How Is Our God Chords

Playing "How Is Our God" on Guitar

The hymn "How Is Our God Like Unto Us" comes from the Penitential Psalms tradition, and it has been set to music by various composers over the centuries. The most common contemporary version people ask about uses a simple chord progression that works well in standard tuning. Here is what I actually use when playing this at my church. The key of G major feels most natural for voice ranges in congregational settings, though you can transpose freely. G - C - D - G forms the backbone. The verses typically go G to C, then D back to G. The chorus shifts a bit more: G - D - Em - C - G - D - G. That Em gives it the melancholy lift you want before resolving back to the dominant.

I learned this the hard way when my worship leader asked me to play it without sheets one Sunday. I had memorized the progression but forgot the bridge, which sits on Em and Am before drifting back. My workaround was to keep it simple: just hold the Em a measure longer and let the bass walk down G-F-E-D. It filled the space without drawing attention to the fact that I was guessing. The tempo sits around 72 beats per minute in most arrangements. Don't rush it. This hymn needs room to breathe, especially during the "how is our God" refrain where the congregation is actually singing along. One thing beginners miss: the C chord often gets played as C/E (C major with E in the bass) on the second beat. It smooths the transition into the D chord and sounds more intentional than a stark root-position C. I've seen guitarists skip this and it makes the progression sound slightly clunky, even though it is technically correct.

If you are recording this, try fingerpicking the verses and strumming the chorus. The contrast helps people distinguish between the contemplative opening and the fuller refrain. A flat pick throughout makes everything feel the same weight, which doesn't serve the song structure well. The song doesn't work well in keys higher than A major for most congregations. Voices strain around the third verse, and you start hearing people drop out. Stick to G or A, maybe Bb if your choir is strong. Anything higher and you are asking too much of untrained singers. Tab notation online tends to overcomplicate this. Most of the chords are standard open shapes. If someone is showing you bar chords for G or C, they are making it harder than it needs to be. This is not a progressive rock song; basic triads work fine.

When playing with a piano or keyboard, the left hand should double the bass notes I just mentioned. Root position on the downbeat, then the inversions on beats two and four. It creates that traditional hymn sound without requiring the pianist to read complex charts. The bridge section sometimes confuses people who only know the verse-chorus pattern. It modulates briefly to E minor before returning to G. If you just stay in G major the whole time, it loses the tension-and-release that makes the final chorus feel earned. The temporary modal shift is intentional, not a mistake. I have played this hymn for about twelve years now, and I still transpose it differently depending on the vocal range of whoever is leading. The chord shapes stay the same relative to the key; only the starting fret changes. Capos help when you need to shift quickly between songs without relearning everything.

For acoustic guitar players worried about volume in small chapels: strumming patterns matter more than you might think. A simple down-down-up-up-down-up on each chord fills the space better than heavy picking. The song is meant to be sung, not showcased. If your guitar sounds too bright or twangy, roll off the tone knob or use a neck pickup. This hymn benefits from warmer tones. Bright instruments make it sound like a camp song instead of something with weight behind it. There is no single "correct" way to voice these chords. What I described is one approach that works for most situations. Feel free to add suspended chords or extend the progressions if it serves your context. Just don't change the fundamental harmony so much that people cannot recognize the melody anymore.

The original psalm text deals with comparing God to created things, which is why the music usually resolves upward on "how is our God" and back down on "unto us." The chord movement mirrors that theology. Paying attention to how the harmony supports the words helps you play with more intention than just going through the motions.