How to Play New York State of Mind Chords on Guitar
New York State of Mind is a song by Billy Joel, released in 1976 on his album Turnstiles. The song is a tribute to Joel’s hometown of New York City, and expresses his love and nostalgia for the Big Apple. The song has been covered by many artists, such as Barbra Streisand, Oleta Adams, and Alicia Keys.
The song is mainly played on piano, but it can also be adapted for guitar. In this article, we will show you how to play New York State of Mind chords on guitar, using different versions and sources.
Basic Chords
The basic chords for New York State of Mind are C, E7, Am7, Gm7, F, A7, Dm, Bb, D7, Gmaj7, Gm7, C7, Fmaj7, Bm7, Amaj7, Dm7, G7, Eb6, Abmaj7, and Dbmaj13. The song is in the key of C major, and has a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute.
[Intro] Dm9 Abmaj7/Bb Dm9 Em7 F Dm9 F/G C E7 Am7 Gm7 C7 F A7 Dm Bb9 C E7/B Am7 C/G F C D9 C/F F/G Am7 D9 Am G F/G [Verse 1] C E7 Am7 Gm7 C7 Some folks like to get away, take a holiday from the neighborhood F A7 Dm Bb9 Hop a flight to Miami Beach or to Hollywood C E7/B Am7 C/G F C/E D7 But I'm taking a Greyhound on the Hudson River line C/F F/G Am D7 Am G F/G I'm in a New York state of mind mm mmm [Verse 2] C E7 Am7 Gm7 C7 I seen all the movie stars in their fancy cars and their limousines F A7 Dm Bb9 Been high in the Rockies under the evergreens C E7/B Am7 C/G F C/E D7 But I know what I'm needing and I don't want to waste more time C/F F/G Am D9 Am G E7 I'm in a New York state of mind mmm mmm [Chorus] Am7 D7 Gmaj7 G It was so easy living day by day Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Out of touch with the rhythm and blues Bm7 E7 Amaj7 Well, now I need a little give and take Am7 D7 The New York Times Gmaj7 Dm7 F/G G7 The Daily News [Verse 3] C E7 Am7 Gm7 C7 It comes down to reality and it's fine with me cause I've let it slide F A7 Dm Bb9 Don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside C E7/B Am7 C/G F C/E D7 I don't have any reasons, left them all behind C/F F/G Am D9 Am G F/G I'm in a New York state of mind mm mm ooh ya [Solo] C E7 Am7 Gm7 C7 F A7 Dm Bb9 C E7 Am7 Cmaj7/G F C/E D7 C/F F/G Am D7 Am G E7 [Chorus] Am7 D7 Gmaj7 G It was so easy living day by day Gm7 C7 Fmaj7 Out of touch with the rhythm and blues Bm7 E7 Amaj7 Well, now I need a little give and take Am7 D7 The New York Times Gmaj7 Dm7 F/G G7 The Daily News whoa whoa oh oh... [Verse 4] C E7 Am7 Gm7 C7 It comes down to reality and it's fine with me cause I've let it slide F A7 Dm Bb9 Don't care if it's Chinatown or on Riverside C E7/B Am7 C/G F C/E D7 I don't have any reasons, left them all behind C/F F/G Am D7 Am G F/G I'm in a New York state of mind mmm mmm C E7 Am7 C/G F C/E D7 I'm just taking a Greyhound on the Hudson River line C/F Cos I'm in F/G I'm in a New York...state of... C E7 Am7 Bb9 Mind yeah! yea-ah [Outro] Eb6 Ab D7sus4 Dbmaj13 D/C
Advanced Chords
If you want to play New York State of Mind with more advanced chords, you can use some variations and substitutions to spice up your sound. For example, you can use Dm9 instead of Dm, Abmaj/Bb instead of Abmaj, Em instead of Em7, F/G instead of G, E/B instead of E, C/G instead of Cmaj, C/E instead of C/Eb, Db13/#11 instead of Dbmaj13, and so on.
You can also use some jazz chords like Eb/F, Dm/G, C9add13, C9b9add13, Fm9, Abdim/Bb, Ebmajadd13, Am7b5, D#5b9add13, Gmaj9add13 and so on.
You can find the full lyrics and chords for this version.
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Tips and Tricks
Here are some tips and tricks to help you play New York State of Mind on guitar:
- Use a capo to change the key of the song according to your vocal range or preference. For example, if you want to play the song in the key of D major instead of C major, you can put a capo on the second fret and play the same chords as above.
- Use a pick or your fingers to strum or pluck the strings. You can also use a combination of both techniques to create different sounds and dynamics.
- Follow the rhythm and groove of the song. You can use a metronome or a backing track to help you keep time and practice along with the original recording or a cover version.
- Experiment with different voicings and inversions of the chords. You can play the chords higher or lower on the fretboard to create different sounds and textures.
- Add some embellishments and fills to your playing. You can use hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, bends, vibrato, harmonics, and other techniques to add some flavor and expression to your playing.
Conclusion
New York State of Mind is a classic song by Billy Joel that showcases his love for his hometown. The song has a beautiful melody and lyrics that capture the essence of New York City. The song can be played on guitar using basic or advanced chords. You can also use some tips and tricks to improve your playing and make it more interesting and personal.
We hope you enjoyed this article and learned how to play New York State of Mind on guitar. If you have any questions or feedback, please let us know in the comments below. Happy playing!
