How to play "O A Ntwanela"

Use the right key for the video: The embedded piano lesson is in F♯/G♭. The written chord shapes below are an A-major practice arrangement. Follow the on-screen F♯/G♭ notes when playing with the video, or practise the same number pattern separately in A.

This O A Ntwanela piano tutorial takes Mmatema Moremi’s worship song one step at a time, from finding the key to playing it with the band. It’s an unhurried song that asks the piano to lead the room into stillness, which is harder than it sounds. Follow the steps below and use the video above as your reference.

Step 1: Understand what the song is for

O A Ntwanela runs at 104 BPM. That’s a moderate tempo, but the feel is reverent and patient. In a service it belongs in the worship part of the set, the moment when the leader closes their eyes and the room follows. It can also carry an altar call well, because it doesn’t rush anybody.

Before you touch the keys, listen to the recording once all the way through without playing. Notice where the vocal holds a note, where the band drops out, and how often the piano is simply sustaining. That tells you most of what you need to know about your role.

Step 2: Set up in A major

The song is in A major, three sharps: F♯, C♯ and G♯. Here are the chords you’ll use most:

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

Play each one in root position, then in its first and second inversions, until you can find any of them without looking. For sound, choose a soft grand piano and add a gentle string or pad layer. At this tempo, warmth beats brightness.

Step 3: The chord family in this O A Ntwanela piano tutorial

We don’t have a full chart for O A Ntwanela published yet, so I won’t give you a bar-by-bar progression I can’t check. What you can do is learn the family. The song lives around the 1, 4, 5 and 6m of A, with long held chords and plenty of space.

Here’s a method that works for any song like this. Play the video, pause at the end of each line, and find the bass note. Ask which number it is in F♯ for the video, or in A after transposing the bass line. Write the numbers down. After one pass you’ll have your own map. If numbers are new to you, the Nashville Number System explains the idea, and our piano chord library shows every chord shape you’ll meet.

Step 4: Add colour with both hands

• Right hand: give the main chords a 7. Amaj7 as C♯, E, G♯, A. Dmaj7 as F♯, A, C♯, D. F♯m7 as A, C♯, E, F♯. Keep your thumb near the middle of the keyboard so the voicings stay warm.
• Left hand: whole notes, root on the downbeat. Let them ring. You’re not the drummer here.
• The gospel move: before you resolve to the 1, hold Esus4 (E, A, B) for two beats, then let it fall to E (E, G♯, B) and on to A. That suspension is the breath the song needs. Read more on suspended chords if you want the theory behind it.
• Optional: walk the bass down from A to G♯ using E/G♯ on the way to F♯m. One beat is enough.

Step 5: Be ready to change key

Choir directors often move a song like this to suit the altos or the lead singer. If you learned the numbers in Step 3, a new key is just new letters. Down a tone to G, the 1, 4, 5, 6m become G, C, D, Em. Up a semitone to B♭, they’re B♭, E♭, F, Gm.

For live changes, Gig Mode shows the new chord names on your screen so you can keep your eyes on the leader.

Step 6: Put it together in 20 minutes

1. Five minutes: the five chords in A with inversions, both hands.
2. Five minutes: the maj7 and m7 voicings, moving smoothly between them.
3. Five minutes: follow the video in F♯/G♭ with your left hand at a comfortable speed, naming each bass note by number.
4. Five minutes: practise the A-major written shapes with both hands, adding Esus4 before returning to A. Transpose the pattern to F♯/G♭ before playing it with the video.

Common questions

What key is O A Ntwanela in?

The embedded piano lesson plays in F♯/G♭. This written guide gives A-major chord examples at a 104 BPM practice tempo; transpose by number to follow the video.

Is O A Ntwanela good for beginners?

Yes. The tempo is gentle and the chords stay in one family. Getting the dynamics right is the bigger task.

What’s the most important thing to get right?

Space. Hold your chords, play softly and let the vocal lead.

If you’re after another slow, prayerful song to learn next, try Mangeloi by Kgaogelo Kekana.