The ULTIMATE Piano Man Chords & Guitar Lesson

Here’s a song from what I believe to be one of the greatest songwriters of all time…

The lyrics touch on many core human ideas of aspirations, community, and connection.

Below, I’m going to share some insider tips on the guitar style behind it.

So grab your axe, and let’s dive into this “Piano Man” chords and guitar lesson!

Who Wrote Piano Man?

"Piano Man" was originally written by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel. It’s a brilliant song he wrote, inspired by playing gigs in the nightlife of Los Angeles, California. 

The song is almost entirely autobiographical. You see, in the early ‘70s, Joel had just moved from New York to Los Angeles and began playing local cocktail lounges. He did this for about six months and observed the patrons, who became the characters in “Piano Man”.   

"John at the bar" was really a bartender, "Paul" was a local real estate agent and aspiring writer, while "Davy" was indeed in the Navy. The song is a self-reflection on Joel’s own life and the lives of those around him during this time. It also lyrically taps into humans' deep need for connection and community in life.  

"Piano Man" was recorded in 1973 for Joel's second album of the same name. It was recorded in Los Angeles at Columbia Recording Studios (now known as Sunset Sound Studios). 

It was released as the album's first single and originally was a modest hit, peaking at Number 25 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. It wasn’t until later that it became the song most associated with Joel's career.

In 2016, the Library of Congress selected “Piano Man” for preservation in the National Recording Registry for its cultural, artistic, and historical importance.  

Now, you may be wondering…

What is the tuning for Piano Man?

The tuning for "Piano Man,” as recorded by Billy Joel, is standard tuning. Standard tuning is spelled: E, A, D, G, B, and E. 

Here are the strings: 

• E (6th string, lowest pitch)
• A (5th string)
• D (4th string)
• G (3rd string)
• B (2nd string)
• E (1st string, highest pitch)

All right!  

Now that you know the tuning for “Piano Man,” let’s next talk about…

Piano Man Chords

To play “Piano Man”, you’ll need to know 20 main chords they are Dm7, E7#5/D, C, G/B, F/A, C/G, F, F/G, F/C, G/C, C/E, Dm, D7, G7, Am, Am/G, D/F#, G, G/F, and G/D. That may sound like a lot of chords. But what you’ll notice is that many of them are similar, just with different bass notes. This is a very common piano move.

Some of these chords will be played as open chords and others as bar chord shapes. If bar chords are giving you all kinds of aches and pains, and you haven’t yet discovered how to play them effortlessly, go here: https://www.jonmaclennan.com/7mistakes

Let’s take a look at a few ways these shapes can be played on the fretboard:

Dm7 is the first chord in the tune, and a simple way to play it is from the 4th string down like this:

E7#5/D sounds complicated, but you only need 2 fingers to play it like this:

C is played in a standard (campfire) position like so:

G/B is played on the middle strings like this:

F/A is played using the middle strings like so:

C/G is played like the C chord above; however, we’ll relocate the 3rd finger to the 6th string like this:

F I play as a thumb chord, however, the F bar chord can work as well.

F/G just changes the bass note, from the previous chord, like this:

Then we have this cool sequence of chords where we keep the bass note the same on all of them. First is F/C:

Then G/C:

C/E is like part of the typical C chord, but this time we’ll add in the 6th string open, like this:

Dm is played from the 4th string down like so:

D7 is a great bluesy chord. This one is played like this:

G7 uses all 6 strings like this:

Am is played from the 5th string down like so:

Am/G puts the low G bass note on the 6th string like this:

D/F# I play as a thumb-chord like this:

Then, finally, we have a few last descending chords:

If you’ve struggled to understand the fretboard for RHYTHM and LEAD guitar, and want to discover the easiest and fastest way. Then get your hands on my free Fretboard Guide PDF right here now:  

Is Piano Man hard to play on guitar?

I would say playing “Piano Man” on guitar is going to require at least an intermediate skill level. The 3 most difficult parts are the 21 chords you’ll need to know, and the many variations that happen throughout the tune. So, take your time with this one.

What key is Piano Man in?

“Piano Man”, as recorded by Billy Joel, is in the key of C major. The primary scale for the song is the C major scale, which is built using the notes C, D, E, F, G, A, and B.

However, not all the chords fit the diatonic scale of C major. Let’s take a look at a quick breakdown of the main chords and how they relate in the key of C major. Starting with…

C

Notes: C, E, G

Function: This is the I chord, the tonic. It is the "home" chord in the key of C major. 

F

Notes: F, A, C

Function: F is the IV chord, the subdominant. It is built on the fourth degree of the C major scale. It gives you a nice stable move away from the tonic and often toward the dominant (V) chord.

G

Notes: G, B, D

Function: G is the V chord, the dominant. It is built on the fifth degree of the C major scale, and creates a strong sense of tension and a powerful pull back to I.

Dm

Notes: D, F, A

Function: This is the ii chord, the supertonic minor. It is built on the second degree of the C major scale. It functions as a predominant chord, commonly used to lead to the dominant (G) or subdominant (F) to build tension before resolution.

D

Notes: D, F♯, A

Function: This is the II chord, the major supertonic. This is a non-diatonic chord because it contains an F♯, which is outside the C major scale. Its function is as the V/V (Five of Five), a Secondary Dominant. It creates a strong, temporary pull toward the G chord (V), making the G chord sound like a temporary tonic before resolving back to C.

Am

Notes: A, C, E

Function: This is the vi chord, the submediant minor. It is the relative minor of C major, built on the sixth degree. It shares the most notes with the tonic, making it a common tonic substitute that offers a slightly melancholic sound to the progression.

All right!

That’s my theory breakdown of the main core chords. There are more variations with different bass notes, but these function as the core ideas. 

Next, let’s look at… 

What is the strumming pattern for Piano Man?

The main underlying feel for “Piano Man” is a soft rock waltz. This means we are going to be in a 3/4 time signature. The main rhythm is simply 3 quarter notes per measure.

You can count it like this:

1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3… etc

Sometimes I’ll play a bass note on the first beat, then strum the full chord on beats 2 and 3. Here’s an example of a rhythm pattern in the style of “Piano Man”:

Conclusion

Bottom line. “Piano Man” is Billy Joel’s biggest hit, and it’s a songwriting masterpiece. It’s resonated with generations of listeners around the globe.  

So keep practicing, and if you want to learn songs way faster, better understand the fretboard for lead and rhythm, and not waste years spinning your wheels with guitar, grab my free fretboard guide here right now: 

Jon MacLennan