Piano Cover of "Basuka"

At 62 BPM, Basuka piano chords give you all the time in the world, and that’s exactly what makes the song tricky. Ayanda Ntanzi’s song is slow enough that every passing chord gets heard, so the keys player has nowhere to hide. Our chart has it in A♭ major. Here’s how to make each change land cleanly.

Slow worship with every note on show

Sixty-two beats a minute is slow. This is a song for deep worship, the part of the service where nobody is in a hurry and the leader may sing a line twice. The groove is a gentle pulse, and the space between chords matters as much as the chords themselves.

The danger at this tempo is drift. Slow songs tend to speed up as the band gets comfortable, or drag as energy dips. Practise with a click, then on Sunday follow the leader, but know where the pulse should be.

A♭ major, not G♯

You’ll sometimes see this song listed in G♯. On the piano it’s the same keys, but G♯ major would need eight sharps, including F double sharp. A♭ major has four flats (B♭, E♭, A♭ and D♭) and is far easier to read. Our chart uses A♭, so these are the chords:

• 1: A♭ (A♭, C, E♭)
• 2m: B♭m (B♭, D♭, F)
• 3m: Cm (C, E♭, G)
• 4: D♭ (D♭, F, A♭)
• 5: E♭ (E♭, G, B♭)
• 6m: Fm (F, A♭, C)
• Passing chord: Adim (A, C, E♭)

For the patch, a warm grand with a slow-attack pad underneath. At this tempo, long reverb tails can blur the changes, so keep the reverb moderate.

Basuka piano chords, section by section

The verse opens on the 4, not the 1: 4, 1, 1, 4, 6m, 5, 1. In A♭ that’s D♭, A♭, A♭, D♭, Fm, E♭, A♭. Starting on the 4 gives the song a soft, searching opening, so count yourself in from D♭ or you’ll come in on the wrong chord.

The chorus goes 1, 5, ♭2dim, 2m, 3m, 5. In letters: A♭, E♭, Adim, B♭m, Cm, E♭. It finishes on the 5, which leaves the phrase open and pulls you straight back to the 1 to go round again.

Everything is mapped in our full chord chart for Basuka, including an every-key table.

The diminished chord that makes the chorus

The Adim is the heart of this song. Our chart calls it ♭2dim, and you’ll also see it written as ♯1dim. Either way it’s the chord a half step above the 1. Its job is to lead into B♭m: the bass goes A to B♭, and the chorus climbs A, B♭, C on its way back to the 5.

For a fuller sound, play it as a diminished seventh: A, C, E♭ and G♭. At 62 BPM you have time to let it sit for a moment before it resolves. Don’t rush it. That tension is what the song is built on.

Other voicings that suit the song:

• A♭maj7 (A♭, C, E♭, G) on the 1.
• D♭maj7 (D♭, F, A♭, C) on the verse’s opening 4.
• Fm7 (F, A♭, C, E♭) on the 6m.
• E♭sus4 (E♭, A♭, B♭) resolving to E♭ before you go home.

The left hand stays simple: single roots or octaves, held. Test the diminished voicings in the Chord Voicing Lab until your fingers find them without searching.

Moving it to another key

The diminished chord is where key changes catch people out, so learn it as a number. In G, the chorus becomes G, D, G♯dim (G♯, B, D), Am, Bm, D. In A, it’s A, E, A♯dim (A♯, C♯, E), Bm, C♯m, E. The pattern never changes: a diminished chord on the note a half step above the 1. Gig Mode will show you the rest.

A 20-minute practice plan

1. Play the chorus with Adim as a triad, then as a diminished seventh (five minutes).
2. Play the verse starting on D♭, counting yourself in each time (five minutes).
3. Run the whole song with the Smart Metronome at 62 BPM (five minutes).
4. Play the chorus in G and in A to lock the numbers in (five minutes).

FAQ

What key is Basuka in?

A♭ major on our chart. You may see it listed as G♯, which is the same keys on the piano.

What is the diminished chord in Basuka?

Adim (A, C, E♭) in the chorus, leading from the 5 into the 2m.

Is Basuka hard to play?

The chords are not difficult, but the slow tempo means every wrong note is heard. Practise slowly and it comes together.

Next, try Here on Our Knees by Oncemore Six, another song for the quiet end of the service.