Piano Cover of "Here on Our Knees"

Here on Our Knees piano chords sit in G♭ major in the video above, a key that makes plenty of church keyboardists nervous. Oncemore Six recorded a song made for the moment the room goes low, and the good news is that G♭ is kinder than it looks on paper. Let’s make friends with the key and get this one ready for Sunday.

A song for the altar moment

The title tells you where this belongs: prayer, response, the time after the Word when people come forward or kneel where they are. The band’s job is to make that moment feel safe. Play softly, play slowly, and leave room for the leader or the pastor to speak over the music.

There’s no tempo listed for this one, so take it from the video. Tap it into the Smart Metronome once and you’ll have it for good. Slow songs drift, so check yourself against the click at least once in rehearsal.

Six flats or six sharps?

G♭ major has six flats: B♭, E♭, A♭, D♭, G♭ and C♭. Its twin is F♯ major with six sharps, which uses exactly the same keys on the piano. That’s called an enharmonic pair. Lots of players learned this key as F♯, and that’s fine, but if you write a chart in G♭, spell it like this:

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

Yes, C♭. It’s the same key as B on the piano, but in G♭ the 4 chord is spelled C♭ major. Call it B in rehearsal if the bassist prefers, as long as everyone agrees on the number. Numbers settle arguments that letter names start.

For the sound, go with a soft grand and a warm pad. If you have a string layer, save it for the last chorus.

Here on Our Knees piano chords: what to listen for

We don’t have a full chord chart for this song on the site yet, so I won’t print a progression and hope it’s right. What I can tell you is how altar songs in this family usually behave. They move between the 1, 4, 5 and 6m, and they lean on the 6m (E♭m) when the words turn inward.

When you play along with the video, listen to the bass. When it drops to E♭ and the chord sounds tender, that’s your 6m. When it rises to D♭ and the room seems to lean forward, that’s the 5 asking to go home. Write down what you hear in numbers, section by section, and you’ve built your own chart.

Voicings for a low, quiet room

• Right hand sevenths: G♭maj7 (G♭, B♭, D♭, F), C♭maj7 (C♭, E♭, G♭, B♭) and E♭m7 (E♭, G♭, B♭, D♭). Keep them in the middle of the keyboard, around middle C.
• Left hand: a single low root, or an octave if the bass player sits out. Change only when the harmony changes.
• The gospel move: before the 1, play D♭sus4 (D♭, G♭, A♭), then D♭7 (D♭, F, A♭, C♭). The sus holds the breath, the dominant seventh pulls you home. Note that the seventh of D♭7 is C♭, not B.

Try each voicing slowly in the Chord Voicing Lab if the black keys still feel unfamiliar.

When the leader changes key

G♭ is often a compromise key, and leaders move away from it. If they go up to G, everything rises a half step: G, C, D and Em for the 1, 4, 5 and 6m. If they drop to F, it’s F, B♭, C and Dm. Keep Gig Mode open on your phone and you’ll have the new chords before the leader finishes the sentence.

A four-step practice plan

1. Five minutes: play G♭, A♭m, C♭, D♭ and E♭m around the keyboard, saying the numbers out loud.
2. Five minutes: map the song’s sections in numbers with the video.
3. Five minutes: drill D♭sus4 to D♭7 to G♭maj7 until it’s smooth.
4. Five minutes: play the whole song as softly as you can while keeping it even.

FAQ

What key is Here on Our Knees in?

The video above is in G♭ major, which is the same as F♯ major on the keyboard.

Is G♭ hard to play in?

It looks hard written down, but the black keys give your fingers clear landmarks. A week of practice and it feels normal.

Ready for another one? Our full chord chart for Zion is a good next step.