Piano Cover of "Holy Is Our God"

Holy Is Our God piano chords don’t ask much of your fingers, but they ask a lot of your touch. Mahalia Buchanan’s song is reverent and hymn-like, and it sits in C major, so the work is all in the voicings and the pacing. Get those right and you’ll carry the room.

The moment this song is made for

This is adoration, not celebration. It suits the stretch of a service where the leader slows everything right down, maybe just before the Word or during a time of prayer. Take your tempo from the video above, and expect long, held chords rather than busy rhythm.

Think of the keyboard as the floor the singers stand on: steady, even, never showy.

Setting up in C

C gives you white-key chords and lots of room to add colour. The numbers you’ll use most:

• 1: C (C, E, G)
• 2m: Dm (D, F, A)
• 3m: Em (E, G, B)
• 4: F (F, A, C)
• 5: G (G, B, D)
• 6m: Am (A, C, E)

For the patch, a grand piano with a touch of reverb, plus a soft organ or string pad underneath. A hymn-like song loves a little organ holding the harmony together.

Finding the Holy Is Our God piano chords

We don’t have Holy Is Our God on a full chord chart yet, so I won’t guess at the exact changes. What I can say is that it’s a slow C major song in the hymn tradition: the primary chords carry it, and the minor chords (Am, Em, Dm) add the shading. Play the video, follow the bass, and map every chord to its number. Hymn-style songs tend to be very regular, so you’ll find the pattern quickly.

Voicing it like a reverent church player

• Right hand: skip bare triads. Use Cmaj7 (C, E, G, B), Em7 (E, G, B, D), Fmaj7 (F, A, C, E) and Am7 (A, C, E, G). Keep the top notes close together so the harmony moves like a choir rather than a piano exercise.
• Left hand: whole notes. Try low octaves for weight in the full sections, then lighten to single notes in the quieter verses.
• The sus: before G resolves to C, hold Gsus4 (G, C, D) for a couple of beats, then let the C drop to B. That suspension is the reverent cadence people feel without knowing what it is.

Want to go a step further? Try a plagal “amen” ending: F to C, or Fm to C if you’re feeling bold. Fm (F, A♭, C) borrowed into C major is an old church sound and it works beautifully under a final held note. Wikipedia’s article on the plagal cadence explains why it’s called the amen cadence. You can test all of these in the Chord Voicing Lab.

Changing keys on the spot

If the leader’s voice isn’t there on the day, they may ask for D or B♭. In D, the chords become D, Em, F♯m, G, A and Bm. In B♭ they’re B♭, Cm, Dm, E♭, F and Gm. Numbers make this painless, and Gig Mode shows the new letters on screen so you’re not doing sums mid-song.

Remember the sus move travels too: in D it’s Asus4 to A to D, in B♭ it’s Fsus4 to F to B♭.

Practice plan (15 minutes)

1. Play the six chords as 7th voicings, two slow bars each.
2. Practise Gsus4 to G to C until it feels like breathing.
3. Play along with the video, matching the singer’s pace rather than your own.
4. Finish with the F to C amen ending three times, then once with Fm.

FAQ

What key is Holy Is Our God in?

C major in our cover.

Is it a good song for beginners?

Yes. The chords are simple, and it’s a great song for learning to voice 7th chords and hold a slow tempo.

What patch works best?

A warm grand with a gentle organ or string pad underneath.

Next up, try Koinonia, or browse more slow songs in our worship song charts.