Thank you for your videos! You really are amazing for taking the time to teach others this wonderful piece. Playing something good is one thing, teaching it is the landmark of a good pianist ;)
This is my favorite song EVER! I want to learn it on the piano, and ur the only one with the most acurate videos., But PLEASE slow down and talk about what your doing and the ORDER you hit the notes in. I hear, g flat, b flat, a flat, but I still dont understand.
Hey John, I just wanted to say that these are fantastic videos, I don't play piano that well but, have wanted to play this song for ages. Now I'm sure I'll be able to with your lessons!!! Thanks Jason
What a terrific tutorial! It's hard to find tutorials that are actually for playing and singing instead of just playing the melody, or tutorials that actually go into details like fills and riffs. This does both! Awesome. If I could make one request it would be helpful if you added (in description or annotations) what the chords are, including the bass note. I.e. somewhere just listing "C, G/B, F/A, etc" so someone can keep it straight at a glance.
@bagelmanb Glad you liked it, thanks. This was one of the older vids, before You Tube did annotations, so that's why they're not on there. I do need to go through the older ones and annotate them, though, I think it makes learning it much easier.
Hey john! excellent tutorial but can you elaborate on the fill part that goes from the harmonica part onto the "son can you...". maby slower and a more precise tutorial. its the only part im having trouble with!
@surfingboy13 The best thing to do there is to break up the C and F chords in the RH into individual notes over those four measures. I have another video on the fills in my Billy Joel Tutorials playlist, which might include that one, I can't recall.
@jmasters24 Yes, 3-note chords works just as well. You can leave off either the top or bottom note in the right hand, but in the left hand, you should play the lower note whenever possible (leave off the top note there).
you need one video of you playing it start to finish so we can see how the different parts connect together. For a beginner piano student like most of us are (no lessons) its tough to put all these together with good rhythm until we hear it. btw you're not a bad singer dont be so hard on yourself ha. Anyway this is a pretty helpful video set.
Your tutorial is very helpful. I've never had a piano lesson in my life and I can play up to the end of this one so far. It's a little confusing for me with the chords and stuff because I don't really have a clue where all those are but I manage. =D Heck, I'm even learning some of that stuff by watching! Plus, I'm a little confused how some of the transitions work out, but thanks for your help with it!!
really enjoying learning this song but having a bit of trouble with some chords, would be a bit more helpful if you put the notes up as you play. like you did a bit in the intro.
@pianomurray Elton's publishers are making me put a hold on his tutorials, but I've got "Honesty" on the list, so I should have that one done at some point soon.
OK, this is great. ...one question though if you don't mind..... if you do have a harmonica and can play it......what do you do on the piano during that ?....i assume the left stays during that? anything on the right?
@pmgm2 If I'd kept reading I would have found it. apologies for clogging it up. for anybody else... to quote roughly...".if playing the harmonica play both hands on piano as if in the 'sing us a song...etc." the harmonica takes the place of the vocal." Thanks. not sure if I can do that, but will take a hack at it.
@pmgm2 No problem, I get that question a lot. I probably should have explained how to do that when I did the original video. I may add a separate video on it in the future, since so many have asked about it.
So i'm guessing that you just figure this out by listening to "Piano Man" over and over, right? If that's the case you are a very skilled musician, and I thank you very much for putting these up!!! Excellent work.
Hey, thanks SO much for this tutorial, I can't help but play it every time I sit down at a piano! Going through some music on my ipod and found american pie by dom maclean, which i love. Please please please could you do a tutorial for that.
P.s please can you possibly do one for fairytale of new york by the pogues too since xmas is round the corner!
awesome vids, thnx! can you do And So It Goes by Billy Joel? once i finish this one, i'm gonna take a look at Lullabye, then i want to learn that one. i'm a little slow, mainly because i don't have a lot of time, but also because i'm sort of and amatuer. everything i know is either self taught, learned out of a book, or off of youtube. My stepdad walked by the other day while i was playing, and he said it was scary, 'cause i sounded alomst exactly like Billy, thnx!
@horizonsaddict Hey, self-taught is a great way to go, good job! "And So It Goes" is a little harder to teach on a video (sort of like "Lullabye") because of the complexity and sheer number of chords (lots of 2nd, sus4, and 9th chords). It's always in the back of my mind, though.
@GarrysModLover100 I actually think it's better to learn it without the sheet music, because that gives you a lot more freedom to play it the way you want to.
hey, do you think you could possibly put one of these up learning to play 'the day the music died' piano parts (because i know there is guitar as well) by Don McLean. thanks so much for your other videos, by the way, they have been really useful and this song is my dad's all time favourite, he was really surprised when he heard me playing. haha
whats hard to follow is the end bridge part but ill probably get it before you respond to this comment but would making another video just about that bridge take less time than putting annotations on every note? it looks like annotations would take a lot of time,but i don"t know how long it takes you to make a video for that.
