Billy Joel's New York State of Mind

[BrokenTool98]

Thank God for you! I've been looking for this exact version for ages. I wanna do this song for my school's talent show and I finally got the version I needed. Thank you so much and AMAZING job with this song:)

[pianojohn113]

@BrokenTool98 Glad you found it! Let me know how the talent show goes!

[Sherpaful]

I only wish I could play piano like you, but my dog sings better than you.

[razorslice17]

Joke's over. Show your face Billy.

[pianojohn113]

@razorslice17 lol, thanks.  :-)

[jubkip]

pop a flight!

hehe nice voice!

[heyimhuman]

i love you. full homo.

[thez5]

Movin Out please please. You are the best at piano and want to learn it from you.

[WorldChange09]

Your videos are much appreciated, John.

I've learned several songs from you.

[pianojohn113]

@WorldChange09 Glad to have helped you out!

[rhythmsurf3r]

OMG! the sheet music!!!

I love you John! no homo ^^

[losbajitos2]

Thanks!!! for the sheet music and greetings from Orlando fl, god bless you!!!

[pianojohn113]

@losbajitos2 Very glad you liked it, thanks!

[ebtent]

ur possibly the greatest piano player ever. on utube... ur the best man. i thank u for being awesome and teaching people how to play. ur amazing dude. thanks.

[pianojohn113]

@ebtent I appreciate the kind words, thanks very much. Very glad you like my videos.

[ebtent]

@pianojohn113: whenever i need 2 learn a song, i type in pianojohn113. my piano is littered with ur sheet music. ur an inspiration. (an u reply to vid comments)

[nubcakehero]

thanks for the sheet music buddy. great job

[DavePlays4Jesus]

Hey man, you play and sing very nice ! its not very easy to reach the notes in this song, because they are very high, but you already know that :) I am very grateful for the sheet music :) thanks and greetings from Germany !

Dave

[MaSteMaSha]

thank you sssooooo much for the piano sheet music!! 

[WashburnD10]

I salute you sir. Excellent piano!

[Tizo25]

I saw a comment about the key being hard to sing. I TOTALLY AGREE. I'm glad I'm not the only one who has trouble singing in the same key as Billy Joel. I'm a 26 year old guy and I start to sound like a 12 year old boy.

[pianojohn113]

@Tizo25 Yep, I know what you mean.  It's impossible for me to do this one vocally anymore. I did it on this video because it didn't sound right without the vocals, but even Billy Joel has lowered it a full step in order to reach the notes.

[CaptainShmiggenns]

@Tizo25 yeah that high "A" is killer

[TheEmochild911]

Thanks for the charts

[slyvester117]

OMG this was awesome..............Hey man slow it down , lower your voice a tad and i may not be able to tell the diffrence bewteen you and Joel.

[danfloun]

Hey,

Good work but please, please post in stereo!.

Mix the channels if you must, but don't take us back to the back ol' days of mono....

Cheers

Danny

[pianojohn113]

@danfloun Yeah, that's a problem with the older videos.. I can't really re-post them, unfortunately. I just had to work with the equipment on hand at the time.

[jleeX3]

to be fair man - i really like your singing with the song. I think the cover would be lacking without it. You make it your own, nice falsetto voice --- true, that one high note in the verse is tough -- but i like it. it's unique and refreshing. keep singing, sir. it's a real badass rendition. and the piano- well, that goes without saying.

[Streetracingpunk72]

Tad bit fast, but really really good playing. I won't comment on the vocals; there is no point beating a dead horse. Other than that 5/5!

[oreonyamnyam]

very niceeeee :'(

but but but i envy youuu..

i download your sheet, and its diffiiicuulltt :((

but its amazing.. the tune very nice :D

[joelweisberg]

Hi pianojohn. I apologize for knocking your singing. You make an earnest attempt. I have been playing the keys and singing in Chicago for 35 yrs. Much better singer than pianist. I try to sing over my blown notes on the piano. I've made a decent living at it. See me sing on You Tube under the name Joel Barry. I was trained in opera. I sing Nessun Dorma on Tube. I envy your talent on the piano John. I'll be watching for more. Bravo! Joel

[pianojohn113]

@joelweisberg No worries, Joel.. I make no claims to sounding anything like Billy Joel, or even Billy Bob Thornton, for that matter. I just enjoy singing along to certain songs, and this is one of them. But piano, of course, is my focus. I'll check out your channel, thanks for alerting me to it.

