thanks to you, i can play everybody there lots elton and billy =) lucky them.
In the band im in, i play keys, and im so glad for your vids! Im not gonna be able to play this at speed for quite some time lol. What i did is put the whole solo on harmonica. Again great vids, Thx.
Hi John, Hope you're well. I've learnt Vienna and am half way thru Piano Man, great tutorials. Just 1 question, I have Billy Joel's vol.1 and teaching myself She's Got a Way! When I'm learning the chords it sounds a bit 2-dimensional and boring. I don't know how to add a bit of colour, I simply end up playing 1 chord after the other. In Vienna you sometimes add a note in the left hand to link chords. Any suggestions on ways of moving from one chord to the other and breaking it up a bit?
One good way to do it is to break up some chords into a semi-arpeggio.. left hand into right hand. But "She's Got a Way" is actually played with mostly one chord after another, so that's okay for for that song. You could break up the chord after "don't know why it is.." and maybe before "I get turned around."
In "Vienna" in the LH I think I sometimes just played a lower bass note then went up to the chord an octave higher. Then when it seemed right I broke up the chord in the RH. (more below)
(part 2) Sometimes it's just a matter of playing the chords using three or four notes but playing each note individually instead of all together. Your fingers are on the notes but you play them separately, if that makes sense. It takes some practice if you're not used to it but the technique isn't too difficult to master. It's mostly a matter of being comfortable w/chords and knowing how to get to the next chord quickly and easily.. again, with practice it becomes easy to do.
U are a great teacher for people who play by ear, I taught myself this at age 10 but there were sections like this i struggle with, you have helped me so much to refine it, i've been winging it... badly hahaha thanx heaps:)
When you play the solo all together at the beginning and end , the part where you come down after playing the 'f-f#-d (octaves) with a 'd ' in the base (D chord)...you actually play an 'F' chord. (C-A-F-C-A-C) but in your broken down analysis you say to play either a 'C' chord playing a C-G-E-C-A-C or an "A minor chord playing C-A-E-C-A-C. Neither one sounded right but again in your playing of the solo at the end when you put it all together u play a straight "F" chord. C-A-F-C-A-C
I played this song with the harmonica in front of my entire school (which is quite an accomplishment with my nerves) thanks to your tutorials. For that i am very grateful. I realize you get a lot of these requests, but if you can find the time i would appreciate it if you could post a tutorial of elton johns "rocket man". You are a really great online teacher :)
thank you! i learned "here, there and everywhere". After finishing Lady Madonna, i'm planning to learn piano man :)
really, this video have helped me A LOT! I hope that you continue to upload more soon.
i know that you're very busy... but if you find the time to do the tutorial of "She's always a woman"(billy joel) and "Angie"(rolling stones), you would be officially my heroe! I love those songs and i would like to learn how to play them on piano.
Pretty good. I usually do the left-hand part of the solo 10ths in an "um-pah-hah" fashion---which is the way Billy originally recorded it - I think. Anybody who plays keyboards out with a band regularly often gets requests to do this song so it should be a staple for all rock/pop keyboardists who do covers. This is probably 1 of the 25 or so tunes pop/rock keyboardists should know blindfolded. Thanks.
The solo is always a crowd-pleaser, I've found.. I think many audiences don't expect the performer to play it. I agree, though, keyboardists should know this song, it was written especially for them!
I actually do have perfect pitch, although it has diminished over the years for some reason. I found a sheet on this after I'd done the video, and a couple of parts are a little different, but Billy always plays the solo differently each time.
So all these tutorials, they are what you've gotten from your ear, and no other sheets? I have the sheets to this song, but they include like the voicings instead of the way he really plays it, which is why I like about your tutorial.
excellent tutorial. i've always fiddled around while listening to the intro but never got as close to the original as i wanted, but this was perfect, thanks!
I was wondering, did you do this from ear, or did you have sheet music? I found the sheet music online, and its pretty muce identical to your playing except for the harmonica parts, also, do you think you could maybe do Butterflies and Hurricanes by Muse?