@sim09678 Annotations take some time, but making a new video would probably take even longer. My plan is to eventually add annotations to all of the "older" videos I posted a few years ago, so we'll see if that happens!
Hey pianojohn113 I just wanna say thanks for the tutorials! I started out with easy stuff like imagine and now here I am playing Billy Joel! So you pretty much taught me to play!! Thanks Your Awesome:D
@greensunup Yes, I really need to annotate the entire seris on this song, since I didn't have the capability to do that when I first did this video. If I can find the time to get it done, I'll do that.
you are awesome! I didn't think I could play this piece decently, but after I watched this and messed with the notes for a bit, I think I have my own rendition. thank you :))
Hey man you are a good teacher I would like to know if you can be a good piano player without reading music as I learn visually and play by ear but would like to be able to play in alot of styles.
@WaynePan1 Absolutely you can be a great piano player without learning how to read music. Knowing sheets is very helpful, but it's certainly not necessary.
Thanks a ton. Your series of tutorials were brilliant. I tried to learn to play this song by ear, but it just wasn't sounding right. Now i know why. And your solo tutorial was so helpful. i never even knew where to start when learning it on my own
Hmm.. I really find these tutorials helpful, but this particular video in your series has me stuck. I've learned the intro to Piano Man, the intro to Let It Be, as well as some technique so far. However, this one is a bit more confusing for me... When it gets to 2:42, you start using your right thumb for the beat, but it's just too fast for me to figure out how all your fingers are synchronizing in relation to each other. (And it sounds like crap when I play it, even though it "looks" the same.)
It does take some work to get it just right, and the technique of keeping the beat with the left hand is just something I kind of developed over time. Don't get discouraged, though. I think if you learn the chords first, and are comfortable playing the transitions, the rhythmic part will soon follow. Just be patient with yourself.. my performance of this song is the result of many years of practice, patience, trial and error!
It's a little of both.. The old videos were done on a mono recorder, which wasn't a problem until YouTube started broadcasting in stereo. The sound is on the other channel. Plug your speakers into the other channel (right or left, whichever one it's not in now) and it should work.
hey this is a brilliant video for people to learn piano man well done, but im finding it hard to tell where the parts come into this, if there is anyway to learn this easier can you please tell me but overall this is an exelent video, well done
Superb tutorial, thanks. At 3:40 you start doing twiddly chords and I can't work out how to 'break them up' at all. You say to look at part 4 (I assume) for a fancier way, but the part 4 way is the same as the intro. I think either:
1) I'm looking in the wrong place for the fancy method; or
2) The intro method *is* the fancy way, in which case shall I use that? It sounds okay but lacks variety using it again.
I'm a total amateur and can't read sheets so this is pure gold.
Okay, I checked the video, and I think what you might be looking for is part 3, how to play the Upper octave verse.. It's the part that leads into the second verse between the choruses. Take a look at that one and see if it's what you need. If not, let me know!
The intro tutorial is on my channel in the Billy Joel tutorials playlist. On that line, you just play the chords as I listed them... the bass notes go on the first beat, then the right hand notes go on the other two beats.
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. If you don't want to sing, you can play it the same way, just include the melody line that was in the intro. I didn't post the entire melody, but some of it is there in the intro.
Wow! You are such a great paino Guru! Piano Man is one of my favorite songs but I never got to play it as nice as it sounds on air. Thanks to you, I think I'l play it better this time. Well, probably not as flawless as you do; I'l settle for just better. It is really so much easier to learn something if I can see and hear it. I really enjoyed your video tutorial. Thanks very much for sharing your awesome talent Mr Piano (Man) John 113. The divine force is with you. :)
ok first of all, i really liked the video, your a HUGE help, buti see that u r playing almost if not all of the chords in your right hand as 7nths, and, i am not as advanced a piano as you, and i find that a little hard, but i can play it as just triats, and with evrything else going on in the left hand, it sounds almost the same but easier to play, i was wondering if playing it with the 7nths is the way billy joel plays it, because i got the sheet music, and it didnt say to play them as 7ths
In general, he plays the songs using four-note chords, although not all the time. I use them because I like the fuller sound that they give. But you can certainly use triads, no problem.
Most of the sheet music lists no more than three notes per chord, which I htink is more just a case of laziness on the part of the transcribers.. they very rarely show it the way Billy Joel does.
Hi this vid is great and challenging, i already learned the intro already, but the main part is tough, John, can you put the notes in this tutorial. It would be great if u can do it. Thanks
I do it differently each time, but one easier way is to play the thumb note first (C), then alternate back and forth with the other three notes (E-G-C). That can also be done with the F/C chord, breaking up the F chord in the same way.
The verses repeat throughout the song, and from where this video ends, it just goes back to the start. In this case, the "start" is the beginning segment of this video.