Side note re Chicago: I used to live in Hoffman Estates as a kid, and played my first piano "gig" at a basement Christmas show there as a 5-year-old in 1968. Ah, the memories.

[Loejyrrab]

Great playing but bag the vocals

[joelweisberg]

Sorry pianojohn, love your piano stylings but the vocals, oh brother, chalk on the proverbial blackboard. You must know that. Take some vocal training. You can improve. But bravo on the keys!!!

[pianojohn113]

@joelweisberg Glad you like the piano, thanks. The vocals: well, this isn't an episode of American Idol, so vocal training is completely unnecessary. I get a lot of joy from both playing AND singing this song, so that's what I did. I encourage others to ignore the critics and do the same.

[TheGuyThatSaysStuff]

Funnily enough, pianojohn lives on the other side of the world, is most likely unknown for piano playing, but if i'm asked who is one of my favourite players- this man comes to mind! fair play!

[2OQP]

One standard way to mike a grand is to put the mike upright, face up, under the far end. about 6 inches below the sound table, about a foot in. It becomes less sensitive to the room acoustics..

[Wade3Brad6]

OUTSTANDING! Sounds just like Billy! If Not Better!

Just wondering what mic you use to record and where you place it? Cheers, Brad!

[SuperKarend]

F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-c

[ADEDet]

that song is sexy lol

[metagdp]

good job

[stevenmarty]

dude, did you found the sheet music on the web? I want to learn the beginning of og the song

[pianojohn113]

No, I've been playing this song for many years, even before the days of the internet. But I do have a tutorial video on the intro on my channel, if that's what you're looking for.

[Cooraz1]

Thanks for your tutorial i know the whole intro now, if u could teach the rest of the song that would be awesome, learning it from u is like learning songs the way they should be, your GREAT!!!! ps, i'm still waiting on Meat Loaf, Two out of three aint bad lol

[jazzman521]

Awesome job man!! You've helped me a lot in learning all those passing tones that billy and elton do so much.

[music4fusion]

SOOOOO AWSOME>>>THANX:)

[foomandave]

thanks to your tutorial i have almost finished the intro youre amazing!

[Thecheesemistro]

you must get so much pussy

[kleinbogen]

@Thecheesemistro How do you know he likes pussies?

[Majestikpt]

one word... awesome!

ten words... Do you have sheets or do you learned by ears?

[pianojohn113]

Thanks! I learned this mostly by ear, but have consulted a few sheets over the years.. this is an amalgamation of all of those, but mostly just listening to it.

[spindrssd]

Love to see and hear how you play the Billy Joel classics. Keep it up! Greetings from the Netherlands! :)

[pianojohn113]

Thanks, glad you liked it!  :-)

[cwestmont]

nice job -

[pianojohn113]

Thank you! :-)

[HowinNY]

fantastic !!!!

[pianojohn113]

Thanks!

[soccerrocker9999]

I think you're an amazing piano teacher. Still, some really pisses me off. You do all these things her that you don't show us in the how to videos. The the third time you play the main part and the solo has jazzy things you never taught us. Just stating my opinion.

P.S. sorry about my wording in the second sentences

[pianojohn113]

Well, I play the song differently each time.. I add fills or do different things with chords depending on what I feel like playing. It would be almost impossible to explain each fill or chord progression without extending the length of the video by 30 or 40 minutes.

[soccerrocker9999]

I understand, it's just that you leave little details out. Like I said you never really explained how to do the solo. It's almost the same as the intro, but on the album there is slight jazzy variations that I was really hoping to learn.

[placesigopeopleimeet]

i've never heard the song this composed

bravo bravo bravo!

