Piano chords · Pop heartbeat

How to play Don’t Know Why on piano

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Don’t Know Why in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: Bb – Eb – D – Gm – Cm – Gm7 – Bb
Don’t Know Why sits in Bb major: Bb is home, where the song ends. It goes round 7 chords: Bb is Bb, D and F; Eb is Eb, G and Bb; D is D, F# and A; Gm is G, Bb and D; Cm is C, Eb and G; Gm7 is G, Bb, D and F. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
BbIEbIVDIIIGmviCmiiGm7vi7BbI
- BbBb · D · F
- EbEb · G · Bb
- DD · F# · A
- GmG · Bb · D
- CmC · Eb · G
- Gm7G · Bb · D · F
13 songs go round the same chords
2
Left hand: Drowsy heartbeat
Two slow notes, then a late one that slips in before the next bar. Musicians call it root bass · 1 · 3 · 4& (root bass rhythm), an easy pattern heard in 889 songs of the library.
Drowsy heartbeatRoot bass rhythm · PopLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Double-clap chords
Quick double claps on beats 2 and 4, leaving beats 1 and 3 empty. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Double-clap chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 84 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: C7 – F7 – Bb
The last chords are II7 – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
C7F7Bb
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- F7F · A · C · Eb

What chords are in Don’t Know Why?

The loop is Bb – Eb – D – Gm – Cm – Gm7 – Bb (I – IV – III – vi – ii – vi7 – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on C7 – F7 – Bb.

What key is Don’t Know Why in?

Bb major, at about 84 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Don’t Know Why?

Drowsy heartbeat: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4&, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Don’t Know Why easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 7 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Don’t Know Why?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.

Made from 8 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.