Piano chords · Blues & boogie
How to play You Don't Know What Love Is on piano
By Carol Bruce
- F minor
- 4/4
- 85 BPM
- 1941
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Learn You Don't Know What Love Is in 5 steps
The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.
- 1
Chords: Db7 – C7 – Fm – Db7
How it goes
You Don't Know What Love Is sits in F minor: F is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: Db7 is Db, F, Ab and Cb; C7 is C, E, G and Bb; Fm is F, Ab and C. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
Db7VI7C7V7FmiDb7VI7- Db7Db · F · Ab · Cb
- C7C · E · G · Bb
- FmF · Ab · C
- 2
Left hand: Velvet jazz
How it goes
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: Skip-and-stroll chords
How it goes
A skippy push at the start, then calm chords on 3 and 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
- 4
Both hands at 85 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: Db – Eb – Fm
How it goes
The last chords are bVI – bVII – i, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
DbEbFm- DbDb · F · Ab
- EbEb · G · Bb
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Questions about You Don't Know What Love Is
What chords are in You Don't Know What Love Is?
The loop is Db7 – C7 – Fm – Db7 (bVI7 – V7 – i – bVI7) in F minor, and the song ends on Db – Eb – Fm.
What key is You Don't Know What Love Is in?
F minor, at about 85 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in You Don't Know What Love Is?
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 You Don't Know What Love Is 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.