Hey thanks for these videos they really helped. Though I have one question, at the end you say then it all repeats, I was just wondering from where does it repeat, and how many times till the end part?
People often request this song and i previously did not know how to play it. But now thanks to you i can! Thanks again Pianojohn!! Incidentally, is there any chance of you doing a video for either 'american pie' or 'somebody to love?'
Actually, you still need to play both hands there.. If you have the harmonica, then you should play exactly the same chords for both hands that you play on the main chorus.. i.e., where the lyric is "sing us a song, you're the piano man..." The harmonica would take the place of the vocals.
Slap me and call me silly but I can't find where that is at. That was a good question by rockzzmysockz about the chords with the harmonica. Just a bit confused on where to find that section in your tutorials.
It would be in the section where I talk about how to play the first verse.. where the lyric goes, "It's 9:00 on a Saturday.." You would play the same notes on the piano, but instead of singing, you play the harmonica there.
I'd reference the exact spot on the video, but I can't load it from where I am at the moment.. I'll try to remember to check this evening.
I got a little sidtracked so I couldn't re-ask this earlier but I still can't find that part on the video where it's the chores kicks in. around minute 4 when you go onto second verse? I've really looked. It should be after Oh, la la-la da-di-dah correct? Sometimes I swear up and down that I can't find something but it's in front of me. I haven't learned the entire lesson yet (I'm furthering into it today) but I've looked everywhere. and can't find. LOL HELP!
You're right, I did check and couldn't find it either.. And I remember now, the reason was because I would just be repeating the exact same sequence as the verse.. The melody and chords of the chorus are the same. So once you learn the verse, you have also learned the chorus.. just sing different lyrics.
Hope that makes sense.. and thanks for pointing that out to me, because I'd forgotten that I'd done that!
Just a suggestion, but to make it easier you could make a quick video of you whistling or humming the harmonica part and playing the piano part. Good vids though ty.
The only good sheet music is written by the original performer or with the original performer. Anything else can veer off in any number of any directions.
Just a closer look from the broken up keys b4 memory AND the oh, la, la-la, da-di-dah parts... its kind of hard to follow in those parts but other wise great!
Maybe you should just rewind the video. Sometimes he goes quite fast, so I find it helpful just to watch the same part over and over again, until I know it.
when you get to the A in the left hand, shouldn't the chord be A E A rather than A F A? it sounds wrong to me
Bananalisk 2 weeks ago
@Bananalisk No, A-E-A would make it an A minor chord. A-F-A is F/A, the inverted F major chord with A in the bass.
pianojohn113 1 week ago
@pianojohn113 thanks!
Bananalisk 1 week ago
Are u Billie Joel's relative??
j0ej0nasrocks98 1 month ago
Really useful.
AwesomepianoTURTLES 1 month ago
Awesome.
AwesomepianoTURTLES 1 month ago
@AwesomepianoTURTLES Thanks. :-)
pianojohn113 1 month ago
dude...your videos help me get soooo much pussy..thanks man
nextalexklein 1 month ago 7
@nextalexklein Glad you like them, thanks!
pianojohn113 1 month ago
Thank you for your videos! You really are amazing for taking the time to teach others this wonderful piece. Playing something good is one thing, teaching it is the landmark of a good pianist ;)
462410doctor 1 month ago
@462410doctor Very happy to do it for you, hope you have fun with it!
pianojohn113 1 month ago
Wow these are terrific videos!! Your awesome for taking the time for make them to help others :)
TopGunTommay 1 month ago
@TopGunTommay Happy to do them for you. Glad you enjoy them. :-)
pianojohn113 1 month ago
I'm confused, is the right hand the part that is normally played with the harmonica?
ahauntedtrainman 1 month ago
@ahauntedtrainman Yes, the RH part in the intro section and in the intra-verse sections.
pianojohn113 1 month ago
This is my favorite song EVER! I want to learn it on the piano, and ur the only one with the most acurate videos., But PLEASE slow down and talk about what your doing and the ORDER you hit the notes in. I hear, g flat, b flat, a flat, but I still dont understand.
CottonCandy146 2 months ago
Hey John, I just wanted to say that these are fantastic videos, I don't play piano that well but, have wanted to play this song for ages. Now I'm sure I'll be able to with your lessons!!! Thanks Jason
jasonsimmons30 4 months ago in playlist More videos from pianojohn113
@jasonsimmons30 Very happy to help you out, Jason!
pianojohn113 4 months ago
What a terrific tutorial! It's hard to find tutorials that are actually for playing and singing instead of just playing the melody, or tutorials that actually go into details like fills and riffs. This does both! Awesome. If I could make one request it would be helpful if you added (in description or annotations) what the chords are, including the bass note. I.e. somewhere just listing "C, G/B, F/A, etc" so someone can keep it straight at a glance.
bagelmanb 4 months ago
@bagelmanb Glad you liked it, thanks. This was one of the older vids, before You Tube did annotations, so that's why they're not on there. I do need to go through the older ones and annotate them, though, I think it makes learning it much easier.
pianojohn113 4 months ago
Is this in the wrong key relative to the video on youtube: billy joel 'pianoman' original video'?
