Piano Cover of "I Keep Winning"

The I Keep Winning piano chords aren’t hard. Playing them at 160 BPM for a whole song without falling apart is the real test. This is Dr. Tumi’s high-energy declaration song, in C major, and in the video above I show you how to keep it tight and steady from the first bar to the last.

Fast, joyful, and long

I Keep Winning is fast praise: a testimony song, built for celebration. At 160 BPM it’s one of the quickest songs most church bands will play, and once the room catches it, the leader will keep it going. That means your biggest enemy isn’t a hard chord. It’s tired hands and creeping speed.

Your job is to be the steady one. The singer can preach and the choir can shout. You hold the groove.

C major and the chords you need

No sharps, no flats: C, D, E, F, G, A and B. At this speed, that’s a gift. Your chords in numbers:

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

Use a bright piano that cuts through a loud band. If you’ve got an organ sound, layer it low for that South African praise texture, but don’t let it blur the rhythm.

Picking out the I Keep Winning piano chords

We don’t have a chart for this song yet, so I won’t write out a progression I can’t confirm. It sits in the 1, 4, 5, 6m family in C, and like a lot of fast praise it leans on short, repeating loops. Once you’ve caught one cycle, the rest is about stamina and dynamics.

At this tempo, working it out by ear can be hard. Slow the video down if you can, find the bass note on each change, and match it to the chords above. Write the numbers on your sheet. In C, the white-key bass notes are easy to spot, so this is a good song to practise hearing changes quickly.

Staying tight at 160

• Right hand: short eighth-note stabs on simple triads. Don’t roll chords and don’t add extensions at this speed. Close voicings, like C as E, G, C and F as F, A, C, keep your hand in one spot.
• Left hand: octaves on the root. Lock in with the kick drum. If you lose the bass player, you lose the song.
• Relax: loose wrist, light touch. Pressing harder doesn’t make it louder through a PA, it just makes you tired.
• One move that lifts it: when the band comes back from the chorus into the verse, drop out for one bar. Let the drums carry it alone. When you come back in, the room will feel the energy double. Agree on this with your drummer first.
• A passing chord: if you want a bit of colour on the way to the 5, try a 2⁷: D7 (D, F♯, A, C) instead of Dm. The F♯ leads straight into the G.

Changing keys on the fly

Fast praise songs often go up a key near the end. If the leader calls a semitone up, you’re in D♭; a whole step up, you’re in D. Don’t learn the song twice. Think in numbers: 1, 4, 5, 6m are the same shapes, just shifted. Gig Mode will show you the letters, and the Circle of Fifths helps you see how keys relate.

Build up to 160 BPM

1. 5 minutes: play the 1, 4, 5 and 6m in C with a Smart Metronome at 120 BPM.
2. 5 minutes: raise the click to 140, then 160. Only move up when you’re steady.
3. 5 minutes: play along with the video, left hand only at first, then both hands.
4. 5 minutes: practise the one-bar drop-out and re-entry until you can hit it cleanly.

FAQ

What key is I Keep Winning in?

Our version is in C major at 160 BPM.

How do I not get tired playing it?

Keep your voicings small and your wrist loose. Let the left-hand octaves do the driving.

Need a slower C major song to balance the set? Try Koinonia next.