[pianojohn113]

Thanks very much!

[showbizfrank]

Great job on the keys see if we could merge my vocals and your piano work we could kick butt...lol

[pianojohn113]

I saw your video, great vocals! You've got that song down just right.

[loobagburst]

you're ability to sing and you're ability to play piano are inversely proportional!

[lennonfan123]

Hey John I was wondering if you can do a tutorial on nocture its off the cold spring harbor album

[bradleymarshallpiano]

Hey, every time I'm learning a new song, I go to your channel to find that song. Currently, I'm learning this song. I can relate to how you play it because I know that your version is probably the right music sheet and is, - of course, - played brilliantly. You're probably the best musician on you tube because I can analyze the fingering, the notes, and everything...

[pianojohn113]

Thanks very much! If you have any problems or questions on the song or the tutorial, just let me know.

[chopinjoelman91]

okay his voice is shaky..but really who cares...he makes up for it in skill on the black and white...that i say exceeds billy and elton and definantly mcartney...he bases off sheets but makes them his own with out screwing it up..id say he understands theory more than you can boast..so stop bashing someone who isnt an elitist ass hole like all the decent tutorialist on youtube

[pianoomar100]

What key is this song in?

[Doomsday704]

i think its based on F but moves around alot with jazzy progression

[chopinjoelman91]

i do believe it alternated between f minor and c??? jazz theory is interesting

[pianojohn113]

It's technically in C the entire song, although F makes an appearance in the bridge.. The keysignature, though, remains in C.

[freakostar13]

awesome job. :]

[armgarci]

I really love it. Nice Piano playing. Where did you get the music sheet?, have you got it?, could you send it to me. Thank you very much. Keep on playing and singin ;)

[pianojohn113]

Thanks! I don't have the sheets, but I saw what looked like accurate sheet music in Billy Joel Complete, Volume 1. It should also be in the Billy Joel Keyboard Book, which actually may be the most accurate version.

[PianoMan10]

Not everything is low bass note, chord, chords, stride playing...but otherwise, ok.

[smallfrya121]

everything is low bass with b.j.  i juat went t ohis concert march 5 and he is alot like him

[Narimatzu]

retard

[UFONightHawk]

Nice piano playin man!! All you need is a saxaphone player! Peace!!

[itsthatcrazyyanky]

not bad ,i grew up in hackensack nj and my dad took me to hear billy 1 night at a club in ny later i took my son to hear him was a very good night.thanks for posting brought back some good memories for me...

[jlaz89]

Great piano playing, i'd also love to know where you get your sheet music

[raptwice]

hey could you please tell me where you found the sheet music to this? because all the ones i found skip the piano solo in the beginning...

[sheerspeed]

master feelgood your an asshole

[pianojohn113]

No, I don't think I'll do that.

[skorn1999]

I actually kind of agree with masterfeelgood on this one, I like to listen to covers but when your looking for the original nothing can be more annoying than running into a cover.

[threadster]

oh for the LOVE OF GOD!!! it's YOU'RE not YOUR!!! nothing is more annoying than that. pianojohn, you nailed it. please tutorial this

[skorn1999]

(P)Thank you for proclaiming my lack of grammar with YOU'RE lack of grammar. I'm not writing a paper that needs to be turned in and graded, so who do you think I'm trying to impress?(P) I hope this comment has proper English because "for the LOVE OF GOD", I would hate to make such a common error and have to take the time to fix it.

(P)In conclusion I have come to a realization that threadster is a dick. He will point out any grammatical error that you may put on a comment page of YouTube.

[threadster]

oh no here we go

dude, "proclaiming"? wtf? im only talking to you... so... yeah sweet word choice.

anywho, i only point out bad grammar in people who whine and bitch ("nothing can be more annoying than") so i whine and bitch back at them. you're (lol) reaction tells me i annoyed the crap out of you. mission accomplished :P

[threadster]

oh wait i forgot- my main point (i got lost in your eyes): it's pretty obvious it's a cover from the picture- i don't think billy posts his own songs recorded from his home piano... or maybe he does, i don't know, please tell me either way

[JFelipe6]

damn so true, -.- the main image of the video tells you that it's a cover...