Onbekend1980 4 months ago
@Onbekend1980 No, they're both in the key of C. The original video sounds a bit sped up, for some reason.
pianojohn113 4 months ago
Hey john! excellent tutorial but can you elaborate on the fill part that goes from the harmonica part onto the "son can you...". maby slower and a more precise tutorial. its the only part im having trouble with!
thanks!
surfingboy13 4 months ago
@surfingboy13 The best thing to do there is to break up the C and F chords in the RH into individual notes over those four measures. I have another video on the fills in my Billy Joel Tutorials playlist, which might include that one, I can't recall.
pianojohn113 4 months ago
@MJBGothHippie your just a beginner once your more advanced you'll get it its actually quite easy
painokitos 5 months ago
Billy Joel is the only person who can sing "La di da" and make it pretty.
ihatecolereynolds 5 months ago
Hello :) If I din't play the chords without four notes, just having triad chords, would it still work as well ??
jmasters24 6 months ago
@jmasters24 Yes, 3-note chords works just as well. You can leave off either the top or bottom note in the right hand, but in the left hand, you should play the lower note whenever possible (leave off the top note there).
pianojohn113 5 months ago
@pianojohn113 Ok thank you! Need to learn this for my GCSE Music Concert :S
jmasters24 5 months ago
you need one video of you playing it start to finish so we can see how the different parts connect together. For a beginner piano student like most of us are (no lessons) its tough to put all these together with good rhythm until we hear it. btw you're not a bad singer dont be so hard on yourself ha. Anyway this is a pretty helpful video set.
TheTheKingOfCrash7 6 months ago
very nice!
professorchaos111 7 months ago
Your tutorial is very helpful. I've never had a piano lesson in my life and I can play up to the end of this one so far. It's a little confusing for me with the chords and stuff because I don't really have a clue where all those are but I manage. =D Heck, I'm even learning some of that stuff by watching! Plus, I'm a little confused how some of the transitions work out, but thanks for your help with it!!
Beviedev 7 months ago 3
@Beviedev That's great, I'm glad this helped you. Good job learning it without any piano lessons!
pianojohn113 7 months ago
Its so much easier than with sheet music. This is the forth song I've learned just from your videos. Great teacher!!!!
tripA9sox 8 months ago
@tripA9sox like if u agree
tripA9sox 8 months ago
thanks! i played this for my senior solo! /watch?v=rWKICdNhMDw
MonsterManFilms 8 months ago
You're tutorial is really clear!
For school I had to find out the music by myself, but with a little help from your video it was much easier! ;)
fiedeltje 8 months ago
you should put the letters over the top like you did in the intro
gasstoff 8 months ago
Lol thought my headphones were broken and panicked. The sound appears to come out of only the left headphone does this happen with anyone else?
kickeddog1 9 months ago 7
@kickeddog1 The older videos were recorded in mono, sorry about that. Wasn't an issue when You Tube was also mono, but is noticeable now.
pianojohn113 9 months ago
@kickeddog1 yes
Jakeydabroha 8 months ago
really enjoying learning this song but having a bit of trouble with some chords, would be a bit more helpful if you put the notes up as you play. like you did a bit in the intro.
thanks for the tutorial tho :)
kim4412345 10 months ago
Thanks!
Do you have this as sheet music?
Ishcoa 10 months ago
@Ishcoa Not at the moment, no.
pianojohn113 10 months ago
Mate I love your attention to detail, I wanna learn how to play songs how they were written, not the easy way...Thanks...
smd77100 11 months ago
what time is this in?
MaximusAsian 11 months ago
@MaximusAsian 3/4
TheEternallifeskater 10 months ago
I love you pianojohn! ♥
MissPennyLoafers 11 months ago
very cool, for you i´m learning piano. thanks teacher!!
martysixfingers 11 months ago
Thank you a lot for the video. I ' ve never thought I could ever manage to play this song. Thanks a lot.
You think you could make a tutorial of Elton John's "Country comforts" and Billy Joel's "Honesty"?
Thank you again
pianomurray 1 year ago
@pianomurray Elton's publishers are making me put a hold on his tutorials, but I've got "Honesty" on the list, so I should have that one done at some point soon.
pianojohn113 1 year ago
I just learned to play it on the harmonica... Now Comes the piano....
DodecahedronHead 1 year ago
Derrrrr
27Knicks 1 year ago
Are you a teacher?
youkaisayaka 1 year ago
OK, this is great. ...one question though if you don't mind..... if you do have a harmonica and can play it......what do you do on the piano during that ?....i assume the left stays during that? anything on the right?
