Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
I Can’t Tell You Why: piano accompaniment sheet music
Written by Don Henley, Glenn Frey & others
- D major
- 4/4
- 92 BPM
- 1979
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
I Can’t Tell You Why written out as piano music: the IV – III7 – vi – V loop in D major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)) and the right hand sleep-in chords.
I Can’t Tell You Why chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in D major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | G | IV | G B D |
| 2 | F#7 | III7 | F# A# C# E |
| 3 | Bm | vi | B D F# |
| 4 | A | V | A C# E |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: pop heartbeat (root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3)) in the left hand and sleep-in chords in the right, over the G – F#7 – Bm – A chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
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Questions about I Can’t Tell You Why
Does the sheet music for I Can’t Tell You Why have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
What chords are in I Can’t Tell You Why?
The loop is G – F#7 – Bm – A (IV – III7 – vi – V) in D major, and the song ends on G – A – D.
What key is I Can’t Tell You Why in?
D major, at about 92 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Can’t Tell You Why?
Pop heartbeat: root bass · charleston push (1 · 2& · 3), an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Can’t Tell You Why 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 one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.