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Norah Jones - Don’t Know Why Chords

ChordsC, C7, F, E7, Am, D, G, G7, Em, Dm
Strumming↓-↑-↓-↑

Before you play, tune your guitar and use the tools below to set up your view and flow.

  • Guitar C chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-0-1-0Guitar C chord diagram
  • Guitar C7 chord diagram Fingering: x-3-2-3-1-0Guitar C7 chord diagram
  • Guitar F chord diagram Fingering: 1-3-3-2-1-1 Barre at fret 1.Guitar F chord diagram
  • Guitar E7 chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-0-1-0-0Guitar E7 chord diagram
  • Guitar Am chord diagram Fingering: x-0-2-2-1-0Guitar Am chord diagram
  • Guitar D chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-2Guitar D chord diagram
  • Guitar G chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-3Guitar G chord diagram
  • Guitar G7 chord diagram Fingering: 3-2-0-0-0-1Guitar G7 chord diagram
  • Guitar Em chord diagram Fingering: 0-2-2-0-0-0Guitar Em chord diagram
  • Guitar Dm chord diagram Fingering: x-x-0-2-3-1Guitar Dm chord diagram


[C] [C7] [F] [E7]
[C]I waited [C7]’til I [F]saw the [E7]sun
[Am]Don’t know [D]why I [F]didn’t [C]come
[C]I left you [C7]by the [F]house of [E7]fun
[Am]Don’t know [D]why I [F]didn’t [C]come
[Am]Don’t know [D]why I [F]didn’t [C]come


[C]When I [C7]saw the [F]break of [E7]day
[Am]I wished that [D]I could [F]fly a[C]way
[C]Instead of [C7]kneeling [F]in the [E7]sand
[Am]Catching [D]teardrops [F]in my [C]hand


[Am]My heart is [D]drenched in [G]wine [G7]
but [Am]you’ll be [D]on my [G]mind
[F]For[Em]ev[Dm]er


[C]Out a[C7]cross the [F]endless [E7]sea
[Am]I would [D]die in [F]ecsta[C]sy
[C]But I’ll [C7]be a [F]bag of [E7]bones
[Am]Driving [D]down the [F]road a[C]lone


[Am]My heart is [D]drenched in [G]wine [G7]
but [Am]you’ll be [D]on my [G]mind
[F]For[Em]ev[Dm]er


[C]Something [C7]has to [F]make you [E7]run
[Am]I don’t know [D]why I [F]didn’t [C]come
[C]I feel as [C7]empty [F]as a [E7]drum
[Am]Don’t know [D]why I [F]didn’t [C]come
[Am]Don’t know [D]why I [F]didn’t [C]come
[Am]Don’t know [D]why I [F]didn’t [C7]come

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AlbumCome Away with Me
GenresBlues, Pop
Year2002
KeyC

How to play Don't Know Why on Guitar (Step-by-step)

Norah Jones - Don't Know Why on guitar requires 10 chords and 16 core chord transitions. You can find the full step-by-step guide below. Before you start, tune your instrument. The song uses the ↓-↑-↓-↑ pattern; practice it muted first, or simplify to downstrokes while you learn the changes.

Don't Know Why uses these transitions most often: Am → D (15), D → F (11), and F → C (10). These transitions may feel a little challenging at first, but with steady practice you can play this song quickly.When you are ready, begin with C - C7 chord transition.

1. C → C7 chord transition

To move from C to C7;

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on G string fret 3.
C to C7

2. C7 → F chord transition

To move from C7 to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.
  4. Lift your pinky from G string fret 3 and place it on D string fret 3.
C7 to F

3. F → E7 chord transition

To move from F to E7;

  1. While playing F, first lift your ring finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to A string fret 2.
F to E7

4. E7 → C chord transition

To move from E7 to C;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on A string fret 3.
E7 to C

5. E7 → Am chord transition

To move from E7 to Am;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from A string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  3. Place ring finger on G string fret 2.

6. Am → D chord transition

To move from Am to D;

  1. Lift your index finger from B string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from D string fret 2 to E string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from G string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 3.

7. D → F chord transition

To move from D to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

8. F → C chord transition

To move from F to C;

  1. While playing F, lift your pinky from D string fret 3.
  2. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  3. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  4. Keep ring finger on A string fret 3.

9. C → Am chord transition

To move from C to Am;

  1. Keep index finger on B string fret 1.
  2. Keep middle finger on D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from A string fret 3 and place it on G string fret 2.

10. D → G chord transition

To move from D to G;

  1. Lift your index finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 2 to E string fret 3.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on E string fret 3.

11. G → G7 chord transition

To move from G to G7;

  1. Keep index finger on A string fret 2.
  2. Keep middle finger on E string fret 3.
  3. Slide your ring finger on E string from fret 3 to fret 1.

12. G7 → Am chord transition

To move from G7 to Am;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 1 and place it on G string fret 2.

13. G → F chord transition

To move from G to F;

  1. Lift your index finger from A string fret 2 and place it on E string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from E string fret 3 to G string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from E string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.
  4. Place pinky on D string fret 3.

14. F → Em chord transition

To move from F to Em;

  1. While playing F, first lift your index finger and pinky.
  2. Lift your middle finger from G string fret 2 and place it on A string fret 2.
  3. Slide your ring finger from A string fret 3 to D string fret 2.

15. Em → Dm chord transition

To move from Em to Dm;

  1. Lift your middle finger from A string fret 2 and place it on G string fret 2.
  2. Slide your ring finger from D string fret 2 to B string fret 3.
  3. Place index finger on E string fret 1.

16. Dm → C chord transition

To move from Dm to C;

  1. Lift your index finger from E string fret 1 and place it on B string fret 1.
  2. Slide your middle finger from G string fret 2 to D string fret 2.
  3. Lift your ring finger from B string fret 3 and place it on A string fret 3.

A short, data-driven summary of the chord flow in Don't Know Why.

  • Don't Know Why includes 94 chord transitions, 16 of them unique.
  • These transitions represent 0.03% of all chord transitions in Chordier.
  • Don't Know Why contains 3 of the top 10 transitions across Chordier.
  • These transition patterns show how Don't Know Why connects to the rest of Chordier. Mastering them helps you move to similar songs faster.
    After F, the most likely next chords across Chordier are C (40%), G (21%), and Am (11%).
    • F → C: 40%
    • F → Em: 3%
    After C, the most likely next chords across Chordier are G (35%), F (16%), and D (11%).
    • C → Am: 10%
    • C → C7: 2%