This one was by ear, although I did see a sheet music version of it recently. I didn't check to see how close it was to this tutorial, though. Maybe I shuold have!
I will eventually get that one up here.. There are two solos for that song, and they're kind of hard to teach on a video. Keep checking back, though, and I should have it up there soon.
i love your videos i havent taken a lesson in my life i play by ear but ur videos help me learn popular songs it would be great if u could put up (you can still) rock in america that would be great
Yah i can not see this video because of loading problems either, nor the other one on the main part but I really appreciate these tutorials, I am learning the song with this and with help from my piano teacher.
I got it to work last night. Thanks. btw, I've had a lot of fun messing with these. Thanks for putting them up. Great entertainment. I'm probably driving the rest of the household crazy though. I went and bought a harmonca even .....its nuts.
Yes, I've informed YouTube of the problem that some people have had loading this video, and they said they'd fix it. In the meantime, I re-uploaded it, so this same video is available on my channel as "How To Play Piano Man Solo 2", or something like that..!
hey piano john, Can you give me some suggestions on how to strengthen my fingers. I find that some of the chords in this song are wiked hard for my pinkies and ring fingers.
Sure, I get that question a lot.. If it's too hard to reach all the notes, you can eliminate either the thumb or 5th finger in many of the chords and just play 3-note chords. That sometimes helps, especially if you have naturally smaller hands.
The other thing I've found is that after playing through it for a while, your hands tend to adjust and it becomes easier... kind of like exercising the muscles or tendons a bit.
is there any way that you know how to play The Enertainer by Scott Jopin, and if so could you post videos, i imagine your a busy man and have better thing to do but your videos have been great
I played "The Entertainer" many years ago, haven't played it for some time now, though. I can still remember it, so I'll see if I can get something done on it. Might be hard to teach on a 10-minute video, but I can give it a shot.
Yes, it's a great song.. I have a tutorial on a couple of parts of it, which was part of a larger tutorial on the whole song (too long for YouTube). I may do a performance on it soon.
Yeah, I found it. Billy's earlier records were surely more "piano-based" than his later hits (though the overall quality of his work has never diminished). I've always been a fan of "Summer Highland Falls".
any chance a tutorial could be made for the piano part in "Walking in Memphis" by the Dave Matthews Band? I know its not exactly a christmas request, but I like it! Thought I'd mention it before I forgot...again.
That's a good suggestion.. I haven't played that song before, although I like it (and the Dave Matthews Band) a lot. I'll see if I can get that one done.
Hey, I learned the entire Piano Man song. which by the way couldn't have been done without you. Anyways, my friends and family crave more. I wanted to reccommend to you to post a video on how to play New York State of Mind. Ive always wanted to learn how. Thanks1
Thanks! Yes, I've had NY State of Mind on the list for a while, and tried to do a tutorial on it some time ago, but I really didn't think it turned out very good.. It's kind of a difficult song to explain with all the improvisational bits. I will try again, though, and hopefully do a better job, so keep checking back here for it.
THANCKS !!!!!!!!!!!
mige1370 1 week ago
Awesome piano tutorial! ;) thanks alot man!
Xopie6400 2 months ago
@Xopie6400 Very glad you liked it, thanks! :-)
pianojohn113 2 months ago
@pianojohn113
i can play both hands seperate, but when i try to play it together it goes completely wrong.. This is also my first really piano solo, i would be very glad if you uploaded af video of what the right hand plays when u play the octaves with the left, :--) It would make it alot easier!
Xopie6400 2 months ago
@Xopie6400 Putting the hands together takes some time to get just right, so be patient with yourself as you learn it. I'm not sure that I could do a separate video, but I'll keep your suggestion in mind!
pianojohn113 2 months ago
@pianojohn113 i know i takes time ;) But i got no idea how to start. In all other songs ive learned i just watched when to play the left hans key in relation to the right hand. So this is impossible for me to do without! :--) but thanks alot! ;)
Xopie6400 2 months ago
also noch leiser gings wirklich nich.
