Piano Cover of "Wakuabudiwa"

Wakuabudiwa piano chords look simple on paper, until you hear the diminished chord turn up straight after the home chord at 156 BPM. Dr Tumi’s song is fast, bold praise in B major, and that early twist is what makes the verse sound like nothing else in your set. Here’s how to get it under your fingers.

Fast praise with a twist

At 156 BPM, Wakuabudiwa is a celebration song. It belongs at the top of the service or at the peak of the praise set, when the congregation is already on its feet. The tempo leaves no time to think, so the chords have to be in your hands before you walk onto the platform.

The good news is that the verse is one short loop. Learn it once, and you’ve learned most of what you’ll play.

B major: five sharps, one shape at a time

B major has five sharps: B, C♯, D♯, E, F♯, G♯ and A♯. The chords from our full chord chart for Wakuabudiwa:

• 1: B (B, D♯, F♯)
• 7dim: A♯dim (A♯, C♯, E)
• 3m: D♯m (D♯, F♯, A♯)
• 4: E (E, G♯, B)
• 5: F♯ (F♯, A♯, C♯)

For the patch, use a bright piano with a bit of punch, and maybe an organ layer underneath for drive. Leave out slow pads; they blur at this speed.

The verse loop in numbers

Our chart covers the verse, which runs:

• Verse: 1, 7dim, 3m, 4, 5, 4 (B, A♯dim, D♯m, E, F♯, E)

Most songs that start on the 1 head for the 4 or the 5. This one drops a half step in the bass, B to A♯, and lands on the 7 chord, which in a major key is diminished. That’s the colour of the whole verse. Then it settles on D♯m and climbs E, F♯, before falling back to E to go round again.

Play A♯dim as the plain triad, A♯, C♯, E. It’s the chord the key gives you, and it’s what our chart uses. For the rest of the song, follow the video above and map each new chord to its number.

Getting the Wakuabudiwa piano chords up to speed

• Right hand: short stabs, kept in one area of the keyboard. Try B with F♯ on top, A♯dim with E on top, D♯m with F♯ on top, E with G♯ on top, F♯ with A♯ on top. Your hand barely moves.
• Left hand: octaves on the roots, landing with the kick. The B to A♯ step is the hook, so make sure it’s heard.
• Accent the dim: hit A♯dim cleanly and short. If you smear it, the verse loses its edge.

One gospel move for the end of a section: before the loop restarts or the song goes home to B, play F♯sus4 (F♯, B, C♯) and drop the B to A♯. It’s a quick tension and release that works even at 156. If the diminished sound is new to you, Wikipedia’s diminished triad page explains how it’s built. To slow these shapes down and hear them clearly, use the Chord Voicing Lab.

When the leader calls another key

Fast praise songs often move down a semitone to B♭ or up to C for the singers. In numbers, the loop is identical. In B♭ it’s B♭, Adim, Dm, E♭, F, E♭. In C it’s C, Bdim, Em, F, G, F. Our chart has an every-key table, so open the Wakuabudiwa chart to check, and keep Gig Mode on screen during the service.

Speed practice in 20 minutes

1. Play the loop slowly, saying the numbers out loud: 1, 7, 3, 4, 5, 4.
2. Set the Smart Metronome to 110 and play the loop with short right-hand stabs.
3. Step the tempo up to 130, then 156, only when the lower tempo feels easy.
4. Play along with the video, focusing on the B to A♯ drop each time it comes round.

FAQ

What key is Wakuabudiwa in?

B major on our chart, at about 156 BPM.

What’s the chord after the 1?

A♯dim, the 7 chord in B major.

Is it hard to play?

The loop is short. The tempo and the key are what take practice.

For another fast one in B, try Lomusa Ongaka next.