Piano Cover of "What a Beautiful Name"

What a Beautiful Name piano chords are a great first project for any church keys player, and this post walks you through how I play the Hillsong Worship song in the video above. It’s a congregational song built for the whole room to sing, so the piano’s job is to make singing easy.

Why this song works on a Sunday

This is reverent, singable worship. The tempo on our track reads 136 BPM, but don’t let that number fool you: it feels like half that. Count it in a slow, wide two and you’ll be with the band. In a service it fits the deep part of worship, often right before the Word or during communion.

The song grows. It starts gentle and builds to big moments, then comes back down. Think of your playing as a volume knob the leader is holding. You follow their hand.

Key of D: the setup

The song is in D major, with two sharps (F♯ and C♯). D is bright and open, and it’s comfortable for most congregations. Here are the chords to know:

• 1: D (D, F♯, A)
• 2m: Em (E, G, B)
• 4: G (G, B, D)
• 5: A (A, C♯, E)
• 6m: Bm (B, D, F♯)

For sound, a clean grand piano is all you need at the start. When the song builds, bring in a pad underneath. If you’re the only instrument, a piano with a bit of reverb will carry the room on its own.

The family the chords come from

We don’t have our own chart for What a Beautiful Name up on the site yet, so I’ll leave the bar-by-bar progression out rather than guess. The song uses the core worship chords of D: the 1, 4, 5 and 6m (D, G, A, Bm). Most of the song moves between those four, and the bigger sections lean harder on the 6m for weight.

The best way to learn it is to play the video above and follow the bass. Each time it moves, ask “which number?” If that’s new for you, have a look through our guides or practise naming degrees in our Ear Trainer.

What a Beautiful Name piano chords, voiced for the room

• Right hand, verses: open, simple triads held for the whole bar. G as G, B, D. D as F♯, A, D. Bm as F♯, B, D. Notice how the D stays on top. It sounds hymn-like and steady.
• Left hand: whole notes on the root in the verses. When the song builds, move to octaves.
• The gospel move: in the biggest section, swap the plain Bm for Bm9 (B in the bass, D, F♯, A, C♯ in the right hand). It adds weight and warmth without changing what the congregation hears.
• Another touch: add a sus to the 5. Play Asus4 (A, D, E) and resolve to A (A, C♯, E) before going home to D.

To hear how much difference the voicing makes, try each version in the Chord Voicing Lab.

If your leader needs a different key

Many congregations sing this lower than the recording. Think in numbers and you’ll handle it. Down a tone to C, the 1, 4, 5, 6m become C, F, G, Am. Down to B♭, they’re B♭, E♭, F, Gm. The Bm9 becomes Am9 in C and Gm9 in B♭.

Keep Gig Mode close for the moment someone says “let’s take it down”.

Your first 20 minutes

1. Play D, G, A and Bm in the open shapes above, one per bar, with a metronome counting slowly. Five minutes.
2. Add the left-hand roots and listen to the D held on top. Five minutes.
3. Play along with the video, matching the quiet start and the build. Five minutes.
4. Practise the Bm9 and Asus4 moves until you can drop them in without thinking. Five minutes.

FAQ

What key is What a Beautiful Name in?

The version we play is in D major.

Is What a Beautiful Name good for beginners?

Yes. It uses four main chords and a slow feel. It’s one of the best songs to learn first.

Why does 136 BPM feel so slow?

Because the song is felt in half time. Count every second click and it sits at a calm pace.

When you’re ready for a South African song in the same key, try Never Settle for Less by Khaya Mthethwa.