Piano chords · Pop heartbeat
I Don’t Know Why: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Written by Fred E. Ahlert
- Bb major
- 4/4
- 90 BPM
- VI7–ii–V7–I loop
- 1931
- Easy
The accompaniment with every note named, bar by bar: the bar sheet shows each note as a bar on the staff with its letter inside, so you can accompany I Don’t Know Why without reading music. The left hand plays lazy footsteps (root bass · 1 · 3 · 4), and the right hand sings the tune.
I Don’t Know Why accompaniment in letter notes
The G7 – Cm – F7 – Bb loop with lazy footsteps in the left hand. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.
How to read the bar sheet
The player above shows the treble staff (right hand) over the bass staff (left hand). Every note is a bar as long as it sounds, at its place on the staff, with its name inside, and the music scrolls past a line that marks now. The chord names run along the top.
Start with the left hand alone at a slow speed, then the right, then both. When the letters feel easy, try the sheet music.
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Questions about I Don’t Know Why
What are the letter notes for the I Don’t Know Why piano accompaniment?
Bar by bar, both hands: the bar sheet on this page names every note of the accompaniment (C4 is middle C) and plays along. The loop is G7 – Cm – F7 – Bb, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in I Don’t Know Why?
The loop is G7 – Cm – F7 – Bb (VI7 – ii – V7 – I) in Bb major, and the song ends on Eb – F – Bb.
What key is I Don’t Know Why in?
Bb major, at about 90 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in I Don’t Know Why?
Lazy footsteps: root bass · 1 · 3 · 4, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is I Don’t Know 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.