Thanks for these.... GM
pmgm2 1 year ago
@pmgm2 If I'd kept reading I would have found it. apologies for clogging it up. for anybody else... to quote roughly...".if playing the harmonica play both hands on piano as if in the 'sing us a song...etc." the harmonica takes the place of the vocal." Thanks. not sure if I can do that, but will take a hack at it.
pmgm2 1 year ago
@pmgm2 No problem, I get that question a lot. I probably should have explained how to do that when I did the original video. I may add a separate video on it in the future, since so many have asked about it.
pianojohn113 1 year ago
So i'm guessing that you just figure this out by listening to "Piano Man" over and over, right? If that's the case you are a very skilled musician, and I thank you very much for putting these up!!! Excellent work.
roger69z 1 year ago 2
Hey, thanks SO much for this tutorial, I can't help but play it every time I sit down at a piano! Going through some music on my ipod and found american pie by dom maclean, which i love. Please please please could you do a tutorial for that.
P.s please can you possibly do one for fairytale of new york by the pogues too since xmas is round the corner!
p.p.s Thanks again, youre so so talented!
greg6iD 1 year ago
@greg6iD Glad you like the vids, thanks! I'll have American Pie posted eventually.. have to find the time to get it done.
pianojohn113 1 year ago
awesome vids, thnx! can you do And So It Goes by Billy Joel? once i finish this one, i'm gonna take a look at Lullabye, then i want to learn that one. i'm a little slow, mainly because i don't have a lot of time, but also because i'm sort of and amatuer. everything i know is either self taught, learned out of a book, or off of youtube. My stepdad walked by the other day while i was playing, and he said it was scary, 'cause i sounded alomst exactly like Billy, thnx!
horizonsaddict 1 year ago
@horizonsaddict Hey, self-taught is a great way to go, good job! "And So It Goes" is a little harder to teach on a video (sort of like "Lullabye") because of the complexity and sheer number of chords (lots of 2nd, sus4, and 9th chords). It's always in the back of my mind, though.
pianojohn113 1 year ago
Hey John, would you think other people that are experienced in music would be ashamed to learn a song this way, without sheet music?
I mean, really, there IS no sheet music that I can find the original song from, so I guess it wouldn't or shouldn't be frowned upon?
Great videos, by the way!
Thanks!
GarrysModLover100 1 year ago
@GarrysModLover100 I actually think it's better to learn it without the sheet music, because that gives you a lot more freedom to play it the way you want to.
pianojohn113 1 year ago
the sound on this doesnt work, i tried watchin other videos and the sound was fine, then i searched yours and i cant hear it
judomasta404 1 year ago
@judomasta404 Put the balance tab on the computer's main speaker panel right in the middle, and you should hear it just fine.
pianojohn113 1 year ago
I dont agree, they're just chords in sequence ,try writing down the notes
tailendcharlie 1 year ago
i feel like you went a little too fast on this video
pianokidAJD 1 year ago
the lalala didida part starts off a little too fast to follow
greensunup 1 year ago
hey, do you think you could possibly put one of these up learning to play 'the day the music died' piano parts (because i know there is guitar as well) by Don McLean. thanks so much for your other videos, by the way, they have been really useful and this song is my dad's all time favourite, he was really surprised when he heard me playing. haha
path2laugh 1 year ago
@path2laugh That's "American Pie," and yes, I should have that one posted here eventually. Good to know your dad liked your rendition of this one!
pianojohn113 1 year ago
** i mean, an unedited video. not need for notes on top, just explaining slower
sim09678 1 year ago
whats hard to follow is the end bridge part but ill probably get it before you respond to this comment but would making another video just about that bridge take less time than putting annotations on every note? it looks like annotations would take a lot of time,but i don"t know how long it takes you to make a video for that.
sim09678 1 year ago
@sim09678 Annotations take some time, but making a new video would probably take even longer. My plan is to eventually add annotations to all of the "older" videos I posted a few years ago, so we'll see if that happens!
pianojohn113 1 year ago
Hey pianojohn113 I just wanna say thanks for the tutorials! I started out with easy stuff like imagine and now here I am playing Billy Joel! So you pretty much taught me to play!! Thanks Your Awesome:D
elrais2 1 year ago
this video is great but it's kind of hard to follow the "lalaladidida" part. do you think you could put the notes in on speech bubbles or something?
greensunup 1 year ago
@greensunup Yes, I really need to annotate the entire seris on this song, since I didn't have the capability to do that when I first did this video. If I can find the time to get it done, I'll do that.
pianojohn113 1 year ago
@pianojohn113 leading into the lalaladidida part, you say to play a 'b'. is that just the note b for one beat, or three beats like the c before it?