TeeeeCHnoBoY 3 months ago
That was great except at the end where you used two hands, like @toniammirati it would be great if you could do a slow version using 2 hands so we can tell when to press the keys on the left hand. Other than that these vids WIN!
1104687 4 months ago
@1104687
agree!, thats my prob too! , but awesome vids otherwise!
Xopie6400 2 months ago
it was mostly great, but i didn't catch the transition at the end. do you think you could do a short mini-tutorial on those chords?
toniammirati 5 months ago
@toniammirati Which chords, specifically?
pianojohn113 5 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Would you happen to have that solo written out on sheet music that you can email?
goDOGmusic@gmail.com
svhobie 7 months ago
thanx a zillion!!!!!!
muan4muan 7 months ago
@muan4muan No problem, glad it helped you.
pianojohn113 7 months ago
Omg you're amazing at teaching piano imma watch more of your tutorials (:
12rawr24 11 months ago
ok this guy is to good he's the best and how could anyone dilike this that is a discrace to people who are good. i know why because those people are jealous.
lol JEALOUS
lukewarmband 1 year ago
I would LOVE to see some Kenny Rogers and Colin Raye from you..She Believes In Me and Love Me would be great to learn from you!!
garysdebbie 1 year ago
You are flippin' AWESOME! I FINALLY found someone who knows this ride!!!! THANK UUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!! BTW..whoever gave those thumbs down..are either insanely jealous or know nothing about music..YOU ARE AMAZING and you do NOT know how much I appreciate your videos!! Debbie Lynn/The Contenders
garysdebbie 1 year ago
You are flippin' AWESOME! I FINALLY found someone who knows this ride!!!! THANK UUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!
garysdebbie 1 year ago
Yo, Dr. John, you say to arpeggiate a C or Am while breaking down the solo, but you play an F at the end when using both hands
WellConditionedChimp 1 year ago
@WellConditionedChimp Which section are you referring to?
pianojohn113 1 year ago
@pianojohn113 at 2:45 you say to play a C major or A minor, whichever works, but at the end you play an F major. That makes sense, since the F is in the bass anyway. Either way, this video has been SOOOO helpful. You are a very cool dude for posting this and the other videos. I literally learned everything I know about piano from you. Thanks a million
WellConditionedChimp 1 year ago
@WellConditionedChimp Ah, I see what you mean.. yeah, I think I meant to play the Am downward arpeggio, but played the F instead. The F should be in the bass, and the RH should play either the Am or C arpeggio. Glad the vids have been helpful!
pianojohn113 1 year ago
@pianojohn113 I almost have this solo down! I was hoping you might do a tutorial on Pure Imagination. It's such a beautiful tune and I'm sure you could whip up something jazzy for us laymen. Either way, thanks a lot
WellConditionedChimp 1 year ago
You should do a tutorial on the "Piano Man" solo when he plays it "live in concert tokyo 2006" that would have been great :D
Downcom1 1 year ago
@Downcom1 He plays some great solos in his live performances of Piano Man. They're mostly based on the blues scale in A. I'll try to upload or or two sometime soon.
pianojohn113 1 year ago
@pianojohn113 Thank you :D
Downcom1 1 year ago
thank youu !
xx8iancaxx 1 year ago
ha. same chords as while my guitar gently weeps.
aporter6 1 year ago
@aporter6 True, it's a really cool chord progression.
pianojohn113 1 year ago
This is exactly what I needed, thank you! ha, my dad wants me to learn the song as a condition to him bringing me to a concert, and this solo is where I got stuck :P
amalief123 1 year ago
I really love all the tutorials you have on here and I'm really grateful. Do you have any advice for someone who's hand is cramping up al the time from playing octaves? My hand isn't exactly big enough to comfortably play all of the notes.
