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James
We were al ways your friends
from our child hood days
And And we made our plans
and we had er to go your our sep ’rate ter ways
(F7)I went on in the road
you ing pur up to an ed pec u ca tion.
James
Do you like ways your life
can you find re lease,
And will you ev er change,
Will you ev er to write your our mas ’rate ter piece?
(F7)Are you still in the school
liv ing pur up to an ex pec u ta tions?
(Dm)James
(Abmaj7)You were so re lied up on
(C9sus)Ev ’ry bod y (C)knows how (Bb)hard you (F)tried
(Dm)Hey,
Oh, now (Abmaj7)look at what a job you’ve done
and (C9sus)car ry ing the (C)weight of (Gm7)fam ’ly (A7)pride
(Dm7)James
you’ve been well be haved
you’ve been work ing (Cm)hard
but will you al ways stay
some one else ’s dream of who you are
(F9)Do what’s (F7)good for you,
or (E)you’re not (G#)good for an y bod y.
(Dm7)James.
(F9)I went on the road
(E)you pur sued an ed u ca tion.
(Gm7)sat is fied.
(Dm7)James
do you like your life?
Can you find re (Cm)lease
and will you ev er change
when will you write your (G)mas ter piece?
(F9)Do what’s (F7)good for you,
or you’re not good for an y bod y.
(Dm7)James.
James — Falling Notes Piano Tutorial
13 people have learned this song
Watch "James" by Billy Joel in falling notes style — like Synthesia. Color-coded notes fall onto the keyboard in real time. Practice left hand, right hand, or both. Key of D, 112 BPM.
Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.
Try other practice modes:
About “James”
- Can I learn "James" with falling notes like Synthesia?
- Yes — Falling Notes mode shows colored note shapes dropping onto a virtual keyboard, the same visual style as Synthesia or piano-tile games. Each note's column matches the piano key you press. Works for "James" with hands-separate practice in D at 112 BPM.
- What key is "James" by Billy Joel played in?
- James is arranged in the key of D on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "James"?
- The arrangement plays at 112 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "James" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
- Can I download sheet music for "James"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "James"?
- "James" was originally performed by Billy Joel. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What chords are used in "James"?
- This arrangement uses 19 chords: A7, Abmaj7, Am7, Bb, Bbmaj7, C, C9, Cm, +11 more.
- What other songs by Billy Joel can I play here?
- Try "SCENES FROM AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT", "EVERYBODY HAS A DREAM", "CAPTAIN JACK". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Can I practice left and right hand separately for "James"?
- Yes! Our Top Down mode lets you isolate the left hand (bass clef), right hand (treble clef), or play both together. This makes it easy to master "James" one hand at a time before combining them.
- What is falling notes style for "James"?
- Falling notes (also known as Synthesia or piano waterfall) shows color-coded rectangles falling from the top of the screen onto a virtual keyboard. Each note's position matches the piano key you need to press. "James" is in the key of D at 112 BPM.