Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
How to play You Don’t Know Me on piano
Written by Cindy Walker & Eddy Arnold
- C major
- 2/2
- 84 BPM
- 1955
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn You Don’t Know Me in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: C – C – C7 – F – F – F#dim
How it goes
You Don’t Know Me sits in C major: C is home, where the song ends. It goes round 6 chords: C is C, E and G; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; F is F, A and C; F#dim is F#, A and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CICIC7I7FIVFIVF#dim#iv°- CC · E · G
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FF · A · C
- F#dimF# · A · C
- 2
Left hand: Three-step climb
How it goes
Root, fifth, octave, then let it ring. Musicians call it broken chord 1-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in thousands of songs of the library.
- 3
Right hand: the chords, held
How it goes
In this song the right hand mostly plays the tune itself. Hold the chords lightly, or play the melody over the left hand.
- 4
Both hands at 84 BPM
How it goes
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: C – G7 – C
How it goes
The last chords are I – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CG7C- G7G · B · D · F
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Questions about You Don’t Know Me
What chords are in You Don’t Know Me?
The loop is C – C – C7 – F – F – F#dim (I – I7 – IV – #iv° – I – I7) in C major, and the song ends on C – G7 – C.
What key is You Don’t Know Me in?
C major, at about 84 beats a minute in 2/2.
What does the left hand play in You Don’t Know Me?
Three-step climb: broken chord 1-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is You Don’t Know Me easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 6 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of You Don’t Know Me?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.