greensunup 1 year ago
@greensunup It's just on one beat, like a passing note. It's beat number 3, after two beats of the C chord.
pianojohn113 1 year ago
man thak you but it was easier to learn when the notes were written on top of the keyboard still best tutorial out there :)
sim09678 1 year ago
@sim09678 Yeah, I didn't have the ability to put on-screen notes on the older videos.. I may add You Tube annotations at some point.
pianojohn113 1 year ago
Hey do you think you can make this into a sheet? I really like your way better than most other online sheets
Mbark991 1 year ago
this is great stuff. you made it so easy to learn. Keep up buddy
Davileanc 1 year ago
you are awesome! I didn't think I could play this piece decently, but after I watched this and messed with the notes for a bit, I think I have my own rendition. thank you :))
zlytherin 1 year ago
im learning how to play this on my computer piano lolz
paintballerIRONMEN96 1 year ago
Hey man you are a good teacher I would like to know if you can be a good piano player without reading music as I learn visually and play by ear but would like to be able to play in alot of styles.
WaynePan1 1 year ago
@WaynePan1 Absolutely you can be a great piano player without learning how to read music. Knowing sheets is very helpful, but it's certainly not necessary.
pianojohn113 1 year ago
Thank you for all your video, I just finish Hey Jude this morning and I think I would do this song next.
Ocinvrah 1 year ago
Thanks a ton. Your series of tutorials were brilliant. I tried to learn to play this song by ear, but it just wasn't sounding right. Now i know why. And your solo tutorial was so helpful. i never even knew where to start when learning it on my own
thecodyhenry 1 year ago
Way too fast gets my frustrated : /
Maldric 1 year ago
Hmm.. I really find these tutorials helpful, but this particular video in your series has me stuck. I've learned the intro to Piano Man, the intro to Let It Be, as well as some technique so far. However, this one is a bit more confusing for me... When it gets to 2:42, you start using your right thumb for the beat, but it's just too fast for me to figure out how all your fingers are synchronizing in relation to each other. (And it sounds like crap when I play it, even though it "looks" the same.)
no1unorightnow 1 year ago
It does take some work to get it just right, and the technique of keeping the beat with the left hand is just something I kind of developed over time. Don't get discouraged, though. I think if you learn the chords first, and are comfortable playing the transitions, the rhythmic part will soon follow. Just be patient with yourself.. my performance of this song is the result of many years of practice, patience, trial and error!
pianojohn113 1 year ago
Your tutorials must be the best on YouTube. Simply excellent.
Leynthris 1 year ago
way too confusing
abcdemilyrenee 1 year ago
great tutorial! very clear, and easy to understand
bredstik121790 1 year ago 2
ok, is it just my computer or is the sound not working on any of your piano man videos??
rideswind44 2 years ago
It's a little of both.. The old videos were done on a mono recorder, which wasn't a problem until YouTube started broadcasting in stereo. The sound is on the other channel. Plug your speakers into the other channel (right or left, whichever one it's not in now) and it should work.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
Well, it still didn't work. i don't think my computer has another sound channel, cuz i checked and I only saw one. But thanks for lettin me know :]
rideswind44 2 years ago
Oh, sorry about that.. weird, stereo speakers should work okay.. let me know if you do get the sound going.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
I have that problem too
TinyTimmeh 1 year ago
hey this is a brilliant video for people to learn piano man well done, but im finding it hard to tell where the parts come into this, if there is anyway to learn this easier can you please tell me but overall this is an exelent video, well done
Jon171195 2 years ago
If you're comfortable with sheet music, that might be helpful.. There are lots of sheets with this song available.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
Superb tutorial, thanks. At 3:40 you start doing twiddly chords and I can't work out how to 'break them up' at all. You say to look at part 4 (I assume) for a fancier way, but the part 4 way is the same as the intro. I think either:
1) I'm looking in the wrong place for the fancy method; or
2) The intro method *is* the fancy way, in which case shall I use that? It sounds okay but lacks variety using it again.
I'm a total amateur and can't read sheets so this is pure gold.
ladiescoatlover 2 years ago
Okay, I checked the video, and I think what you might be looking for is part 3, how to play the Upper octave verse.. It's the part that leads into the second verse between the choruses. Take a look at that one and see if it's what you need. If not, let me know!
pianojohn113 2 years ago
and how does it work with the
its nine o clock... line?
rednaxelaka 2 years ago
The intro tutorial is on my channel in the Billy Joel tutorials playlist. On that line, you just play the chords as I listed them... the bass notes go on the first beat, then the right hand notes go on the other two beats.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
i mean the intro
rednaxelaka 2 years ago
How do ypu play the song if you don't want to sing to it?
could you please make a tutorial of that...
i can play the tutorial now and i think your teaching is absolutely amzing
Greetings from Germany
rednaxelaka 2 years ago
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. If you don't want to sing, you can play it the same way, just include the melody line that was in the intro. I didn't post the entire melody, but some of it is there in the intro.