joji64theninja 1 year ago
@joji64theninja That can be a problem, especially if you're not used to playing octaves. If you're a very young person, your hand will probably grow to where you'll be able to reach an octave without much trouble. If not, you can just play the lower note of the octave instead of both notes, and that will help with the hand cramps.
pianojohn113 1 year ago
hey piano john your the man... what do you do usually in the right hand
joethein 1 year ago
@joethein This video shows what to do on the right hand, but if you meant the left hand, it goes from A to G to D to F, and repeats.
pianojohn113 1 year ago
The reason they do not include the notes for the solo in piano books is because it is an improvisation. Just listen to Billy himself, he plays something different every time (talking about live performances). The solo is based on several chords, which are also often given in books. These chords are Am, Am/G, D7 and F and the minor blues scale Am. As a side note, I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be a F chord where you play and say it should either be a C or Am chord ( 2:43 - 3:01 ).
MrSeppieD 1 year ago
Great lesson! Learned the whole song in half an hour with no sheet music!
Jeepers I love the internet!
aalhazzred 1 year ago
Can you tell Billy Joel's piano playing has the Beatles' influence written all over? Especially on his octave left hand 'bass' parts?
pnoynoir 1 year ago
Yes, you're right, and Billy Joel has given much credit to the Beatles for influencing his music many times over the years.. really cool.
pianojohn113 1 year ago
well done; only two small remarks:
1. at 2:46 you play c-g-e-c, and you suggest that you can also play c-a-e-c. Both are close .... Billy himself however plays c-g-f-c !!
2. at 6:16 you play a G#, I think it's an A.
ploviano 2 years ago
Well, you could be right, I don't know.. It's hard to tell exactly from listening to it. I'm not sure it makes a huge difference either way.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
this is what ive been looking for, thanks!
barcelonmessi 2 years ago
ddue this is awsoke i can finally learn the whole song, my book didnt come witht he solo...Thx:)
laoshen101 2 years ago
hi. do u have a tutorial for "beth" by kiss?
mjt11860 2 years ago
pianojohn113 do you have the video were you have the entire song without singing because i would like to sing it to my self instead with billy joel singing with me
178Matthew 2 years ago
I don't have the song with a melody line, but you can play it the way the tutorial suggests and still sing it yourself. Were you just looking for a right hand melody line?
pianojohn113 2 years ago
yes
178Matthew 2 years ago
I love your tutorials!! Thank you SO much for uploading them!
mps200783 2 years ago
Hi John!
your tutorials are real great!
thatsallmusic 2 years ago
just like that.
Esgoda 2 years ago
John, if you could put the notes on the solo, tht would be greatly appreciated. thanks
fuman230 2 years ago
thanks for the lesson
SomthingnotRight 2 years ago
Hey pianojohn, do u have a tutorial for the intro of piano man?
dendenboie 2 years ago
Yes, I have the whole song broken down into several parts. Check my channel under the Billy Joel Tutorials playlist.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
Oh yeah, i did check. They really help me out a lot! thanks.
dendenboie 2 years ago
Everything is so clear!!
Congrats!!
florymati 2 years ago
hey man thanks! you give very clear instructions!
jamesjp91 2 years ago
thank u soo much for this tutorial video! i can play it now and i always play the entire song for my parents and their friends! :)
bubblegum079 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Wow!
We learn how to play piano at school :D
And keyboard ;)
But you have talent,
but I don;t think you can learn from this,
I'm sorry!
But nice videos!
HeartGorkemmieJHeart 2 years ago
could put up a video of shes got a way by bily joel
allex99999 2 years ago
Yes, that one should be on the next set.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
I would love to see a Leningrad tutorial....
grimakis 2 years ago
im going to melbourne in about a month to see a queen tribute concert, and the hotel im staying at has a grand piano in the bar, your allowed to go in and just play whatever you want, and thanks to you, i can play everybody there lots elton and billy =) lucky them.
