Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play Don't Explain on piano
- D minor
- 4/4
- 70 BPM
- 1946
- Easy
Learn Don't Explain in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: A7 – Dm – Bb7 – A7
Don't Explain sits in D minor: D is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: A7 is A, C#, E and G; Dm is D, F and A; Bb7 is Bb, D, F and Ab. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
A7V7DmiBb7VI7A7V7- A7A · C# · E · G
- DmD · F · A
- Bb7Bb · D · F · Ab
- 2
Left hand: Velvet jazz
Two soft notes on each beat: the cozy colour of old jazz ballads. Musicians call it lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3) (left-hand chords), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: Steady chords
A full chord on every beat, steady and simple. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 70 BPM
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
- 5
Ending: Bb – C – Dm
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
BbCDm- BbBb · D · F
- CC · E · G
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Questions about Don't Explain
What chords are in Don't Explain?
The loop is A7 – Dm – Bb7 – A7 (V7 – i – bVI7 – V7) in D minor, and the song ends on Bb – C – Dm.
What key is Don't Explain in?
D minor, at about 70 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Don't Explain?
Velvet jazz: lh shell voicings (1-7 / 1-3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Don't Explain easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.