How to play "Nizolibonga"

This Nizolibonga piano tutorial is about one job: keeping the pulse honest under a big choir. Women In Praise sing it at 135 BPM, a straight-ahead South African praise groove, and the keys player who locks in with the drums makes the whole band sound tighter. Let’s build it from the ground up in A major.

The groove before the chords

Nizolibonga is driving praise. It’s the kind of song that comes in the middle of a praise set when the room is already warm and the leader wants to push it further. At 135 BPM it isn’t frantic, but it doesn’t let up either.

Before you think about chords, clap along with the video above. Feel where the beats land and where the choir breathes. If your hands know the groove, the chords will follow.

Setting up in A major

A major has three sharps: F♯, C♯ and G♯. Here’s the chord family for the song:

• 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♯)

Choose a bright piano sound with a bit of attack. If you’ve got an organ on a second keyboard or a split, keep it low in the mix and let it hold the long notes.

What the harmony is doing

We haven’t published a full chart for Nizolibonga yet, so I won’t give you a bar-by-bar progression that could send you wrong. What you can count on is that it sits firmly in the 1, 4, 5 world of South African praise, with the 6m as the main colour chord. Phrases resolve, and they resolve often. That’s part of why it’s so singable.

Here’s how to work it out yourself: play an A octave in the left hand and listen. When the choir feels at rest, they’re on the 1. When the line pushes forward, try D or E. Your ear will sort out the rest faster than you expect. The Ear Trainer is a good place to sharpen this if it still feels like guessing.

Nizolibonga piano tutorial in four steps

Step 1: the left-hand pattern

Play root, octave, fifth, octave. On A that’s A, A (an octave up), E, A. Keep it steady and even. This pattern is the backbone of the song.

Step 2: right-hand stabs

Short triads on beats 2 and 4, like a guitarist’s chop. Keep them in the middle of the keyboard. A as C♯, E, A, D as D, F♯, A, E as B, E, G♯. Those inversions keep your hand in one place.

Step 3: put the hands together slowly

Start at 90 BPM. The left hand stays busy; the right hand only speaks on the backbeat. Bring it up to 135 once it feels relaxed.

Step 4: add one gospel move

When the phrase is about to land on the 1, slip in E7 (E, G♯, B, D) instead of a plain E. That D on top pulls straight down to the C♯ of the A chord. It’s a small change, and the choir will feel it.

When the leader starts it somewhere else

Choir songs move keys depending on who’s leading. Learn the song as numbers (1, 4, 5, 6m) rather than letters, and a new key is just a new starting point. In G, for example, your 1, 4 and 5 become G, C and D.

Use Gig Mode to see the letters for any key on the spot. If you’re new to thinking in numbers, read up on the Nashville Number System; it’s how most church bands talk anyway.

Your 15-minute practice plan

1. Five minutes on the left-hand pattern alone, with the Smart Metronome at 100.
2. Five minutes on right-hand stabs through A, D, E and F♯m.
3. Five minutes playing along with the video above, hands together, at full speed.

FAQ

What key is Nizolibonga in?

The version in our video is in A major.

Is Nizolibonga good for beginners?

Yes. The chords are simple, and the left-hand pattern is a great way to build gospel groove in general.

What BPM is Nizolibonga?

About 135 BPM.

Ready for something faster in the same key? Try the Methodist Medley.