Standards

I Loves You Porgy chords & key

Key: F major
Form: AABA
Bars: 34
Groove: Ballad
Time signature: 4/4

“I Loves You Porgy” is a jazz standard by George Gershwin. Most bands play it in F major, ballad; the tune runs 34 bars in AABA form. Harmonically it contains 9 major ii–V–I cadences and 3 minor ii–V–i, uses 24 different chords and moves between the key centres F major, B♭ major, A minor and C minor. In this atlas it appears on 12 album tracks.

Chord changes

to key

Showing in: Concert (C) — F major

F^maj7C^m7F⁷

B♭^maj7D^m7_/A

G^m7C^7sus

F^maj7A^7♭13

D^m7

G⁷

G^m7C^7sus

F⁶C^7sus

F⁶B^m7♭5E⁷

A^m6G♭^m7♭5

B^m7♭5E^7♭13

A^m6G♭^m7♭5

A♭^7♯5G⁷

C^m6A^m7♭5

D^m7♭5G^7♭13

C^m6A♭⁷

G^7♯5C^7♯9

G^7♯5C^7sus

F^maj7C^m7F⁷

B♭^maj7D^m7_/A

G^m7C^7sus

F^maj7A^7♭13

D^m7

G⁷

G^m7C^7sus

F⁶C^7sus

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

Harmonic analysis

9Major ii–V–I

3Minor ii–V–i

15ii–V moves

0Tritone substitutions

3Dominant chains

24Different chords

Most used chords

C^7sus×9
F^maj7×6
G^m7×6
G⁷×4
C^m7×3
F⁷×3

Key centres reached by ii–V

F major, B♭ major, A minor and C minor

Characteristics

AABA song form

Recorded on these albums

1951	Lover Man Billie Holiday · “Porgy”
1956	George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess George Gershwin; Mel Tormé, Frances Faye, The Bethlehem Orchestra, Russ Garcia, The Stan Levey Group, The Australian Jazz Quartet, Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra · “I Loves You, Porgy”
1958	Porgy and Bess Miles Davis · “I Loves You, Porgy”
1958	Little Girl Blue Nina Simone · “Porgy”
1962	Porgy And Bess George Gershwin · “I Loves You, Porgy”
1966	Nina Simone With Strings Nina Simone · “I Love You Porgy”
1970	Gifted & Black Nina Simone · “Porgy”
1978	Porgy and Bess George Gershwin; Clamma Dale, Donnie Ray Albert, Houston Grand Opera Orchestra, John DeMain · “"I loves you Porgy"”
1981	Barbara Hendricks Sings Gershwin Gershwin; Barbara Hendricks, Katia & Marielle Labèque · “I Loves You, Porgy”
1981	Porgy and Bess in Concert / Girl Crazy Overture George Gershwin; Claudia Lindsey, Benjamin Matthews, Slovak Philharmonic, Ettore Stratta · “I Loves You, Porgy”
1989	Porgy & Bess Ray Charles & Cleo Laine · “I Loves You, Porgy”
2026	A Timeless Place Norma Winstone

Historic 78 rpm recordings

I LOVES YOU, PORGY Phil Moore Four · Ira Gershwin · George Gershwin · 1946 archive.org ↗

Standards with similar changes

Similarity of the chord progression, independent of key.

Title	Composer	Key	Form	Groove
On The Sunny Side Of The Street 27%	Jimmy McHugh	C major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
Cry Me A River 23%	Arthur Hamilton	E♭ major	AABA · 32	Ballad
My One And Only Love 23%	Wood-Mellin	C major	AABA · 32	Ballad
More Than You Know 22%	Vincent Youmans	C major	AABA · 32	Ballad
Just You, Just Me 21%	Jesse Greer	C major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
Young And Foolish 21%	Albert Hague	C major	ABAC · 32	Ballad
The Frim Fram Sauce 20%	Joe Richardel	B♭ major	AABA · 32	Medium swing
It's A Lovely Day Today 20%	Irving Berlin	B♭ major	ABB · 28	Medium swing

Frequently asked questions

What key is I Loves You Porgy in?

I Loves You Porgy is usually played in F major. For B♭ instruments that is G major, for E♭ instruments D major.

Who wrote I Loves You Porgy?

I Loves You Porgy was written by George Gershwin.

What is the form of I Loves You Porgy?

I Loves You Porgy has 4 sections (AABA) with 34 bars in total.

How fast is I Loves You Porgy played?

The usual groove is Ballad.

What are the chord changes to I Loves You Porgy?

The opening bars are Fmaj7 Cm7 F7 | Bbmaj7 Dm7/A | Gm7 C7sus | Fmaj7 A7b13. The full chart above can be transposed to any key.