This Billy Joel Song Crushes Me

started streaming hey everybody happy Saturday so we're going to talk about someone that I've never discussed on my channel which is Billy Joel uh we'll get into that in a second but uh I have two new shows to announce I'm playing here in Atlanta for the first time ever well actually the first time since my band billionaire played here in 2000 so in the first time in 23 years playing at the Variety Playhouse and the show is on September 28th I think it's in the description September 28th uh at um Variety Playhouse tickets are on sale in the description and then in New York City another show at the Gramercy theater like the first one that I did way back in uh 2022 and that's on the I believe the 17th of October Mike can uh tell me if that's right Mike is on the stream here but um I just pasted them in they were announced this week really excited if you live in Sweden or Berlin I have a show July 22nd in Stockholm uh put in the chat if you are from Sweden uh tickets are still on sale there and then Berlin October 28th and I'm really excited because I've been to neither of those cities never been to Scandinavia before I've been Germany once but never to Berlin I'm really excited about this and and of course getting back to New York City where I just was over the past weekend or past week I just interviewed Julian Lodge the great guitar uh Jazz guitarist an improviser and Jimmy Webb uh who is a legendary songwriter I did this video on Wichita Lineman which Jimmy wrote and by the time I get to Phoenix and Galveston and Up Up and Away by The Fifth Dimension and many other huge classic hit songs so I'm really excited about all this stuff and I have some other surprise interviews coming up as well um uh I'm back to the 99 bundle Beatle Bundle sale which you're going to want to buy after this as my ear training course my biato book interactive it's my theory course my beginner guitar course if you had never played before and you want to learn how to play that and then my more advanced uh biato quick lessons Pro I've never talked about Billy Joel um one of the reasons that I haven't talked about Billy Joel is that I didn't know if the video was going to get blocked so if the video gets blocked I don't think it will but I'm going to take a chance here uh so uh this is a song the today's song we're going to talk about came out in 1978 and how many great songs and great records came out in 1978 this is off of Billy Joel's 52nd Street so these all came out when I was in 10th Grade it's amazing that Van Halen won the police first record the first uh Dire Straits record oh my I mean it just was an incredible year for music but the song that we're gonna talk about is the second track off 52nd Street and it has a chord in it that I've never played before this is really amazing right in the intro right in the intro and I was like how could I never have played this chord before and I'll tell you why because well one inversion of it I've played but but what the inversion that he uses I've never actually played on guitar which is really funny okay so we're gonna start out here and it's the song honesty I love this song it is a perfect song and I'd never thought about how it goes until today here it is [Music] right there [Music] okay let's just talk about the intro first okay so it starts on B flat major I'm gonna play it like this and you can play it like this as a second chord but he plays it like this look at that that's that's B flat minor over a flat now on the piano it's easy and then it goes to uh g flat whoops G flat major seven it's hard to hold the guitar up like this and then F7 now I would probably play it like this that's an easier way to play but the voicings that he's playing he's playing this [Music] the same same chord that B flat minor over G flat major seven and that or that or over g flat that's G flat major seven foreign and then goes back to B flat for the top of the song Let's listen one more time so here it is [Music] okay this is so perfect everything about this is so perfect um [Music] I love that just a simple uh voice leading um [Music] okay let me play along with it actually you know I hate seeing these I'm such a bad singer [Music] that's really unusual there okay and this A minor chord is is really unusual to have this a minor um that happens after the G minor because we're we're uh actually in E Flat I would say the song is an E flat you're I'm I mean it's in B flat E flat I guess is the IV chord but this a minor seven chord is not really in B flat so here let me put a chart here so here's the intro right so it starts on B flat this is the weird chord that um that I I that I've never I've played it before this B flat minor over a flat then G flat major seven right then F7 and then B flat okay so the melody starts on the note B flat so this is the root so it's like um [Music] um and then it goes to the no a natural on the E flat chord right so what is that listen to it again this is really tenderness right so that note is the sharp four and the E flat so right in the first measure we have a sharp four you guys noticing patterns here about these uh let me get into the frame here about these famous songs that they have all these tension notes all these upper extensions and then the downbeat of the um of the F chord we have the Third and then