Piano Cover of "Sewakhile"

Sewakhile piano chords are a gift to anyone learning to hear numbers, because Hlengiwe Mhlaba’s song walks almost straight up the scale. Our chart has it in A major at 110 BPM, and the whole song is built from five chords you already know. Here’s how I play it with some shape, and how to keep it steady when the choir gets going.

A steady, walking mid-tempo

At 110 BPM, Sewakhile sits right in the middle. It’s not a slow worship song and it’s not a full-on praise song, which makes it useful on a run sheet: it can bridge the two, or stand on its own as a choir item. The feel is steady and walking. Nothing should feel rushed.

One thing to know before you play along: the video above sits in G♭, while our chart is written in A. The numbers are identical, only the starting note changes. If you’re jamming with the video, either transpose your keyboard down three semitones or play the G♭ chords listed further down.

Five chords in A major

A major has three sharps (F♯, C♯ and G♯). Sewakhile uses these five chords and nothing else:

• 1: A (A, C♯, E)
• 2m: Bm (B, D, F♯)
• 3m: C♯m (C♯, E, G♯)
• 4: D (D, F♯, A)
• 5: E (E, G♯, B)

For the patch, a clear grand piano works best, because the climbing line needs to be heard note by note. Add a quiet pad only if there’s no second keyboard.

How the Sewakhile piano chords move

The verse is a straight climb: 1, 2m, 3m, 4, 5, 1. In A that’s A, Bm, C♯m, D, E, A. Each chord is one step higher than the last, and the 5 turns you back home. Your bass line is literally the scale.

The chorus starts with a short cycle: 1, 4, 3m, 1, played twice (A, D, C♯m, A). Then the climb returns: 1, 2m, 3m, 4, 5, 1. So the chorus answers the verse, steps away, and comes back to the same ladder.

The detail to get right is the 4 to 3m in the chorus. D drops to C♯m, and the bass steps down D to C♯ before landing back on A. Players who rush that step lose the gentle fall. Everything is laid out in our full chord chart for Sewakhile.

Voicing the climb

• Right hand: move the triads in parallel, but use first inversion so the hand stays compact: A as C♯, E, A; Bm as D, F♯, B; C♯m as E, G♯, C♯. The line climbs smoothly without jumping.
• Left hand: walk A, B, C♯, D, E, then back to A. Quarter notes at 110 feel right; whole notes feel too thin.
• A passing diminished: between the 1 and the 2m, slip in A♯dim (A♯, C♯, E). The bass goes A, A♯, B. It’s the classic diminished passing chord, and it makes the first step of the climb sound intentional.
• Colour on the 3m: play C♯m7 (C♯, E, G♯, B) so it leans into the 4 instead of just passing.
• Coming home: use E/G♯ (the 5 with G♯ in the bass) before the final A. The bass steps G♯ to A.

Hear each option in the Chord Voicing Lab before you decide what to keep.

Transposing on the spot

Because the song is built on a climbing scale, moving it is easy if you think in numbers. In G♭ (the video’s key) the five chords are G♭, A♭m, B♭m, C♭ and D♭. In G they’re G, Am, Bm, C and D. The chart page has an every-key table, and Gig Mode will show the chords in any key on your phone.

A 20-minute practice plan

1. Play the verse climb in A, hands separate, until the left hand walks without looking (five minutes).
2. Add the A♯dim between A and Bm, and E/G♯ before the last A (five minutes).
3. Run the chorus, slowing down on the D to C♯m step (five minutes).
4. Play the whole song with the Smart Metronome at 110 BPM (five minutes).

FAQ

What key is Sewakhile in?

Our chart is in A major. The video above sits in G♭. The numbers are the same in both.

What tempo is Sewakhile?

About 110 BPM.

Is Sewakhile good for beginners?

Yes. Five chords, a scale-shaped bass line and a clear pattern make it one of the best songs for learning numbers.

Like the climb? Ngidinga Wena uses a similar scale-step verse.