Here are the unplugged chords that I use to play Billy Joel's 1974 piano classic Piano Man. The verse and bridge chord progressions, that are based on great descending bass lines, are shown below in the original key of C, however, it modulates to the key of Am in the bridge. The song is played in a moderate 3/4 waltz. The chord fingerings I use (in a Standard tuning) are as follows: C = x32010; Em/B = x22000; Am = x02210; C/G = 3x2010; F = 133211; C/E = 032010; D7/F# = 2x021x; G = 320033; G11 = 3x321x; Am/G = 3x2210; D7 = xx0212; G/F = 1x000x; and G7/D = xx0001. The chords should be played by striking the bass note on the first beat then the rest of the chord notes on the second and third beats. The Intro/Turnaround (chord melody) to additional lyric is tabbed below.
Intro/Turnaround (chord melody):
C F/C Cmaj7 F C/E G/D
e----------|----------|---------|------------|
B-------1--|------1---|------0--|--1--1---0--|
G----0-----|----2-----|----0----|--2--0---0--|
D----------|----------|---------|--3--2---0--|
A--3-------|--3-------|--3------|------------|
E----------|----------|---------|------------|
A section
| C / / | Em/B / / | Am / / | C/G / / |
| F / / | C/E / / | D7/F# / / | G / / |
| C / / | Em/B / / | Am / / | C/G / / |
| F / / | G11 / / | / / / |
Turaround to B section
B section
| Am / / | Am/G / / | D7/F# / / | F / / |
| Am / / | Am/G / / | D7/F# / / | D7 / / |
| G / / | G/F / / | C/E / / | G7/D / / |
