Piano Cover of "Nginobufakazi"

The Nginobufakazi piano chords are some of the simplest you’ll play this year, and that’s the point. Mmuso Worship and Oncemore Six built a slow testimony song at 69 BPM where every chord has room to speak. The title is isiZulu for “I have a testimony”, and the arrangement gives that statement all the space it needs.

A testimony song, played slowly

This one fits right after the sermon or in a response time, when people are thinking about what God has done. 69 BPM is slow: each bar takes almost three and a half seconds. The keys have to hold the room together while the vocals take their time, so steadiness matters more than anything clever.

C♯ or D♭? Same keys, different names

Our post has the song listed in D♭, while our full chord chart for Nginobufakazi writes it in C♯. They’re the same notes on the keyboard. The chart uses C♯, so that’s what I’ll use here:

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

If your brain reads flats more easily, think D♭, G♭, A♭ and B♭m. Your fingers press exactly the same keys. For the sound, a warm grand with a soft pad underneath suits a reflective song like this.

The Nginobufakazi piano chords in numbers

The whole song runs on four chords:

• Verse: 1, 4, 1, 5, 1 (C♯, F♯, C♯, G♯, C♯)
• Chorus: 6m, 4, 1, 5, 1 (A♯m, F♯, C♯, G♯, C♯)

Notice the difference. The verse starts at home; the chorus starts on the 6m. That minor opening is what gives the chorus its weight. It sounds like a deep breath before a declaration, so make that A♯m count and don’t rush off it.

Sunday voicings for a slow song

• Right hand: C♯maj7 (C♯, E♯, G♯, B♯) for the 1 and F♯maj7 (F♯, A♯, C♯, E♯) for the 4. Both share C♯ and E♯, so the switch is tiny.
• The 6m: A♯m7 (A♯, C♯, E♯, G♯), or add B♯ on top for A♯m9. That ninth softens the start of the chorus.
• Left hand: whole notes, low and steady. No walking at 69 BPM. Let the bass breathe.

The gospel lift: when the verse goes 5 to 1, play the 5 as G♯/B♯ (a G♯ chord over a B♯ bass). The bass then steps B♯ to C♯, a half step into home. Or hold G♯sus4 (G♯, C♯, D♯) before G♯ for a gentle sigh. Try both in the Chord Voicing Lab and keep whichever suits your singer.

When someone calls a different key

Testimony songs move to wherever the singer is comfortable. Our chart has an every-key table, so if the leader calls D or C, open the Nginobufakazi chart and read across. In C, for example, the chorus becomes Am, F, C, G, C. For live use, Gig Mode keeps the transposed chords on screen.

If numbers are new to you, the Nashville Number System article on Wikipedia is a good primer. Once you think in 1, 4, 5 and 6m, a song like this one fits in any key.

Practise it in 15 minutes

1. Find C♯, F♯, G♯ and A♯m on the keyboard. Say the number out loud each time.
2. Play the verse and chorus sequences with 7th voicings at 69 BPM on the Smart Metronome.
3. Add G♯/B♯ at the end of each verse line.
4. Play along with the video, chorus first, since that’s where the 6m sits.

FAQ

What key is Nginobufakazi in?

C♯ major on our chart (D♭ is the same pitch), at 69 BPM.

How many chords does Nginobufakazi use?

Four: the 1, 4, 5 and 6m.

Is it a good song for a new church keyboardist?

Yes. The only tricky part is the sharps, and the shapes are small once you’ve found them.

For another slow song in the same corner of the keyboard, try Behlanzwe by Joyous Celebration.