Song chords
Battle Belongs chords
Phil Wickham
A driving four-chord anthem recorded in Db, one fret above open C. Verse and chorus use identical chords in a different order, and the bridge stacks them into one long climb that never resolves.
Before you start
The chords you need.
4 shapes covers the whole song, fretted with the capo at fret 1. Tap any diagram’s play button to hear it, or open its page for every voicing on six instruments.
The chart
Section by section.
Capo 1 with C shapes: C sounds as Db, F as Gb, Am as Bbm and G as Ab. Two chords a line in the verse, three a line in the chorus — that density change is what makes the chorus feel faster at the same tempo. Hit play on any section to hear it walk through at 81 bpm.
Verse
6 barsTwo chords a line, resolving home at the end of each pair.
Shapes as fretted with the capo on — the names above are what you grab, not what you hear.
Chorus
8 barsThree chords a line — the same harmony, twice the movement.
Shapes as fretted with the capo on — the names above are what you grab, not what you hear.
Bridge
6 barsThe climb; it ends unresolved on the IV to set up the last chorus.
Shapes as fretted with the capo on — the names above are what you grab, not what you hear.
Need it in a different key, or without the capo? Run it through the transposer — move every chord by the same interval and the song is unchanged.
Playing it
What actually trips people up.
The chorus puts F–C–G inside a single bar. Keep the F as the four-string xx3211 shape so the change lands on the beat instead of on the barre.
The chart above is the commonly played arrangement — the version a competent player would hand you, not a bar-for-bar transcription of a specific master. Section labels are there to orient you; live and studio versions repeat, extend and drop sections freely, and none of that changes which chords you need.
About this page
Chord names and song structure are facts; for lyrics and official notation, support the artist. This page carries no lyrics on purpose — Battle Belongs was written and recorded by Phil Wickham, and the words belong to them. What you get here is the harmony: the key, the capo, the tempo, and which chord goes where.
Next
Songs that sit near this one.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask.
What key is Battle Belongs in?
Battle Belongs sounds in Db Major. The common arrangement gets there with a capo at fret 1 and C Major shapes, which is why the chords written here are C Major chords rather than Db Major ones.
Do I need a capo for Battle Belongs?
Yes for the standard arrangement: capo 1. Without it you would be playing Db Major shapes, which needs barre chords. With the capo on, the shapes are C Major — much friendlier under the hand.
What chords are in Battle Belongs?
C, F, Am and G — 4 chords across 3 sections. Capo 1 with C shapes: C sounds as Db, F as Gb, Am as Bbm and G as Ab. Two chords a line in the verse, three a line in the chorus — that density change is what makes the chorus feel faster at the same tempo.
What is the easiest way to play Battle Belongs?
Beginner overall. The chorus puts F–C–G inside a single bar. Keep the F as the four-string xx3211 shape so the change lands on the beat instead of on the barre.
How fast is Battle Belongs?
About 81 bpm. Every section on this page plays back at that tempo, so you can hear how long each chord is meant to be held before you try it yourself.
Can I play Battle Belongs in a different key?
Yes — the progression is the song, not the letters. Move every chord by the same number of semitones and it still works. The transposer will do the arithmetic, or you can move the capo and keep these shapes.