Piano Cover of "Kgoši Ya Rena"

Kgoši Ya Rena piano chords hinge on one passing chord that most players miss the first time through. Mmatema Moremi’s song is in C major at 110 BPM, the title means “our King”, and it has the lifted, regal feel of a coronation song. Learn that passing chord properly and the rest falls into place.

A song that crowns the King

Kgoši Ya Rena is sung in Sepedi, and it’s a declaration: who God is, and where He sits. At 110 BPM it’s a confident mid-tempo, so it fits after the praise set as the room turns from celebrating to proclaiming. It also works as a strong closer when the leader wants people to leave on a high.

On keys, think stately rather than busy. A king walks in; he doesn’t run.

Setting up in C

C major keeps the shapes simple. The chords on our full chord chart for Kgoši Ya Rena are:

• 1: C (C, E, G)
• 2m: Dm (D, F, A)
• 3m: Em (E, G, B)
• 4: F (F, A, C)
• 5: G (G, B, D)
• The passing chord: C♯dim (C♯, E, G)

Use a bright grand, and add strings for the bridge if your keyboard lets you split or layer.

The Kgoši Ya Rena piano chords, section by section

• Verse: 1, 5, ♭2dim, 2m, 5, 1 (C, G, C♯dim, Dm, G, C)
• Chorus: 5, 4, 1 (G, F, C)
• Bridge: 1, 3m, 4, 5, 1 (C, Em, F, G, C)

The verse is where that passing chord lives. Our chart labels it ♭2dim, and you’ll also see it called ♯1dim. The spelling that matters on the keyboard is C♯dim: C♯ sits a half step below D, so it leans straight into Dm. Skip it and the verse sounds flat. Play it and the line lifts.

The chorus comes down: G, F, C. That last move, 4 to 1, is the old “amen” sound you’ll know from hymns. Wikipedia’s article on the plagal cadence explains it. The bridge does the opposite and climbs: C, Em, F, G, then home.

Making it sound regal

• Right hand: open triads with the top note doubled an octave higher in the chorus. That gives you brightness without clutter.
• Left hand: root on beat one, fifth on beat three. On the bridge, let the bass follow the roots up, C to E to F to G, so the climb is clear.
• The C♯dim: make it C♯dim7 by adding B♭ (C♯, E, G, B♭). The extra note gives it more pull into Dm. Give it its full value; don’t rush through.
• The final G: at the end of the bridge, hold Gsus4 (G, C, D) for a bar before G and C. It makes the last return home feel earned.

Practise the diminished move slowly in the Chord Voicing Lab before you try it at tempo.

Another key, same chart

If the leader calls a different key, our chart’s every-key table does the work. Open the Kgoši Ya Rena chart and read across. In D, for example, the verse becomes D, A, D♯dim, Em, A, D. Notice the passing chord moves with the key: it’s always the note a half step below the 2m. For live use, Gig Mode keeps the new chords in front of you.

Twenty minutes to Sunday-ready

1. Play the verse slowly: C, G, C♯dim, Dm, G, C. Repeat until the C♯dim feels automatic.
2. Set the Smart Metronome to 110 and run the verse, chorus and bridge in order.
3. Add the left-hand climb on the bridge and the Gsus4 at the end.
4. Play along with the video for the full song.

FAQ

What key is Kgoši Ya Rena in?

C major on our chart, at 110 BPM.

What’s the unusual chord in the verse?

C♯dim, a passing chord that leads from G into Dm.

What does Kgoši Ya Rena mean?

“Our King”.

For another regal song to put next to it, try Messiah.