Your tutorials are THE BEST!!
mishy234 2 years ago
thx
rbcrazyriderrb 2 years ago
lol not that its hard to understand but as slowly as u can? nice speed though
0yeahman 2 years ago
hey, i am getting a job playing at an actual piano bar and i would like to thank you for those videos because they have helped me very much, thanks
mincerdater 2 years ago
what a cool job! lucky you =)
mishy234 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
wow ur so sexy
quickdraw885 2 years ago
i'm playing this song at a coffee house in two days and this really saved the performance. thank you!
CommanderFrank 2 years ago 2
Thank you so munch
nonyofyas 2 years ago
5-Stars!
jungenbum 2 years ago
yoyyoyoyo
chiktsang 2 years ago
the thing at 6:49 is wrong i think can you PLEASE make sure!
Stevesk0011 2 years ago
Thanks I like the sound better w/o the left hand
ragtimeguru 2 years ago
great, thank u!
it was so helpful.
i wish u make a video of the solo part in live version^^
hughtone 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
click on my profile to hear me play and sing!
robhazelton 2 years ago
Thanks man!!!
Great job!!!
Can you teach "Ob-la-di- Ob-la-da" please????
chuy100940 3 years ago
Thank you so much for all that you do man, your a great help.
italianfatty 3 years ago
thanks for all that tips!!
L0U27 3 years ago
very nice.
the new Guns N Roses album has some very beautiful, piano-driven songs like This I Love, Street of Dreams, If the World and Catcher in the Rye.
do check it out. its very moving.
it will give you something new to practice. :)
mrinalbuffy123 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
... you should maybe consider reading up on technique mate
fogeddi 3 years ago
Nah, I think not.
pianojohn113 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I agree with foheddi.
bluecoat96 3 years ago
what's the point of saying that if you don't explain why? I'm curious
lotzova 3 years ago 4
In the band im in, i play keys, and im so glad for your vids! Im not gonna be able to play this at speed for quite some time lol. What i did is put the whole solo on harmonica. Again great vids, Thx.
blumonkeyboy 3 years ago
Hey mister! Very nice. Very nice!!
chivone21 3 years ago
What is the cord fill thing you do when it gets down to the D?
RufusCash 3 years ago
Thank You!!! :D
KatyAnnie 3 years ago
thats truly amazing
L6forlife26 3 years ago
I soo needed help on dis and u helped me!!
ashleytisdale2468 3 years ago
me sirvió muchisimo
juan62luis 3 years ago
love this song! will u ever have a tutorial on "santa claus is back in town " by elvis?
mjt11860 3 years ago
Thanks! That really helped me!
stinkybeats71 3 years ago
Hi John, Hope you're well. I've learnt Vienna and am half way thru Piano Man, great tutorials. Just 1 question, I have Billy Joel's vol.1 and teaching myself She's Got a Way! When I'm learning the chords it sounds a bit 2-dimensional and boring. I don't know how to add a bit of colour, I simply end up playing 1 chord after the other. In Vienna you sometimes add a note in the left hand to link chords. Any suggestions on ways of moving from one chord to the other and breaking it up a bit?
Allforleyna49 3 years ago
One good way to do it is to break up some chords into a semi-arpeggio.. left hand into right hand. But "She's Got a Way" is actually played with mostly one chord after another, so that's okay for for that song. You could break up the chord after "don't know why it is.." and maybe before "I get turned around."
In "Vienna" in the LH I think I sometimes just played a lower bass note then went up to the chord an octave higher. Then when it seemed right I broke up the chord in the RH. (more below)
pianojohn113 3 years ago
(part 2) Sometimes it's just a matter of playing the chords using three or four notes but playing each note individually instead of all together. Your fingers are on the notes but you play them separately, if that makes sense. It takes some practice if you're not used to it but the technique isn't too difficult to master. It's mostly a matter of being comfortable w/chords and knowing how to get to the next chord quickly and easily.. again, with practice it becomes easy to do.
Hope that helps!
pianojohn113 3 years ago
John,
Can you teach us how to play "My Life" by Billy Joel?
