Other arrangements of It Ain't Necessarily So
Pick a learning view.
It (Gm)ain’t ne ces (C)sa ri ly (Gm)so,
it (Gm)ain’t ne ces (C)sa ri ly (Gm)so,
de (C7)t’ings dat yo’ (Db7)li’ ble to (C7)read in de (Db7)Bi ble, it (A7)ain’t ne ces (D7)sa ri ly (C)so.
Li’l (Gm)Da vid was (C)small, but oh (Gm)my!
Li’l (Gm)Da vid was (C)small, but oh (Gm)my!
He (C7)fought big Go (Db7)li ath who (C7)lay down an’ (Db7)di eth!
Li’l (A7)Da vid was (D7)small, but oh (C)so.
Li’l (Gm)my!
Oh, (Gm)Jo nah, he (C)lived in a (Gm)whale,
oh, (Gm)Jo nah, he (C)lived in de (Gm)whale,
fo’ (C7)he made his (Db7)home in dat (C7)fish ’s ab (Db7)do men.
Oh, (A7)Jo nah, he (D)lived in de (C)whale.
Li’l (Gm)Mo ses was (C)found in a (Gm)stream,
li’l (Gm)Mo ses was (C)found in a (Gm)stream,
he (C7)float ed on (Db7)wa ter till (C7)ole Phar aoh’s (Db7)daugh ter, she (A7)fished him, she (D)says, from that (C)whale.
Li’l (Gm)stream.
It ain’t ne ces (C)sa ri ly (Gm)so,
it (Gm)ain’t ne ces (C)sa ri ly (Gm)so.
Dey (C7)tell all you (Db7)chil lun de (C)deb ble’s a (Db7)vil lun, But (A7)’tain’t ne ces (D)sa ri ly (Gm)so.
To (Db)get in to (Ab)Heb ben don’ (Eb)snap for a (Ab)seb ben!
Live (Am7)clean!
Don’ (D7)have no (G)fault.
Oh, (C7)I takes dat gos pel when (F6)ev er it’s (Gm7)pos’ ble, but (A7sus)wid a (A7)grain of (D)salt.
Me (Gm)thus’ lah lived (C)nine hun dred (Gm)years,
Me (Gm)thus’ lah lived (C)nine hun dred (Gm)years,
but (C7)who calls dat (Db7)liv in’ when (C7)no gal ’ll (Db7)give in to (A7)no man what’s (D)nine hun dred (C)years?
I’m (Cm6)preach in’ dis ser mon to (G)show,
it (C)ain’t nes sa, (B7)ain’t nes sa, (Em)aint’t nes sa, (A)ain’t nes sa, (G)ain’t ne ces (D)sa ri ly (G6)so.
It Ain't Necessarily So — Classic Piano Sheet Music
1 person has learned this song
Read "It Ain't Necessarily So" by George Gershwin in classic piano notation — both hands, real chords + notes, in the published key of Bb. Engraved server-side from the publisher MusicXML; click any note to jump there as the score follows along at 84 BPM.
Tip: Start at 50% speed to get comfortable with the fingering, then work your way up to full tempo.
Try other practice modes:
About “It Ain't Necessarily So”
- Is this the same engraved sheet music a piano teacher would print for "It Ain't Necessarily So"?
- Yes — the score is rendered server-side from the publisher MusicXML using Verovio (the same engine RISM and OpenScore use). Standard piano notation, treble + bass staves, real chord symbols, key signature Bb. Print-quality and identical to what you'd see in a printed piano book.
- What key is "It Ain't Necessarily So" by George Gershwin played in?
- It Ain't Necessarily So is arranged in the key of Bb on Super Simple Piano. You can transpose to any other key live in the player.
- What's the tempo (BPM) of "It Ain't Necessarily So"?
- The arrangement plays at 84 BPM. Use the speed control (10-200%) to practice slower or play faster.
- Is "It Ain't Necessarily So" easy to play on piano?
- Yes — this is one of our beginner-friendly arrangements with simplified chords and color-coded notes.
- Can I download sheet music for "It Ain't Necessarily So"?
- Yes — registered users can download PDF sheet music, plus MIDI and MusicXML files for use in other notation software.
- Who composed "It Ain't Necessarily So"?
- "It Ain't Necessarily So" was originally performed by George Gershwin. The Super Simple Piano arrangement is simplified for beginner-to-intermediate players.
- What other songs by George Gershwin can I play here?
- Try "LITTLE JAZZ BIRD", "SWANEE", "WHO CARES?". All are in our player with color-coded notes; pick the one matching your level.
- Is this the same notation a piano teacher would hand me?
- Yes — "It Ain't Necessarily So" is rendered at engraver quality (the Verovio engine, the same toolkit RISM and OpenScore editions use) from the original publisher MusicXML. You get standard piano notation: treble + bass clefs, key signature Bb, time signature, beams, dynamics — everything a printed sheet music book would have. Great for piano students learning to read music properly.
- What's the difference between Sheet Music and the other modes here?
- Sheet Music is the "classic" view — the one your piano teacher uses. Other modes (Beginner, Fall Down, Simple Sheet, Lead Sheet) trade real notation for color-coded notes and falling shapes to help absolute beginners. Use Sheet Music once you're ready to read both hands at once from real notation.
- Can I practice from this view at my own pace?
- Yes — slow the tempo from 84 BPM down (or up) without changing the pitch. The score scrolls in time and the currently playing note is highlighted, so you can drill a tough bar at half speed and bump it up once it feels comfortable.
- Why can I click a note in the score?
- Every notehead is interactive. Click and the audio jumps to that moment so you can drill a specific phrase or bar instead of replaying from the top. The currently playing note is highlighted as the music advances so your eye never loses its place.
- Can I download the sheet music as a PDF?
- Yes — Sheet Music PDF is one of the download formats for this song. The engraved score prints page-perfect on A4 / Letter so you can practice from paper as well as on screen.