Piano Cover of "Jehovah Retshepile"

Jehovah Retshepile piano chords belong in every South African praise player’s hands, and in the video above I play the song in A♭ major. It’s a fast Sesotho praise song associated with Neyi Zimu, and “re tshepile” means “we trust,” so the whole song is a declaration of trust in Jehovah. For the keys player, it’s all about drive, stamina and staying locked to the drummer.

Bring the energy, keep the pulse

This is a fast praise song, the kind that gets the congregation up, clapping and dancing. It works as an opener, or as the song that lifts the room after the offering. When the choir is in full voice and the drummer is pushing, your role is simple: keep the harmony solid and the rhythm tight. Nobody needs fancy chords at this speed. They need you to be dependable.

The A♭ major toolkit

A♭ major has four flats: A♭, B♭, C, D♭, E♭, F and G. The good news for a fast song is that its main chords are compact and close together on the keyboard. In Nashville numbers:

• 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)

For sound, use a bright piano, or blend a piano with an organ for that classic South African church feel. Keep the organ low so it supports without washing everything out.

Finding the Jehovah Retshepile piano chords by ear

We haven’t charted this song yet, so I’m not going to hand you a progression I can’t stand behind. What I can say is that it lives in the major-key praise family, and the chords above cover what you’ll hear. Fast praise songs like this tend to repeat short phrases many times, so once you’ve worked out one round, you’ve got most of the song.

Work it out with the video above. At this tempo, slow it down if your player allows it. Pick out the bass on each change and match it to the list. Pay special attention to any section where the bass moves step by step through the scale, because that’s where your left hand needs to be most confident.

Voicing for speed

• Right hand: short, tight triad stabs on the off-beats. Keep the voicings close so your hand barely moves. A♭ as E♭, A♭, C is a good home position, and D♭ as D♭, F, A♭ is right next door.
• Left hand: octaves on the root, driving with the kick drum. Don’t add fifths at this speed; octaves are clearer.
• Stamina: stay relaxed in the wrist. If your forearm starts burning halfway through, you’re pressing too hard.
• One gospel move: when the song climbs toward the 5, turn the 2m into a 2⁷. That’s B♭m becoming B♭7 (B♭, D, F, A♭). The D natural points straight at the E♭ and makes the climb sound stronger.

When the key goes up

Fast praise songs love a key change, especially toward the end when the leader wants one more push. If they go up a semitone, you’re in A major. Up a whole step, you’re in B♭. Either way, think in numbers. A 1, 4, 5 in A♭ is still a 1, 4, 5 everywhere else. Keep Gig Mode on your music stand to check the letters, and practise switching keys in the Chord Voicing Lab during the week.

A 20-minute practice plan

1. 5 minutes: play the 1, 2m, 3m, 4, 5 and 6m in A♭, up and down, saying the numbers out loud.
2. 5 minutes: left-hand octaves only, along with the video. Get the rhythm right first.
3. 5 minutes: add right-hand stabs on the off-beats, starting slower with a metronome and building up.
4. 5 minutes: try the B♭7 move and practise a semitone key change to A.

Quick questions

What key is Jehovah Retshepile in?

I play it in A♭ major in the video above.

How do I keep up with the tempo?

Simplify. Octaves in the left hand, small triads in the right, and keep your hand position tight.

Once you’ve got this one, slow things down with our chart for Ndenzel’ Uncedo, also in A♭.