Skip to song content
Chordier homepage
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?The 100 most repeated chord transitions extracted from thousands of songs. Even the first 10 will transform your guitar practice routine.

Billy Joel - Just The Way You Are Chords

DATA-DRIVENWhich Chord Comes Next?Learn the most likely chord transitions on guitar and start playing songs with confidence.
ChordsD, Bm, Em7, G, Gm, Am, D7, E, E7, A7, A, F#m, B7, C7, Am7, C, Bb
Strumming↓-↓↑-↑↓↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

DDon’tgoBmchangingEm7totrytoBmpleaseme.
GYouneverGmletmedown Dbefore.
Ammmmmmmmm,G
Idon’t Gmimagine,Dyou’retooBmfamiliar
EAndIdon’tE7seeyou A7anymore
DIwouldnotBmleaveyou,Em7intimesof Bmtrouble
GWeneverGmcouldhavecomethisDfar
Ammmmmmmmmm,G
ItooktheGmgoodtimes,DI’lltaketheBmbadtimes
Em7I’lltakeyouA7justthewayyouare
DDon’tgoBmtryingEm7,somenewBmfashion
GDon’tchangetheGmcolorofyourDhair
Ammmmmmmmmm,G
YoualwaysGmhavemy,Dunspoken Bmpassion
EAlthoughIE7mightnotseemtoA7care
DIdon’twantBmcleverEm7conversation
GIneverGmwanttoworkthatDhard
Ammmmmmmmmm,G
IjustwantGmsomeoneDthatIcanBmtalkto
Em7IwantyouA7justthewayyouDare
GIneedtoAknowthatyouwillF#malwaysB7be
Em7ThesameoldA7someonethatIDknewD7
GmWhatwillitC7taketillyou Am7believeinD7me
GmThewaythatCIbelieveinA7you
DIsaidIBmloveyouEm7andthat’s Bmforever
GAndthisIGmpromisefromtheDheart
Ammmmmmmmm,G
Icouldn’tGmloveyouDanyBmbetter
Em7IloveyouA7justthewayyouDare
DIdon’twantBmcleverEm7conversation
GIneverGmwanttoworkthatDhard
Ammmmmmmmmm,G
IjustwantGmsomeoneDthatIcanBmtalkto
Em7IwantyouA7justthewayyou
BbaaarrrrreAmaarrreD7ohhhhhGmohCD
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookDiscover the most-used three-chord combinations in songs and build real command on guitar.
14,015 TRANSITIONS ANALYZED#1 at 23%: Which Transition?Master guitar today with the most repeated high-impact chord transitions.
ArtistBilly Joel
AlbumThe Stranger
GenresPop
Year1977
KeyD
DifficultyAdvanced

How to play Just The Way You Are on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Billy Joel - Just The Way You Are on guitar requires 17 chords and 29 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↓↑-↑↓↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Just The Way You Are uses these transitions most often: D → Bm (12), G → Gm (12), and Gm → D (12). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with D - Bm chord transition.

1. D → Bm chord transition

Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram

Here's how to move from D to Bm:

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to B string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 4.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 4.

This transition appears in the verse, played 12 times.

D to Bm

2. Bm → Em7 chord transition

Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram
Guitar Em7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-0-0-0Guitar Em7 chord diagram

Switching from Bm to Em7:

  1. While playing Bm, first lift your index finger, ring finger, and pinky.
  2. Lift your middle finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 10 times.

Bm to Em7

3. Bm → G chord transition

Guitar Bm chord diagram Fingering: 2-2-4-4-3-2 Barre at fret 2.Guitar Bm chord diagram
Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram

Here's how to move from Bm to G:

  1. While playing Bm, lift your pinky from G string fret 4.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from B string fret 3 to E string fret 3.
  4. Lift your ring finger from D string fret 4 and place it on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 6 times.

Bm to G

4. G → Gm chord transition

Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
Guitar Gm chord diagram Fingering: 3-1-0-0-3-3Guitar Gm chord diagram

Switching from G to Gm:

  1. Slide your index finger on A string from fret 2 to fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on E string fret 3.
  3. Slide your ring finger from E string fret 3 to B string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 12 times.

