Piano Cover of "Let Praises Rise"

This Let Praises Rise piano cover is all about drive. ORU Worship Center’s song runs at 147 BPM in G major, and on keys the challenge isn’t the harmony, it’s keeping your hands clean and your time solid at that speed. In the video above I play it the way I’d play it with a full band, so watch the right hand as much as you listen.

What the song needs from the band

At 147 BPM, Let Praises Rise is a celebration song. It’s built for the start of the service, when the leader wants every hand up and every voice in. There’s no slow build here. It comes in strong and stays there.

That means your role is rhythmic. You’re part of the engine with the drums and bass. Think less about pretty voicings and more about where your hits land against the snare.

G major and the sound I use

G major has one sharp, F♯. It’s a natural key for worship bands, and it lets you play fast without twisting your hands around black keys. The chords you need:

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

For this cover I use a bright piano with a short release. A long, washy patch gets muddy at 147. If your keyboard allows a split, put a light organ under the left hand for body.

Picking out the progression

We don’t have Let Praises Rise charted yet, so I’m not going to list a progression and hope it’s right. Here’s how to get it yourself. Mute the right hand in your head and follow the bass in the video. Fast praise songs move quickly between chords, so you’ll often hear the change before you can name it. Play the video back a few times and write the numbers on your run sheet.

If the speed makes it hard to follow, slow your practice down with the Smart Metronome and test each chord in G until it matches what you heard.

Playing the Let Praises Rise piano cover on Sunday

Right hand: eighth-note stabs on triads, kept short. Lift between each hit. Your hand should feel light, almost bouncing off the keys.

Left hand: octaves on the root. At this tempo, quarter notes are enough. Doubling the bass player’s rhythm locks the whole band together.

One gospel move: the 5/7, D/F♯. Use it when the bass moves from the 6m (E) up to the 1 (G). Instead of a jump, the bass walks E, F♯, G, and the whole band follows it. That’s an inversion doing exactly what it’s good at, smoothing the bass line.

A second option for the end of a section: hold a Dsus4 (D, G, A) for a beat before the D. It builds a little tension right before the chorus comes back around.

When the key changes on the day

Fast praise songs often move up a key for the last chorus, or get dropped down to suit the leader’s voice that morning. The numbers stay the same. A 6m to 5/7 to 1 walk works in every key. Keep Gig Mode open on your stand and it’ll show you the letters. Practise the new key slowly once before service, because 147 BPM is no place to find out your hands don’t know it.

Your practice plan

1. Warm-up (5 min): play the 1, 2m, 4, 5 and 6m in G as short stabs at 100 BPM.
2. Bass work (5 min): left-hand octaves along with the video, following the bass.
3. Speed (5 min): both hands at 120, then 135, then 147.
4. Polish (5 min): add the D/F♯ walk and the Dsus4 at section ends.

Quick questions

What key is Let Praises Rise in?

The cover is in G major, at about 147 BPM.

Is Let Praises Rise hard to play?

The chords are friendly. The tempo is what you need to train for. Build up speed over a few days and it’ll feel natural.

Need to explore voicings in G first? Spend some time in the Chord Voicing Lab.