Piano Cover of "Rooftops"

Rooftops piano chords are a rite of passage for anyone who has played in a youth band. Jesus Culture‘s song moves at 100 BPM in E major, and it’s all about dynamics: a gentle verse and a chorus that hits like a wave. Here’s how I play it and how you can lead it from the keys.

Why the drop matters more than the chords

Rooftops is a praise song with a big heart. It’s energetic without being frantic, which makes it a good bridge between the opening songs and the worship part of a set. Youth services love it, but it works in a main service too.

The magic is in contrast. The verse holds back. The chorus opens up. If you play both sections at the same volume, the song goes flat. So before you learn a single chord, decide what “small” and “big” sound like on your keyboard.

Setting up in E

We play Rooftops in E major. Four sharps: F♯, C♯, G♯, D♯. The chords you’ll need in this key:

• 1 = E (E, G♯, B)
• 2m = F♯m (F♯, A, C♯)
• 4 = A (A, C♯, E)
• 5 = B (B, D♯, F♯)
• 6m = C♯m (C♯, E, G♯)

For the patch, layer a clear piano with a pad. Keep the pad low in the verse and push it up in the chorus. If your keyboard has an expression pedal, this is the song to use it on.

Finding the Rooftops piano chords by ear

We don’t have a full chart for Rooftops on the site yet, so I won’t print a progression for it. The song belongs to the modern worship family: it lives on the main chords of the key, the 1, 4, 5 and 6m, and builds through arrangement rather than surprise harmony.

Work it out with the video above. Listen for the bass on each change and match it to the list. Most players find the chorus first because it’s so clear, then go back for the verse. Write the numbers as you go. If your ear needs a workout, spend ten minutes in the Ear Trainer on major and minor chords before you start.

Voicings for the quiet verse and the loud chorus

In the verse

• Use sus2 voicings that settle into triads. Esus2 is E, F♯, B. Let the F♯ fall to G♯ and you’ve got E major. Do the same on A: Asus2 is A, B, E, resolving to A, C♯, E.
• Left hand plays one long root note per chord, or a soft octave.

In the chorus

• Full triads in the right hand, with the top note doubled an octave up for brightness.
• Left hand moves to eighth-note octaves, locking in with the kick drum.

One move that lifts it: going from the 1 to the 6m, slip in the 5 over its 3rd, B/D♯ (D♯ in the bass, B, D♯, F♯ in the right hand). The bass walks E, D♯, C♯ and the line sounds smooth and intentional. On the last note before the chorus, hold off for half a beat, then land both hands together. That drop is the whole song.

Another key? Think in numbers

E can sit high for some voices, so you might get asked for D or even C. Don’t panic and don’t relearn. Your numbers stay the same and the sus2 trick works in every key. Gig Mode gives you the letters for the new key, and the Circle of Fifths helps you see which sharps or flats you’re dealing with.

A quick 15-minute session

1. Three minutes: play the five chords in E, then the sus2 versions of the 1 and 4.
2. Five minutes: work out the chorus by ear from the video. Numbers only.
3. Four minutes: go back for the verse and play it quietly with sus2 voicings.
4. Three minutes: play verse into chorus at 100 BPM, focusing on the drop and the B/D♯ move.

Questions from the band room

What key is Rooftops in?

We play it in E major. It moves easily to D if the leader wants it lower.

Is Rooftops easy on piano?

The chords are beginner-friendly. The skill to practise is dynamics: soft verse, big chorus.

Ready for something faster in the same key? Try I Speak Jesus by Charity Gayle.