Piano Cover of "Moya Waka Eletsa Wena"

Learning the Moya Waka Eletsa Wena piano chords is a lesson in playing softly and still sounding full. The song is by Shinkie featuring Omega Khunou, it moves at 99 BPM in A♭ major, and “moya waka” is Sesotho for “my spirit.” It’s an intimate worship song, and in the video above I keep everything under the voices.

An intimate song at a walking pace

At 99 BPM this song has a gentle forward motion, but it never feels rushed. It’s a worship moment, the part of the service where the room has stopped clapping and started singing to God rather than about Him. Two voices carry it, so the piano is there to support a blend, not to lead. Think of your playing as the cushion the singers sit on.

Getting A♭ under your hands

A♭ major has four flats: A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F and G. It’s a warm, round key and one of the most common in gospel. Here are your chords in Nashville numbers:

• 1 = A♭ (A♭, C, E♭)
• 2m = B♭m (B♭, D♭, F)
• 4 = D♭ (D♭, F, A♭)
• 5 = E♭ (E♭, G, B♭)
• 6m = Fm (F, A♭, C)

Choose a mellow piano, or a soft electric piano if your keyboard has a good one. A light pad underneath helps hold the long chords together.

Understanding the Moya Waka Eletsa Wena piano chords

We don’t have a chart for this song yet, so I won’t write out a specific progression I can’t confirm. It lives in the 1, 4, 5, 6m family in A♭, and like most worship songs of this kind it repeats its sections as the leader leads. Learn one pass and you’ve got a lot of the song.

Use the video above to work out the changes. Focus on the bass. When you can hear the bass walking down step by step, that’s a clue the band is using slash chords (a chord with a different note in the bass), and that’s where a lot of this song’s warmth comes from. Write what you hear as numbers on your sheet, and if you’re unsure of a chord, try the 6m first. It’s usually the “sad but sweet” one.

Warm voicings for a duet

• Right hand: major 7th chords on the 1 and the 4. A♭maj7 is A♭, C, E♭, G. D♭maj7 is D♭, F, A♭, C. They sound soft and settled, which suits a duet.
• Left hand: single roots or octaves, held. When the bass in the recording moves, move with it. When it holds, hold.
• Stay out of the vocal range: with two singers, keep your right hand below the melody. Voicings around middle C work well.
• One gospel move: the 5/7. That’s E♭ with G in the bass. It’s the classic way to step down from the 1 (A♭) to the 6m (Fm): bass goes A♭, G, F. Use it whenever you hear the bass walk down, and it’ll sound like you’ve played the song for years.

When the leader wants another key

Duets are tricky because the key has to suit two voices. If the leader asks for something else, a step either side (G or B♭, say) is a common fix. Don’t panic. Your numbers stay the same, and the 5/7 is still the 5 chord with the 7th note of the scale in the bass. Gig Mode will give you the letters in any key, and the Chord Voicing Lab is great for trying maj7 shapes in a new key before Sunday.

Practise it in 15 minutes

1. 4 minutes: A♭maj7, D♭maj7, E♭ and Fm, slowly, listening to each one.
2. 4 minutes: the 5/7 walk: A♭, then E♭/G, then Fm. Repeat until the bass line feels natural.
3. 4 minutes: play along with the video using left hand only.
4. 3 minutes: add the right hand, as soft as you can play while staying even.

FAQ

What key is Moya Waka Eletsa Wena in?

We play it in A♭ major at 99 BPM.

Who sings Moya Waka Eletsa Wena?

Shinkie, featuring Omega Khunou.

Looking for another A♭ song for the same set? Try our chart for Ndenzel’ Uncedo.