[JROCCmusician7]

dude your crazy good..

can you do a tutorial to this one please!!?

[sylviablues]

thank you .. great performance.. I am so sad..

[infktdwdevils]

may you please make a tutorial for this!!

[jessicat96]

dude, you could totally get that voice patented :D

[miketallica]

Could you do a tutorial on this song too?

[themanfromparis]

GOOD MAN!

[nausbomber]

that was awesome!

do u have any sheet music?

if so could you possibly send it to me?

thanks

[Palonkaszonk]

the sheet music is nothing like what he plays. He's improvised on it.

[tfranz93]

your awsome i learnd almost every song i know how to play from

[themanfromparis]

the laugh is about you, dear. HE just DID the song, and in a New York State of Mind, you give a F++K about how skilled you are a singer or not. HE sang it "just by the way", which is exactly what BJ did when inventing it. besides, he sang the song to give us an orientation. That, IJW1979, is the real cool way.

[gary900]

yeah youre right.

[flya750]

My favorite video by you... thanks...

[jobyjohnnson]

how bout a tutorial on this masterful piece?

[jlmiller01]

Hi John,

Would it be possible to do a tutorial of this song?

Jean Luc. Paris

[bakerkid56]

teddy is better

[bethay12]

this is really great..i've been playing since i was three and i can't play it like this. rock on pianojohn113

[Fanfardon]

I started playing this when I was 87. Now I am 103 and I play it even less well. Is there a lesson there? I personally don't care. I am presently occupied dorking women seventy years my junior. And THEY ARE LOVING IT.

[arawpao]

all of a sudden i'm a fan really you are good ... hope to hear more from you, keep it up.

[saxmanZZ]

superb playing

[picguy145]

got a real short video check it out and let me know what you think. been taking lessons for 4yrs. :)

[pianojohn113]

Just heard it, sounded great!

[picguy145]

Thx. Awsome playing hopefully i will learn to play this song soon.

[pianojohn113]

Thanks, it's a really fun song to play.

[danamazon]

THANKS JOHN for trying to make a tutorial of this song. I'm really looking forward to it!

[pianojohn113]

It still may get done, you never know! :-)

[Rasendori1377]

great piano playing just dont try and sing that high it kinda ruins it sorry. sing it an octave lower in your voice range.

[pianojohn113]

I know it's a bit high, even Billy Joel has trouble with it now. But how can you play it and not sing it?

[elainedues1]

Lovely playing; very expressive. Wonderful song.

[pianojohn113]

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[Cheftodd67]

Nicely done. Any chance of getting a turorial video posted on this song ??

[pianojohn113]

I started a tutorial on the intro a while back, but found it was harder to teach than I thought.. lots of improvisations, different notes, etc. I may try it again, though, since so many people have asked.

[giazro]

i can play it very much better

[pianojohn113]

So post a video.

[nbahoops0]

did u do anyother songs...

[pianojohn113]

Yes, just check my channel.. Lots of videos there.

[nbahoops0]

not bad really not bad at all....good lyrics 2 il this song problly better by billy joel no offense but still really good.....u kinda sound like elton john not bad at all...lol noce keep it up

[pianojohn113]

Thanks!

[MikeyT817]

You're a total badass on piano.

[pianojohn113]

lol, thanks!

[danamazon]

John, if you decide to make a tutorial of "New York State of Mind," please teach the version that Billy plays during the Masterclass concert. I have the clip from that concert on my favorites list. PLEASE MAKE THE TUTORIAL!!!

[Dontbustthecrust]

agreed.

[thestuvy]

i third this

[pianojohn113]

You are right, that master class was the best. I'll try to get that one done. Lots of requests for it anyway!

[gatoper]

Great taste for music!

I always enjoy your videos very much!

[pianojohn113]

Thanks!!

[britishbabe951]

Love it.

Since you don't have the sheet music for it, do you have the chord progressions written down perhaps? I'd love to learn how to play this song, but I can't find any music that isn't stupid easy.