EltonSouth 3 years ago 2
great video thanks
redsox1006 3 years ago 2
i was doing fine and then i lost ya around the last 3 minutes...
BlueMoonWhiteSun 3 years ago
Where do you put the left hand notes with the right hand? i don't know when to change the left hand notes to match the right hand, thank's
sigit15 3 years ago
U are a great teacher for people who play by ear, I taught myself this at age 10 but there were sections like this i struggle with, you have helped me so much to refine it, i've been winging it... badly hahaha thanx heaps:)
swgebw 3 years ago
Piano is so easy to learn.
I can play Für Elise now after only 3 years (:
BexiiBexii 3 years ago
haha i learned that song in two days by ear (:
mpm218 3 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
bullshit
phoenix1144 3 years ago
same mpm but it took me a few days
redsox1006 3 years ago
Easy to learn, hard to master u.u believe me xD
TailsKuros 3 years ago 4
not 3 years lol, she is just challenged!
ammobandit85 3 years ago 2
3 years is a long time
redsox1006 3 years ago 2
Indeed.
TailsKuros 3 years ago
guys i think they mean that theyve been playing piano for 3 years, not learning fur elise for 3 years
mas3rofthecast3r 3 years ago 2
Very nice.
When you play the solo all together at the beginning and end , the part where you come down after playing the 'f-f#-d (octaves) with a 'd ' in the base (D chord)...you actually play an 'F' chord. (C-A-F-C-A-C) but in your broken down analysis you say to play either a 'C' chord playing a C-G-E-C-A-C or an "A minor chord playing C-A-E-C-A-C. Neither one sounded right but again in your playing of the solo at the end when you put it all together u play a straight "F" chord. C-A-F-C-A-C
jmalambri 3 years ago
You are amazing.
JCUBandGirl 3 years ago
Wow, I am just in shock. Big thank you, this is amazing!!! You are a great teacher, this tutorial is excellent. Thanks for sharing this!!!!
pilargallego 3 years ago 2
the best i'v ever herd.kick a..
rickyarooo3 3 years ago 3
Hello Pianojohn.
I played this song with the harmonica in front of my entire school (which is quite an accomplishment with my nerves) thanks to your tutorials. For that i am very grateful. I realize you get a lot of these requests, but if you can find the time i would appreciate it if you could post a tutorial of elton johns "rocket man". You are a really great online teacher :)
midnightfalcon217 3 years ago 9
fantastic!
thank you! i learned "here, there and everywhere". After finishing Lady Madonna, i'm planning to learn piano man :)
really, this video have helped me A LOT! I hope that you continue to upload more soon.
i know that you're very busy... but if you find the time to do the tutorial of "She's always a woman"(billy joel) and "Angie"(rolling stones), you would be officially my heroe! I love those songs and i would like to learn how to play them on piano.
Again, thanks a lot!
madspot92 3 years ago 5
This comment has received too many negative votes show
wat?!??!?!
CoolDorkClub 3 years ago
i only know how to play the first bar!
CherryBlossom883 3 years ago
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dominiiiiqueeee 3 years ago
This was great. I learned the right hand very quickly. Incorporating the left hand is still posing challenges for me. Still, an excellent tutorial.
Python1287 3 years ago 4
Do you think you could maybe do a song by Muse? You should check out some of their songs, they're pretty good
MichaelSG13 3 years ago
I'll check 'em out.. thanks.
pianojohn113 3 years ago
Pretty good. I usually do the left-hand part of the solo 10ths in an "um-pah-hah" fashion---which is the way Billy originally recorded it - I think. Anybody who plays keyboards out with a band regularly often gets requests to do this song so it should be a staple for all rock/pop keyboardists who do covers. This is probably 1 of the 25 or so tunes pop/rock keyboardists should know blindfolded. Thanks.
wildnites558 3 years ago
hey wildnites, what would you say the other 24 songs should be?
thanks
sig
richietalent 3 years ago
The solo is always a crowd-pleaser, I've found.. I think many audiences don't expect the performer to play it. I agree, though, keyboardists should know this song, it was written especially for them!
pianojohn113 3 years ago
at about 5 :35, you said this is how i hear it. are u doing this all be ear? are you pitch perfect?
