Skip to song content

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.

CC7FE7
CIwaitedC7’tilIFsawtheE7sun
AmDon’tknowDwhyIFdidn’tCcome
CIleftyouC7bytheFhouseofE7fun
AmDon’tknowDwhyIFdidn’tCcome
AmDon’tknowDwhyIFdidn’tCcome
CWhenIC7sawtheFbreakofE7day
AmIwishedthatDIcouldFfly Caway
CInsteadofC7kneelingFintheE7sand
AmCatchingDteardropsFinmyChand
AmMyheartisDdrenchedinGwineG7
butAmyou’llbeDonmyGmind
FForever
COut C7acrosstheFendlessE7sea
AmIwouldDdieinFecstasy
CButI’llC7beaFbagofE7bones
AmDrivingDdowntheFroad Calone
AmMyheartisDdrenchedinGwineG7
butAmyou’llbeDonmyGmind
FForever
CSomethingC7hastoFmakeyouE7run
AmIdon’tknowDwhyIFdidn’tCcome
CIfeelasC7emptyFasaE7drum
AmDon’tknowDwhyIFdidn’tCcome
AmDon’tknowDwhyIFdidn’tCcome
AmDon’tknowDwhyIFdidn’tC7come
AlbumCome Away with Me
GenresBlues, Pop
Year2002
KeyC
DifficultyAdvanced

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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 9 times.

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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 9 times.

C7 to F

3. F → E7 chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 9 times.

F to E7

4. E7 → C chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse.

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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 8 times.

6. Am → D chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 15 times.

7. D → F chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 11 times.

8. F → C chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 10 times.

9. C → Am chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 5 times.

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.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 4 times.

11. G → G7 chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

12. G7 → Am chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

13. G → F chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

14. F → Em chord transition

Here's how 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.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

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.

This transition appears in the chorus, played 2 times.

16. Dm → C chord transition

Switching 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.

This transition appears in the verse, played 2 times.

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 0.02% 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%