Piano Cover of "The Pillar"

The Pillar piano chords reward a player who likes colour. Sipho Ngwenya’s song, featuring Tshepang, is a reflective South African worship recording with plenty of room for richer voicings, and the video above plays it in G♭ major. Here’s how to bring that warmth to Sunday without stepping on the singers.

Reflective, with two voices

The Pillar sits at a patient, unhurried tempo. It’s a song for the reflective part of a service: after the praise set, before the Word, or as a ministration item. There’s no tempo on file, so take it from the video and tap it into the Smart Metronome before rehearsal.

The recording features a second vocalist, Tshepang, and that changes how you play. When one voice is singing, you have room to add colour. When the second voice comes in, thin out and leave space for the blend. Two singers plus a busy keyboard is one layer too many.

G♭ major with the sevenths in

G♭ major has six flats. Because this song welcomes richer harmony, it’s worth learning the key’s chords with their sevenths from the start:

• 1: G♭maj7 (G♭, B♭, D♭, F)
• 2m: A♭m7 (A♭, C♭, E♭, G♭)
• 3m: B♭m7 (B♭, D♭, F, A♭)
• 4: C♭maj7 (C♭, E♭, G♭, B♭)
• 5: D♭7 (D♭, F, A♭, C♭)
• 6m: E♭m7 (E♭, G♭, B♭, D♭)

Notice the 4 is C♭ and the seventh of D♭7 is C♭ too. On the keyboard that’s the white B key. If major seventh chords are new to you, the 1 and 4 shapes above are a good pair to start with.

For the sound, a mellow grand or an electric piano with a slow tremolo suits the song. Add a pad only at the bottom of the mix.

The Pillar piano chords: shape before colour

We don’t have a full chart for The Pillar on the site yet, so I won’t print a progression I haven’t checked. Reflective worship songs like this tend to move around the 1, 4, 5 and 6m, with the 2m and 3m bringing in the softer colours. Listen to the video and write the bass movement down in numbers, section by section.

Get the plain shape right first. Colour only works on top of a solid foundation. If you’re adding ninths before you know where the chords go, you’ll end up decorating the wrong chord.

Adding colour without clutter

• Ninth on the 1: G♭maj9 adds A♭ to the maj7. Try G♭ in the left hand, with B♭, D♭, F and A♭ in the right.
• A thirteenth on the 5: play D♭ in the left hand and C♭, F, B♭ in the right. That B♭ on top is the 13, and it softens the pull back to the 1.
• A passing diminished: between the 4 and the 5, slip in Cdim (C, E♭, G♭). The bass rises C♭, C, D♭, a chromatic step that sounds rich at a slow tempo.
• Left hand: roots in whole notes. Let the right hand carry the colour.
• The rule: one colour per bar. If the singer is moving, keep the chord plain. If the singer holds a long note, that’s your space.

The Chord Voicing Lab is the best place to test these voicings before you trust them in front of a congregation.

When the key moves

G♭ may not suit every leader. If you go up to G, the 1, 4, 5 and 6m are G, C, D and Em, and the colours move with them: Gmaj9, Cmaj7, D13. In F, it’s F, B♭, C and Dm. Numbers keep the voicings consistent wherever you land. Gig Mode keeps every key a tap away on the stand.

A 20-minute practice plan

1. Play all six seventh chords in G♭, slowly, saying the number of each (five minutes).
2. Map the song in numbers with the video (five minutes).
3. Add one colour at a time: maj9 on the 1, then the 13 on the 5, then the Cdim (five minutes).
4. Play through with the video, thinning out whenever both voices are singing (five minutes).

FAQ

What key is The Pillar in?

The video above is in G♭ major, the same keys as F♯ major.

Can I play The Pillar with plain triads?

Yes. The song works with triads. The sevenths and ninths are there to add warmth once the shape is solid.

For another warm song in G♭, try Makabongwe next.