Dustinn37 3 years ago
No. He has the music, but some parts he dosen't agree with.
LNOL 3 years ago
I actually do have perfect pitch, although it has diminished over the years for some reason. I found a sheet on this after I'd done the video, and a couple of parts are a little different, but Billy always plays the solo differently each time.
pianojohn113 3 years ago
So all these tutorials, they are what you've gotten from your ear, and no other sheets? I have the sheets to this song, but they include like the voicings instead of the way he really plays it, which is why I like about your tutorial.
Gabe40xl 3 years ago
excellent tutorial. i've always fiddled around while listening to the intro but never got as close to the original as i wanted, but this was perfect, thanks!
ivorymuse 3 years ago
Glad it helped... Enjoy it!
pianojohn113 3 years ago
thank you so much!that was great!!
carolin988 3 years ago
You're welcome, glad you liked it!
pianojohn113 3 years ago
We're confused. is it an f chord or a c chord?
we think it might be an f because f is in the bass? thanks it sounds great..
ixloveexyouhh 3 years ago
Which part are you referring to?
pianojohn113 3 years ago
I was wondering, did you do this from ear, or did you have sheet music? I found the sheet music online, and its pretty muce identical to your playing except for the harmonica parts, also, do you think you could maybe do Butterflies and Hurricanes by Muse?
MichaelSG13 3 years ago
This one was by ear, although I did see a sheet music version of it recently. I didn't check to see how close it was to this tutorial, though. Maybe I shuold have!
pianojohn113 3 years ago
u have to teach captian jack!!!
lateriser1299 3 years ago 2
absolutely
thestuvy 3 years ago
It's on the list! Getting through the songs slowly but surely.
pianojohn113 3 years ago
very good!!!pls pls pls pls pls pls PLS though get the solo 4 the scenes from an italian restaurant!i love your vids!
yolol111 4 years ago
I will eventually get that one up here.. There are two solos for that song, and they're kind of hard to teach on a video. Keep checking back, though, and I should have it up there soon.
pianojohn113 4 years ago
John I am impressed, and apreciate what you did for us posting your tallent as a teacher. I hope you will keep it up.
Jean.
K2Klimberone 4 years ago
Amazing, would you do a lesson for the River of Dreams?
ESB1138 4 years ago
i love your videos i havent taken a lesson in my life i play by ear but ur videos help me learn popular songs it would be great if u could put up (you can still) rock in america that would be great
jjcexpsing 4 years ago
i love this song . really nice
come check out my version.
tell me what you think
shelleze of SnR
DahVoyce 4 years ago
Thanks! I'll check out your version.
pianojohn113 4 years ago
I have watched all most all of your videos and now I can play them. THanks a lot
THEMARC282 4 years ago
You're very welcome, thanks for watching!
pianojohn113 4 years ago
thx, pianojohn, I can now do the whole song!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!!
sawellesley 4 years ago
That's great, it's why I put the videos up here. Glad it was helpful!
pianojohn113 4 years ago
ty pianoman john
Dylan512100 4 years ago
You're very welcome, have fun with it!
pianojohn113 4 years ago
Yah i can not see this video because of loading problems either, nor the other one on the main part but I really appreciate these tutorials, I am learning the song with this and with help from my piano teacher.
Dylan512100 4 years ago
See my comment below to pmgm2 about loading this video.. YouTube should be working on that problem, I hope!
pianojohn113 4 years ago
I got it to work last night. Thanks. btw, I've had a lot of fun messing with these. Thanks for putting them up. Great entertainment. I'm probably driving the rest of the household crazy though. I went and bought a harmonca even .....its nuts.
