Standards · 1941

Why Don't You Do Right? chords & key

Kansas-Joe McCoy · Lyrics: Kansas Joe McCoy

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 21 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — D minor

D^m6B^m7♭5

B♭⁷A⁷

D^m6B^m7♭5

B♭⁷A⁷

G^m7

G^m7A⁷

D^m6B^m7♭5

B♭⁷A⁷

D^m6B^m7♭5

B♭⁷A⁷

Changes as commonly played (concert pitch). Your band's version may differ.

Harmonic analysis

0Major ii–V–I

0Minor ii–V–i

0ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

0Dominant chains

5Different chords

Most used chords

A⁷×7
B♭⁷×6
D^m6×4
B^m7♭5×4
G^m7×2

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

1948	Rendezvous With Peggy Lee Peggy Lee · “Why Don’t You Do Right”
1959	Livin' With The Blues Barbara Dane · “Why Don't You Do Right”
1960	Della Della Cha Cha Cha Della Reese · “Why Don't You Do Right”
1960	Parole E Musica Helen Merrill · “Why Don’t You Do Right”
1960	Per-cus-sive Jazz Peter Appleyard · “Why Don't You Do Right”
1961	Whatever Julie Wants Julie London · “Why Don't You Do Right”
1963	The New World of Milt Buckner Milt Buckner · “Why Don't You Do Right”
1965	Getaway With Fats Domino Fats Domino · “Why Don't You Do Right”
1972	The Groover Ramsey Lewis · “Why Don't You Do Right”
1986	“Easy Living” Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass · “Why Don’t You Do Right?”
1989	Swing, Slow/Cha Cha Cha Della Reese · “Why Don't You Do Right”
1993	Moments Like This Peggy Lee · “Why Don’t You Do Right”
1996	Fever! In Concert at The London Palladium Peggy Lee · “Why Don’t You Do Right”
2000	Slick Chick Lee Aaron and The Swingin' Barflies · “Why Don't You Do Right”
2001	You’re My Thrill Shirley Horn · “Why Don’t You Do Right?”
2005	Cal Tjader Plays, Mary Stallings-Sings Cal Tjader, Mary Stallings
2006	JATP Lausanne 1953 Oscar Peterson, Ella Fitzgerald · “Why Don’t You Do Right”
2008	Still Unforgettable Natalie Cole · “Why Don’t You Do Right?”
2013	Livin' with the Blues & On My Way Barbara Dane · “Why Don't You Do Right”
2015	Live in London Peggy Lee · “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	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
Golden Earring 21%	Jay Livingston	C minor	AABA · 32	Medium swing

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.