it uh then you have this quick passing chord [Music] um uh it does [Music] and then uh E flat again [Music] um let me play it what's that Aaron says the loopback needs to go up and then okay let me turn up loop back here [Music] um let me turn up loopback so you guys can hear it better there we go okay now it's gonna be a lot louder here we go [Music] above so um he goes to the third you can have the love to this flat seven on the G minor season playing G minor seven there but then here's this weird thing okay because it's built on the seventh and he goes to the note C goes to the third of it so very up to to C minor seven um to F7 and then back down so this is really a two to five back to the one chord in B flat okay that's a kind of a standard resolution um and continuing on here [Music] but if you look for truthfulness okay now this is really cool [Music] C major there that's a really unusual move uh right here in this bar so the first half of the verse and the second half of the verse don't have the same chord changes right this is really to me what makes this so interesting I just as well be blind okay this is incredible here so it's like um then [Music] I love that so he's going from c-sus to C to to uh F over C now only piano players would do that [Music] do it's absolutely beautiful this a over C sharp to D Minor now a over C sharp a major C sharp uh if we're in the key of of B flat the the D minor chord is the three chord so this is a secondary dominant it's a five of three this is really unusual this is what what makes these songs such Classics because they just don't do the same stuff over and over um and then we have back to E flat to the IV chord right and then we have a look okay [Music] um [Music] man we gotta uh it goes to that sus4 um it goes to the root here uh um [Music] to the D but this D major chord and then it goes it stays on that d ude and goes to the it becomes the Major Seventh that note um where is it here so we're on the root there and then that note holds over listen so all together bring the monitors down a little bit oh sorry um so the um that major seven that he re-sings there on the downbeat is so powerful you just don't really hear that [Music] right and he goes to the to the seven here the flat seven the snow on the flat seven this is the major seventh of the flat seven really really odd move there melodically listen so then down to tritone so hard to get okay so the A7 chord once again is a five seven of three but it really but it goes to uh but it goes to the to this D major chord that's that is setting up the chorus okay this is a real uh great voice leading thing this is a three major we've had this in a lot of songs this D major is a three major chord uh going to the four major so one of the songs that we had it in was Radiohead Creep right we had it in uh The Hollies Lana Del Rey it's a really common move to go Oasis uses it uh it's a great move but the way that Billy Joel uses it here it's nothing like those it doesn't sound anything like those other songs which to me sound I don't want to say stock but they're just obvious uses uses of that um this is really because because it's a d substitute though that that it just makes the melody so powerful because there's so much voice leading that happens and then on the downbeat he sings the major seven on the E chord E flat chord then listen you don't expect to hear that honesty and that move there from this note [Music] and then ah [Music] it kills me such a lonely word he goes to D seven or D over F sharp so it's like uh [Music] he's going [Music] now that is a classic that's like Bach or or Bebop Charlie Parker so [Music] do do love that [Music] actually starts at D and it goes right down to the third here of the uh of the um of the G minor chord here this is the flat third here we go so let's write down a seven arpeggio D7 arpeggio this is a perfect melody right there and then he then he he hits that same shape again on the next on the the um E flat chords [Music] okay then he goes so you go so this is over E flat major [Music] third of the f of the F major chord so we got [Music] oh yeah and then um [Music] listen to it I gotta do the whole course [Music] I love it the bass line right um um [Music] uh where are we here um [Music] um and then back to Eve uh to E flat major seven they have that beautiful little walking bass line with the inverter chords foreign [Music] I love it too how it goes bom bom right there at the end of the phrase [Music] it's at uh from you with that that um uh which would be the ninth over that chord on the B flat chord here the little so it acts like a suspension it's like a 9-1 we call it 9-1 suspension there from you [Music] if I wear my heart out on my sleeves right the a minor is amazing [Applause] [Music] beautiful [Music] everyone is so untrue one other thing I want to talk about here is this walking thing that it does right so it's like um [Music] it's it's perfect it goes to that once again three major so there's all these secondary let me let me take this off here so you can see me a little better there's all these secondary dominant chords that are happening here um that are just so unusual now when I talk about secondary dominant chords being able to hear these things like three major chords or this uh this move to A7 which is a uh five seven of three um