Heart Of Worship Chords

How to Play Heart of Worship on Guitar

Heart of Worship is one of those songs that shows up in every church worship set at some point. It's by Matt Redman, released back in 2002 on the album of the same name. The chord progression is straightforward, which is probably why it became so popular, but there are a few details that trip people up if you're not careful. The main thing to get right is the key. The original recording is in D major, and that's the key most churches play it in. The chords you'll use repeatedly are D, A/C#, Bm, G, and A. That's pretty much the entire song, built on a i-IV-V-vi pattern that moves through the verse and chorus with slight variations.

Heart Of Worship Chords Breakdown

Here's the verse progression, strummed in 4/4 time at around 72 beats per minute: D - A/C- Bm - G (repeat this loop) The bass note on the A chord drops down to Cwhen you first hit it. That's what creates the descending feel. If you're playing this on piano instead, the left hand should walk D down to Cto B to A. It makes a noticeable difference in how the song sits emotionally.

The chorus shifts slightly. You move from G - D/F- Em - A, then back to D - A/C- Bm - A to close the phrase. That final A chord is important because it sets up the resolve back to the top without actually resolving — the song loops naturally rather than ending. I ran into a real problem once when a band tried to play this in G major instead of D. The vocal range for most male singers sits comfortably in D, but when you transpose down to G, the bridge section — which goes Bm - F#m - G - D — felt flat and lifeless. The tension just wasn't there. We ended up moving it back to D and letting the tenor handle the higher notes. Lesson learned: don't transpose this song unless you have a specific reason. The bridge is where people usually make mistakes. It's Bm - F#m - G - D, and the F#m chord gets played as a barre chord on the second fret if you're using guitar. Some players substitute D/Fthere, which works but changes the character. The original recording uses the F#m as written, and it gives the bridge that lifted, almost breathless quality before dropping back into the final chorus.

For strumming patterns, keep it simple. Down-down-up-up-down-up is the standard pattern most guitarists use. Don't overcomplicate it with fancy fingerpicking unless the arrangement calls for it. The song works because it's uncomplicated, not because it's technically impressive. If you're leading this song in a service setting, the tempo is the real challenge. Start at 72 bpm and don't speed up when the congregation gets into it. I've seen this happen too many times — the band picks up four beats per minute without noticing, and suddenly the singers are strained. Keep it steady. The song structure runs: Verse 1, Chorus, Verse 2, Chorus, Bridge, Chorus (x2), Outro. The outro is just the verse progression repeated until the band cues the final hold on D. Mark the end with a full D chord and let it ring — don't rush it out.

You can find the official chord chart on Bethel Music's website or on sites like Songflow and WorshipLeader. The tabs match what I've described above, though some transcriptions show the A chord as just A without the Cbass note. Both work, but the Cgives it the proper motion.