Standards · 1941
Why Don't You Do Right? chords & key
- Key
- D minor
- Form
- A
- Bars
- 12
- Groove
- Medium swing
- Time signature
- 4/4
- Year
- 1941
“Why Don't You Do Right?” is a jazz standard by Kansas-Joe McCoy from 1941. Most bands play it in D minor, medium swing; the tune runs 12 bars in A form. Its changes follow a 12-bar minor blues. In this atlas it appears on 2 album tracks.
Chord changes
Showing in: Concert (C) — D minor
Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.
Harmonic analysis
Most used chords
- A7×7
- B♭7×6
- Dm6×4
- Bm7♭5×4
- Gm7×2
Characteristics
- Minor blues
History
"Why Don't You Do Right?" (originally recorded as "Weed Smoker's Dream" in 1936) is an American blues and jazz-influenced pop song usually credited to Kansas Joe McCoy. A minor key twelve-bar blues with a few chord substitutions, it is considered a classic "woman's blues" song and has become a standard. Singer Lil Green recorded a popular rendition in 1941, which Peggy Lee recorded the next year – accompanied by Benny Goodman – and made one of her signature songs. The song appeared in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, performed by actress Amy Irving as the singing voice of Jessica Rabbit.
Read the full article on Wikipedia ↗ · From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Recorded on these albums
| 1986 | “Easy Living” Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass · “Why Don’t You Do Right?” |
| 2016 | Jazz at the Philharmonic: The Ella Fitzgerald Set Ella Fitzgerald · “Why Don’t You Do Right” |
Standards with similar changes
Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.
| Title | Key |
|---|---|
| Golden Earring 21% | C minor |
Frequently asked questions
What key is Why Don't You Do Right? in?
Why Don't You Do Right? is usually played in D minor. For B♭ instruments that is E minor, for E♭ instruments B minor.
Who wrote Why Don't You Do Right??
Why Don't You Do Right? was written by Kansas-Joe McCoy (1941).
What is the form of Why Don't You Do Right??
Why Don't You Do Right? has 1 sections (A) with 12 bars in total.
How fast is Why Don't You Do Right? played?
The usual groove is Medium swing.
What are the chord changes to Why Don't You Do Right??
The opening bars are Dm6 Bm7b5 | Bb7 A7 | Dm6 Bm7b5 | Bb7 A7. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.