so so it's um being able to hear secondary Diamond Chords it's so it's so weird because you just don't hear them in songs anymore I when I've done these these Spotify top 10 countdowns the rarely will you hear a uh just one chord that's out of the key and it's typically actually like that like a three major chord is something that you would hear um you just don't get this beautiful beautiful variation I mean the fact that I've never played this chord voicing is probably I don't know why I'm sorry I don't know why I've never played that chord I've played Discord a billion times just never played it in this inversion probably because it's really awkward on guitar [Music] um and then [Music] it's hard to play with the guitar I play this [Music] right there is the Brilliance in the intro because I've you know it's so funny that I've heard this a million times and I've never played it once until right now um this is the whole idea of of why you learn uh theory is to be able to to to hear these progressions and know what they are it's developing this vocabulary of recognized sounds those of you that have watched the channel forever and by by and let me just say right now hit the Subscribe button if you don't subscribe to the channel because I always forget to tell people that hit subscribe you may think you're subscribed because you get a notification but you're actually not subscribed um so be able to to hear these things know what notes of the melody are being sung and be able to play on the guitar or on any instrument honesty right they would but such a lonely it sounds so good over that and I uh when I um oh if the stream just went off just hit your refresh the browser there it just went uh it just went weird for one second it's fine again um the that arpeggio coming down that dominant seventh chord knowing that it's a dominant seventh chord arpeggio these are things that you learned from my ear training course that you learned from my biato uh my Beatle book interactive I talk about these things about what secondary dominant chords these are right in the beginning of this these are really um uh these are right after you learn about diatonic chords like what chords are in the key what is a one chord what is a three chord what is a five chord what is a you know uh what then you go to secondary dominant chords they're the first chords out of the key that you learn right a five of two a five of three a five of four if you don't know what these are I mean I'm I'm describing them in here but you want to learn these things what the theory is this is why uh if you for 99 bucks you can get my whole bundle and it will teach you these things it'll teach you how to hear them by ear and to be able to to uh know what the theory is behind them right so when I click back on here and bring up the chart right so I'm doing all this stuff I'm writing this entire analysis here of what these things are what did I do I was like oh I lost my pen it's right in my hand of course right um what what the notes against the chords are like if it's a flat seven in the melody or the third in the melody over the E flat if I say it's a third in the Melody I know it's the note G because I know an E flat major chord is E flat G B flat right so B flat chord is B flat d f an E flat chord which is the IV chord is has the notes E flat G B flat right if you're going to spell other so so like on the E flat chord when I say it's a sharp four I know it's the note a because a is the sharp four which also tells you that you're in the key of B flat I mean of course you can look at the key signature and no it's in the key of B flat but that key signature you would only know it's B flat if you know what your key signatures are that's why the first thing I teach Beyond I think the first thing it might be auto book is actually the circle of fists to teach you what notes are in what keys right what key has two Flats B flat major has two Flats okay and these things are important because it teaches you just the the rudimentary um things of Music Theory the rudimentary concepts of Music Theory and music theory is simply a way to talk about music I don't even think there's a way to analyze music but it's a way to analyze music it's a way to talk about music so you can talk to other musicians with this vocabulary um so let me continue on because there's a I love the bridge in this too because it has some really unexpected things [Music] I love the strings there beautiful [Music] I need hold on [Music] occult Tempo to play also uh the drum part it's it's really in unusual drum part that Liberty DeVito plays here because it's so it's hard to play these mid Tempo songs honesty because it's so there's so much space it's hard to keep time they weren't playing with click tracks back then and it goes back to the intro before it goes to the for the bridge [Music] I don't know this from in any song so it's like I could be a lover he goes so this note here is the flat six which is a beautiful note that it's the note of sadness right at the flat six is the um the flat six is is the most Melancholy note on a minor chord and he does it right there at the beginning of this Matt says love these themes really gives me back in the theory I know stuff type of the chords and Nuno played in the song Matt you gotta go to my Nuno video about rise because I talk