It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)

by George Gershwin
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Two-handed piano arrangement — color-coded notes, lead sheet, sheet music. Learn it yourself.

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Lyrics

(CN.C.)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)tings dat yo’ (Db7)li’ ble to (C7)read in de (Db7)Bi ble, it (A7)ain’t ne ces (D7)sa ri ly (C7)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 (C7)so.

Li’l (Gm)my!

(Eb7)Wa doo, (Gbm6)wa doo, (Ab)zim bam (Eb7)bod dle oo, (B)zim bam (Ab)bod dle oo, (D7)hoo dle ah da (Em7)wa da, (Fm6)hoo dle ah da (D7)wa da, (Gm)scat ty wah.

Scat ty wah (D)Yeah!

Oh, (Gm)Jo nah.

he (C)lived in de (Gm)whale,

oh, (Gm)Jo nah, he (C)lived in de (Gm)whale,

fo’ (C7)he made his (Db7)home in dar (C7)fish ’s ab (Db7)do men.

Oh, (A7)Jo nah, he (D7)lived in de (C7)whale.

Li’l (Gm)Mo ses was (C)found a (Gm)stream,

li’l (Gm)Mo ses was (C)found a (Gm)stream,

he (C7)float ed on (Db7)wa ter ’til (C7)ole Pha raoh’s (Db7)daugh ter she (A7)fished him, she (D7)says, from that (C7)whale.

Li’l (Gm)stream.

(Eb7)Wa doo, (F#)wa doo, (Ab)zim bam (Eb7)bod dle oo, (B)zim bam (A7)bod dle oo, (D7)hoo dle ah da (Em7)wa da, (Fm6)hoo dle ah da (D7)wa da, (Gm)scat ty wah, scat ty wah.

(D)Yeah!

It (Gm)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 (C7)deb ble’s a (Db7)vil lun, but (A7)’tain’t ne ces (D7)sa ri ly (Gm)so.

To (Eb7)get in to Heb ben don’ (Ab)snap for a seb ben!

Live (Am7)clean!

Don’ (D7)have no (G6)fault.

(G7)Oh, (C7)I takes dat gos pel when (F)ev er it’s pos ’ble, but (Em7)wid a (A7)grain of (D7)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 (D7)nine hun dred (C)years?

I’m (Cm6)preach in’ dis ser mon to (G)show,

it (C)ain’t nes sa, (B13)ain’t nes sa, (Em)ain’t nes sa, (Am7)ain’t nes sa, (G)ain’t ne ces (D)sa ri ly (G6)so.

It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess) — Piano Accompaniment Track

Free piano accompaniment for "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" by George Gershwin. Sing along or play your instrument over the backing piano. Toggle the vocal melody on/off, change key to fit your voice, adjust tempo. Key of C, 100 BPM.

Tip: Press play and sing the melody on top of the piano. If the original key (C) sits too high or low for your voice, use the transpose control to shift the accompaniment into a comfortable range — the backing moves with you. Need a pitch reference? Tap the mic icon to bring the vocal melody in.

Try other practice modes:

About “It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)

How do the bar-notation visuals help sing "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" with this backing?
Each chord change drops as a colored bar across the staff, scrolling in real time so you can see exactly when the harmony shifts. Helpful for hitting entrances and judging when to breathe — especially on phrases that don't begin on beat 1 of "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)".
What key is the piano accompaniment for "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" by George Gershwin in?
The backing track is in C at 100 BPM. If that doesn't sit in your vocal range, use the live transpose control to shift up or down semitones — the accompaniment moves with the new key automatically.
Can I sing over "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" with this accompaniment?
Yes — that's exactly what it's built for. The vocal melody is muted by default so you can sing freely. Need a pitch reference? Tap the mic icon to bring the melody back in at a lower volume.
Is this a karaoke version of "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)"?
Effectively yes — it's the piano-only backing for "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)", with no vocals. You can also slow it down to practice tricky verses, then bring it back to full tempo.
Can I use "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" as a backing track for my instrument?
Absolutely. Singers, guitarists, violinists, wind players, and instrumental practice in general all work — the piano holds the harmony so you can carry the melody on whatever instrument you play.
Can I download the accompaniment for "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)"?
Yes — registered users can download MIDI + MusicXML (open in any notation software). PDF sheet music is also available for the full arrangement.
Who wrote "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)"?
"It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" was originally performed by George Gershwin. This piano accompaniment is an arrangement of that song, designed for sing-along and play-along use.
What other backing tracks by George Gershwin are available?
Other accompaniments by George Gershwin: "But Not For Me", "Do It Again", "Embraceable You". Same toggle-the-melody, change-the-key setup.
How do I use "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" as a backing track?
Just press play — the piano accompaniment runs from start to end, no vocals. Sing, hum, or play your own instrument over it. Use the mic icon to add a vocal melody as a pitch reference, and the speed control if you want a slower practice tempo.
Can I change the key of "It Ain't Necessarily So (From Porgy And Bess)" to fit my voice?
Yes — the original is in C, but the player has a live transpose control so you can shift up or down semitones until the melody sits in your vocal range. The piano accompaniment moves with the new key automatically.

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