Greetings to you in Germany from California, USA!
pianojohn113 2 years ago
I havent stopped singing and playing piano man for over a week!! (or at least trying to!!) i love it!!.. thanks for this its top stuff!!
nealmcevoy 2 years ago 8
That's great! I'm glad you've gotten so much enjoyment out of it! Keep up the good work.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
I really appreciate your attention to detail and effort completing this video for all of us piano novices. Very well done.
dgarcia2xx7 2 years ago
Thanks, dgarcia2xx7, I appreciate it! Glad you liked it.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
Wow! You are such a great paino Guru! Piano Man is one of my favorite songs but I never got to play it as nice as it sounds on air. Thanks to you, I think I'l play it better this time. Well, probably not as flawless as you do; I'l settle for just better. It is really so much easier to learn something if I can see and hear it. I really enjoyed your video tutorial. Thanks very much for sharing your awesome talent Mr Piano (Man) John 113. The divine force is with you. :)
rbmxel 2 years ago
I'm happy to be of service to you on this song.. If you have any questions on it, just let me know. Enjoy!
pianojohn113 2 years ago
how do you play the verse, "sing us a song your the piano man, sing us a song tonight. is it the same as the main part? thanks
fuman230 2 years ago
Yes, you play it exactly the same way as the verses.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
Thanks so much for taking the time to show us. I like your videos very much.
musikhavok44 2 years ago
I just cant get to stretch these four note chords PJ so have to use triads...have to compromise
davidjoanne98 2 years ago
ok first of all, i really liked the video, your a HUGE help, buti see that u r playing almost if not all of the chords in your right hand as 7nths, and, i am not as advanced a piano as you, and i find that a little hard, but i can play it as just triats, and with evrything else going on in the left hand, it sounds almost the same but easier to play, i was wondering if playing it with the 7nths is the way billy joel plays it, because i got the sheet music, and it didnt say to play them as 7ths
ixisxawesome 2 years ago
In general, he plays the songs using four-note chords, although not all the time. I use them because I like the fuller sound that they give. But you can certainly use triads, no problem.
Most of the sheet music lists no more than three notes per chord, which I htink is more just a case of laziness on the part of the transcribers.. they very rarely show it the way Billy Joel does.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
I can keep up, but i do like the notes above the piano.. but its ok:)
bartonpiano1992 2 years ago
Great song, great teacher. Thanks John!
ledge100000 2 years ago
Thanks, ledge!
pianojohn113 2 years ago
Hi this vid is great and challenging, i already learned the intro already, but the main part is tough, John, can you put the notes in this tutorial. It would be great if u can do it. Thanks
fuman230 2 years ago
I may try to do that if I can get the timing and location of the notes right. Good suggestion, thanks!
pianojohn113 2 years ago
in 3:46 to 4:14, how do you break up the C?
fuman230 2 years ago 2
I do it differently each time, but one easier way is to play the thumb note first (C), then alternate back and forth with the other three notes (E-G-C). That can also be done with the F/C chord, breaking up the F chord in the same way.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
good teacher
BorderlineMusic1 2 years ago 17
The verses repeat throughout the song, and from where this video ends, it just goes back to the start. In this case, the "start" is the beginning segment of this video.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
Okay, thanks
TheKlepto123 2 years ago
Hey thanks for these videos they really helped. Though I have one question, at the end you say then it all repeats, I was just wondering from where does it repeat, and how many times till the end part?
TheKlepto123 2 years ago
People often request this song and i previously did not know how to play it. But now thanks to you i can! Thanks again Pianojohn!! Incidentally, is there any chance of you doing a video for either 'american pie' or 'somebody to love?'
SamuelHawke 2 years ago 2
In which video is the fill part at 1:06? I've gone through the intro one already and I don't remember it.
danfly89 2 years ago
It is in the video : "Billy Joel - How To Play Piano Man "fill" part"
McAvro 2 years ago
I CAN´T HEAR
jqk69 2 years ago
rofl
ImADorkYay 2 years ago
wait, what is the bridge or something at like 1:19 ?
speedboarder4christ 2 years ago
im sorry but wheni tried to hit pause i clicked that rate thing it i rated poor srry this a great vid tho
rbcrazyriderrb 2 years ago 3
hey pianojohn113, if i can play the harmonica part do i only play the left hand and not the right??
rockzzmysockz 2 years ago
Actually, you still need to play both hands there.. If you have the harmonica, then you should play exactly the same chords for both hands that you play on the main chorus.. i.e., where the lyric is "sing us a song, you're the piano man..." The harmonica would take the place of the vocals.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
ooo ok.. thanks!!
your tutorials are the best ive seen!!
keep it up!! =]
rockzzmysockz 2 years ago
Slap me and call me silly but I can't find where that is at. That was a good question by rockzzmysockz about the chords with the harmonica. Just a bit confused on where to find that section in your tutorials.
dormanbenton 2 years ago
It would be in the section where I talk about how to play the first verse.. where the lyric goes, "It's 9:00 on a Saturday.." You would play the same notes on the piano, but instead of singing, you play the harmonica there.
