Piano Cover of "uMelusi"

"uMelusi" by Musa Yende is IsiZulu worship. The title means "the Shepherd." 116 BPM, mid-tempo, one of the more musically-sophisticated modern SA worship recordings.

1. The key: B major

B major. Scale: B, C♯m, D♯m, E, F♯, G♯m, A♯dim.

2. The chord shape

Verse: 1 to 3m to 4 to 5. Chorus: 4 to 5 to 1 to 6m to 4 to 5 to 1. The 3m (D♯m) drop in the verse gives the song its shepherd-and-sheep intimacy. Watch the Musa Yende recording.

3. The Sunday-ready play

• Right hand: 4-note voicings, every chord with the 7 for warmth.
• Left hand: root, fifth walking pattern at 116 BPM.
• One move to add: on the 3m to 4 move in the verse, walk the LH bass D♯ to E stepwise. Half-step lift.

4. When the leader calls a different key

Musa Yende songs shift keys often. Numbers hold. Gig Mode.

Next step

Play Lomusa Ongaka next. Same B, faster, Benjamin Dube.