Greg
pmgm2 4 years ago
lol, I did the same! it is a great song and i think the harmonica key is C but idk
Dylan512100 4 years ago
Piano John, you ever thought of changing your name to billy joel 2nd? or claim to be his long lost twin?
sawellesley 4 years ago
lol, thanks! Glad you liked it.
pianojohn113 4 years ago
I've been having trouble getting this to load. is this infor covered in one of the other tutorials? Really useful by the way. Thanks! GM
pmgm2 4 years ago
Yes, I've informed YouTube of the problem that some people have had loading this video, and they said they'd fix it. In the meantime, I re-uploaded it, so this same video is available on my channel as "How To Play Piano Man Solo 2", or something like that..!
pianojohn113 4 years ago
hey piano john, Can you give me some suggestions on how to strengthen my fingers. I find that some of the chords in this song are wiked hard for my pinkies and ring fingers.
Dontbustthecrust 4 years ago
Sure, I get that question a lot.. If it's too hard to reach all the notes, you can eliminate either the thumb or 5th finger in many of the chords and just play 3-note chords. That sometimes helps, especially if you have naturally smaller hands.
The other thing I've found is that after playing through it for a while, your hands tend to adjust and it becomes easier... kind of like exercising the muscles or tendons a bit.
pianojohn113 4 years ago
is there any way that you know how to play The Enertainer by Scott Jopin, and if so could you post videos, i imagine your a busy man and have better thing to do but your videos have been great
aomalley7 4 years ago
Thanks, glad you liked it!
I played "The Entertainer" many years ago, haven't played it for some time now, though. I can still remember it, so I'll see if I can get something done on it. Might be hard to teach on a 10-minute video, but I can give it a shot.
pianojohn113 4 years ago
can you e-mail me a picture of the music or something? its hard for me to play with these video tutorial things
tenniscrazy2 4 years ago
I don't have the sheet music for this part, but it may be available online somewhere.
pianojohn113 4 years ago
gracias me encanta el piano y la leccion papita mela servi toda me la aprendi gracias
es bueno para la gente que no lea musica claro que es un error bebieran aprender apenas nascan yo aprendi a los 10años +0-
juan62luis 4 years ago
No problema! Muchas gracias por el comentario.
pianojohn113 4 years ago
Have you ever attempted the intro to Billy's "Angry Young Man"??
jaredgetsacookie 4 years ago
Yes, it's a great song.. I have a tutorial on a couple of parts of it, which was part of a larger tutorial on the whole song (too long for YouTube). I may do a performance on it soon.
pianojohn113 4 years ago
Yeah, I found it. Billy's earlier records were surely more "piano-based" than his later hits (though the overall quality of his work has never diminished). I've always been a fan of "Summer Highland Falls".
jaredgetsacookie 4 years ago
Yes, Summer Highland Falls is a great tune.
pianojohn113 4 years ago
any chance a tutorial could be made for the piano part in "Walking in Memphis" by the Dave Matthews Band? I know its not exactly a christmas request, but I like it! Thought I'd mention it before I forgot...again.
HamsterFishz 4 years ago
That's a good suggestion.. I haven't played that song before, although I like it (and the Dave Matthews Band) a lot. I'll see if I can get that one done.
pianojohn113 4 years ago
Hey, I learned the entire Piano Man song. which by the way couldn't have been done without you. Anyways, my friends and family crave more. I wanted to reccommend to you to post a video on how to play New York State of Mind. Ive always wanted to learn how. Thanks1
jdubjake11 4 years ago
Thanks! Yes, I've had NY State of Mind on the list for a while, and tried to do a tutorial on it some time ago, but I really didn't think it turned out very good.. It's kind of a difficult song to explain with all the improvisational bits. I will try again, though, and hopefully do a better job, so keep checking back here for it.
pianojohn113 4 years ago
your a freakin stud bro...
kaneelliot 4 years ago
lol, thanks very much! :-)
pianojohn113 4 years ago
Bravo. 5)5
Please, how to support the camera?
sebastiano555 4 years ago