I'd reference the exact spot on the video, but I can't load it from where I am at the moment.. I'll try to remember to check this evening.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
I got a little sidtracked so I couldn't re-ask this earlier but I still can't find that part on the video where it's the chores kicks in. around minute 4 when you go onto second verse? I've really looked. It should be after Oh, la la-la da-di-dah correct? Sometimes I swear up and down that I can't find something but it's in front of me. I haven't learned the entire lesson yet (I'm furthering into it today) but I've looked everywhere. and can't find. LOL HELP!
dormanbenton 2 years ago
You're right, I did check and couldn't find it either.. And I remember now, the reason was because I would just be repeating the exact same sequence as the verse.. The melody and chords of the chorus are the same. So once you learn the verse, you have also learned the chorus.. just sing different lyrics.
Hope that makes sense.. and thanks for pointing that out to me, because I'd forgotten that I'd done that!
pianojohn113 2 years ago
ah, okay. Totally! Yeah that makes sense to me. Same as the first/second verse. Thanks!
D.B.
dormanbenton 2 years ago
Just a suggestion, but to make it easier you could make a quick video of you whistling or humming the harmonica part and playing the piano part. Good vids though ty.
SharpTurnsNYourWords 2 years ago
That's a good idea, thanks!
pianojohn113 2 years ago
your tutorials are the best!!!
you help a lot!!
thanks!!!
rockzzmysockz 2 years ago 2
Glad you liked it!
pianojohn113 2 years ago
I always thought it was son can you play me a melody
ChrisDude13 2 years ago
this is great for a beginner like me.... can you do a lesson of a Tom Waits song like On The Nickel
woolyxoctober 2 years ago
The only good sheet music is written by the original performer or with the original performer. Anything else can veer off in any number of any directions.
SGFVampwulf 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
i have the sheet music infront of me..
what ever youre teaching is wrong :/
sounds good
but not what he wrote
MCRmyINO 2 years ago
The sheet music is wrong.. this one's correct. In fact, most sheet music is wrong to an alarming degree.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
big time, especially the intro, its hard getting the real Piano Man Sheet, In Fact it hard getting any sheet at all
CocksGunProductions 2 years ago 8
@CocksGunProductions it is... :)
donutfever 1 year ago
Pleaseeee post a tutorial for the beatles song Piggies if possible, would be very grateful.
inarmswestorm 2 years ago
Good idea.. I'll add it to the list for you.
pianojohn113 2 years ago
Just a closer look from the broken up keys b4 memory AND the oh, la, la-la, da-di-dah parts... its kind of hard to follow in those parts but other wise great!
mcstolle 2 years ago
Great Help... One snag. I need help with the son can you play me a memory (when you break up the c and f chords)
mcstolle 2 years ago
you go really fast for beginers. can you plz do a video lk note by note? thanks.
youre really goooood ! :D
kittyluver101 2 years ago
learn to play then learn this
chrispop65 2 years ago
Ya for $200.
You just gotta replay every part 10-20 times until you have it
cowtuber 2 years ago
Hey, it beats an impatient teacher that charges $300 a month.
SnippetChaos 2 years ago
thank you!!! this helps so much!
colzhara 2 years ago
You rock man! Thanks for taking the time to make this video.. Really easy to follow along with your others!
bryguy07 3 years ago 2
Your voice is great :D
so is your teaching.
Frogon 3 years ago
Thanks!
pianojohn113 3 years ago
Please help!!! I have no sound!! Just learned the intro and now I can't learn the most important part :-(
Have you guys the same problem?
inkontinentius 3 years ago
I found the solution:
the movie has just the right audio channel. But I have just one box on my pc...and it used the left channel of my sound card.
inkontinentius 3 years ago
are you a piano teacher because you should be
soccerskillz445 3 years ago
nice work its very helpful
soccerskillz445 3 years ago
thank you for posting this i apreciate this but.........you mind slowing down a teensy bit at 3;44 i didnt get that part to well
funkeymokey89 3 years ago
Maybe you should just rewind the video. Sometimes he goes quite fast, so I find it helpful just to watch the same part over and over again, until I know it.
DarkDavie 3 years ago
Youre a legend.......thankyou so much
MrSamsa01 3 years ago
this tutorial is amazing...along with the intro...you do an awesome job of splitting it up and showing how to play it. thanks!
danwstark 3 years ago
great video
1zaq2xsw3cde4vfr5bgt 3 years ago