G to Gm

5. Gm → D chord transition

Switching from Gm to D:

  1. While playing Gm, lift your pinky from E string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to E string fret 2.
  4. Keep ring finger on B string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 12 times.

6. D → Am chord transition

Switching from D to Am:

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 6 times.

7. Am → D7 chord transition

Here's how to move from Am to D7:

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 7 times.

8. D7 → G chord transition

Switching from D7 to G:

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 2 to fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 6 times.

9. Bm → E chord transition

To move from Bm to E:

  1. While playing Bm, lift your pinky from G string fret 4.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from B string fret 3 to A string fret 2.
  4. Slide your ring finger on D string from fret 4 to fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

10. E → E7 chord transition

To move from E to E7:

  1. While playing E, lift your ring finger from D string fret 2.
  2. Keep index finger on G string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on A string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

11. E7 → A7 chord transition

To move from E7 to A7:

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to B string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

12. A7 → D chord transition

Switching from A7 to D:

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on B string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 7 times.

13. Em7 → A7 chord transition

To move from Em7 to A7:

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 2.
  2. Place index finger on D string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse, played 5 times.

14. D → G chord transition

Switching from D to G:

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse.

15. G → A chord transition

Switching from G to A:

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse.

16. A → F#m chord transition

Here's how to move from A to F#m:

  1. While playing A, lift your middle finger from G string fret 2.
  2. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from B string fret 2 to A string fret 4.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 4.

This transition appears in the verse.

17. F#m → B7 chord transition

To move from F#m to B7:

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 2 and place it on D string fret 1.
  2. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 4 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your pinky from D string fret 4 and place it on E string fret 2.
  4. Place middle finger on A string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse.

18. B7 → Em7 chord transition

Here's how to move from B7 to Em7:

  1. While playing B7, first lift your index finger, ring finger, and pinky.
  2. Keep middle finger on A string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse.

19. D → D7 chord transition

Switching from D to D7:

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse.

20. D7 → Gm chord transition

Here's how to move from D7 to Gm:

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on A string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on E string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 3 times.

21. Gm → C7 chord transition

Switching from Gm to C7:

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Slide your pinky from E string fret 3 to G string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse.

22. C7 → Am7 chord transition

Here's how to move from C7 to Am7:

  1. While playing C7, first lift your ring finger and pinky.
  2. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  3. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse.

23. Am7 → D7 chord transition

To move from Am7 to D7:

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Lift your middle finger from D string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on E string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse.

24. Gm → C chord transition

To move from Gm to C:

  1. While playing Gm, lift your pinky from E string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
  4. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

25. C → A7 chord transition

To move from C to A7:

  1. While playing C, lift your ring finger from A string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on D string fret 2.
  3. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse.

26. A7 → Bb chord transition

Switching from A7 to Bb:

  1. Lift your index finger from D string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from B string fret 2 to D string fret 3.
  3. Place ring finger on G string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on B string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse.

27. Bb → C chord transition

Here's how to move from Bb to C:

  1. While playing Bb, lift your pinky from B string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from A string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger on D string from fret 3 to fret 2.
  4. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse.

28. C → Am chord transition

To move from C to Am:

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.

This transition appears in the verse.

29. C → D chord transition

To move from C to D:

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on B string fret 3.

This transition appears in the verse.

Just The Way You Are chord transition analysis

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Just The Way You Are.

  • Just The Way You Are includes 114 chord transitions, 29 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Just The Way You Are contains 2 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Just The Way You Are connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After D, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (29%), A (17%), and Em (17%).
    • D → G: 29%
    • D → Bm: 5%
    After Bm, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (25%), A (19%), and Em (13%).
    • Bm → G: 25%
    • Bm → E: 4%
SONG DATA3 Chords, 200 Chains, 1 BookThe 200 most popular three-chord chains from real songs. See which songs use each chain and expand your repertoire with patterns that actually matter.