[pianojohn113]

Yes, I keep thinking about doing a tutorial on it, although the last time I tried it seemed hopelessly complicated to explain in a short video. The sheet music that's out there on this is ridiculously bad, worse than many others for some reason.

When I get the time I'll take another shot at a tutorial for it.

[ficus1692]

great piano but ur voice sucks really bad. Record again when ur voice is recovered.

[pianojohn113]

I know the voice is not great, it's really too high for me to sing anymore.. But I can't play it without wanting to sing it, so that's the way it is.

[ficus1692]

ur not tupac, so thats not the "way it is"

[pianojohn113]

"tupac" doesn't sing, he talks. That IS the "way it is."

[ficus1692]

ill give you that. you have gained my respect.

[ilovecolinandbrad]

that wasn't too hard was it?

[thestuvy]

that was a great response pianojohn. tupac+terrible lyrics about ganstas killing each other=garbage music and no talent, simple as that. JOIN THE FIGHT TO END RAP NOW!!!THIS GARBAGE OF THE "MUSIC"(TALKING) INDUSTRY MUST END. ITS UTTERLY PATEHITIC THAT PEOPLE LIKE THAT STUFF!!! JOIN THE FIGHT TO END RAP!!SPREAD THE WORD!!!

[malkavianswfl]

Why don't you upload your own version so we can critique how talented you are in comparison?

[malkavianswfl]

The above comment was intended for ficus1692

[OtilioGuerra]

That was a rude comment from ficus 1692. John is an excellent singer, and has a wonderfull voice.

[shcorporation]

I totally agree, singing is an incredibly hard thing to do, and John does it extremely well. Well said!

[shcorporation]

You sing it better then you idiot

[shcorporation]

That was to ficus1692 by the way

[Narimatzu]

your an idiot, john is incredible for playing such a difficult song like this all the way through. so shut the fuck up because nobody cares you asshole

[shcorporation]

Well said

[pianoomar100]

How dare you say things like that about him. he is a professional pianist. I watched one of his videos, and they we're easy to follow, so I've never had a problem with them. Don't you appreciate what he's doing for people who want to learn to become musicians? Shame on you!

[mkvli420]

Awesome, you have got to do a tutorial for this.

[pianojohn113]

I may do one on this.. It's difficult to do with the chord changes and improvs, but I'll give it a shot soon.

[lalalamr]

stick to piano playing man this is amazing

[pianojohn113]

Playing the piano part is way easier than singing it. :-)

[hustlaz6]

Awesome.

[pianojohn113]

Thanks!

[borstie0511]

you must do a how to on this song. if you think its too long, put it into as many parts as you need. i have to learn to play this song.

[pianojohn113]

I started a tutorial on it, but it was pretty difficult to get through the intro with all of the improvisations and chords changes. I'll keep working on it, though!

[matcooper212]

this is awesome...i mean not one wrong note really....where do ya get the sheet music?

[pianojohn113]

I think the sheet music is available on a few different digital music websites.. I haven't had the sheets for this song for several years now, but the chords have stuck with me. It's a fun song to play!

[sverre4]

Love it!! :D

[pianojohn113]

Thanks very much!

[pollyo88]

nice job

[pianojohn113]

Thank you!

[markasda]

nice piano work

[pianojohn113]

Thanks!

[Grungle2007]

Mateeeeee... You have just inspired me to take up Piano again. Absolutely loved it!!!

[pianojohn113]

Thank you! Very nice to know it's inspired you to play.. that's one of my goals with these videos. Cheers!

[apparentlyamyclare]

five stars. this is great :).

[pianojohn113]

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[tiggermad]

your a brilliant piano player and your singing great too. i love this song

[pianojohn113]

Thanks a lot, I appreciate it! :-) I love this song too, it's lots of fun to play.

[Cool1n]

wow man ur amazing i only have the easy piano edition and ive played for a while since and now i wanna attempt this harder version is there ne way u could possibly send me the sheet music if not keep up the good work