about it I talk about what chords he's doing there um uh this but this then the movement from then to this uh to to D over G I don't know any song that goes G minor to D over G that does that there's no pop song that I can think of that does that move this is really weird and great and then the next chord I could have um but he's singing he's he sings The Sixth and this F minor six chord then no D is the natural six so he uses the flat six on the G minor chord the first time and then he goes to there um and then he goes to this G minor six right and then um then he goes to a C7 over G or C over or C over E I mean first inversion C major chord here it's all these Triads over bass notes and and seventh chords over bass notes that really make this great so that's really a G minor with a flat six uh but this is such an unusual bridge that I can't let's listen to it oh [Music] fine from F to G minor is a perfect um I I hate to keep stopping but if you're in B flat for the verse if the song is in B flat major even though it has these secondary dominance to go to G minor in the bridge is perfect because it sets up a completely different mood friend I could have security [Music] I love that anyone can comfort me [Music] okay so I love this so it's gone E flat or B flat on promises promises it again then it goes up very cool so that just that chromatic motion they're having once again this is a secondary dominant go into the C uh C to C7 [Music] a lot of stuff going on there random ly don't be too concerned I won't ask for nothing while I'm gone see the more you hear it it just sounds normal [Music] you're the one that I try down down [Music] oh it delays the first note of that last chorus is so good listen again listen listen listen oh he just carries that D over [Music] this connects that no it's amazing man oh [Music] everyone is and this time on the D chord [Music] right here [Music] no no [Music] amazing that's a high note seeing those that B flat [Music] oh so good it's really like the most [Music] oh come on when he eats that when he hits that a flat the the G B flat minor over a flat oh oh [Music] that's absolutely beautiful man when everybody asks anybody asks me there's so many great Billy Joel songs but that's a perfect song and Billy has a lot of Perfect songs but this is just um they're just things about this and maybe it's just I connect to it because I was in high school when it came out and this is a song from from you know being in 10th Grade being a junior high you know but it's it's a perfect song 52nd Street man this was really Billy's New Wave record kind of like big shot is kind of a new new wave sign this is but uh my live Zanzibar Rosalita rosalinda's eyes uh these are all phenomenal songs um wow my Dad loved Billy Joel my dad was a huge Billy Joel fan he used to play The Stranger album all the time which was weird because my dad was by then how old would my dad have been 1919 uh by 1980 my dad was 60 is that right over 60 he was my age oh my God is that right yes wow wow okay this is blowing my mind so so I get you know I thought it was weird that my dad liked it but it's like me liking a current song I guess that's not weird at all my dad had white Air too or actually my hair is great my hair is whiter than my dad's was when he was my age uh anyhow if you want to uh support the channel and learn no if you want to learn more about music and support the channel check out my be Auto bundle 99 bucks for all four of my courses it's the way that you can learn how to really contribute and get more out of these live streams and in my videos where I talk about the nuts and bolts of songs of how they're put together what the theory is how the Melodies are written and helps you understand music I just announced uh two or two new shows that I'm going to be doing uh my my Rick biato unedited live shows one is in Atlanta at the Variety Playhouse in September 28th and the second one is in New York City at The Gramercy theater where I played my first show over a year and about a year and a half ago uh on September 17th I think it is Michael tell me there it's in the description below and then uh next month in Stockholm if you're in Sweden come on out the soldier theater and that's on July 22nd and then I have a show on October 28th in Berlin which I'm really excited to go do these two shows in Europe I've never been there I'm not sure I'm going to do many more shows after these these four shows that may be at the end of my live show career um you guys are amazing check out my um uh check out my Nuno video that I did my interview check out uh my Keith Jarrett video that I did where I attempt to sing the song spiral dance which is an incredibly great song I just put that video out a couple days ago and um really appreciate you guys uh spending your Saturday with me we'll see you later have a great great rest your weekend

Channel: Rick Beato

Views: 223,239

Keywords: Beato Ear Training, Beato Book, Rick Beato, music education, pop music, Music theory, ear training, guitar theory, Rick Beato Music, How to, Music Analysis, Transcription, rock music, linkin park, chester bennington, mike shinoda, hybrid theory, best alternative rock, best of alternative rock, alternative rock 90s

Id: U8Z6V07HBCo

Length: 36min 4sec (2164 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 10 2023