Nothing is Impossible

🎸 Strum Pattern — Intro

For electric guitar, use a dotted eighth note delay (also called dual delay) on the intro. Set your first delay tap to a dotted 8th note at 138 BPM and the second tap to a quarter note, with both trails blending together. The result is that familiar shimmering rhythmic wash that defines the Planetshakers intro sound. Play a simple picking pattern — single notes or sparse triads work best — and let the delay do the heavy lifting. Do not strum full chords through the delay or it turns into mud.

The verse is D - Em - G on the first line and Bm - A - G on the second. Keep strumming controlled — a down-down-up-down-up at 138 BPM feels comfortable without overplaying. This is where you build up toward the pre-chorus, so start at medium volume and grow slowly with each line. The Bm - A - G movement feels like it is pulling toward something, which is exactly what it should do going into the pre-chorus.

This is where you need to prepare your gain if you are using a pedal board. Switch from your intro clean delay tone to a driven, open sound — medium gain with presence and edge. The chorus is D - A - Bm - G, a classic four-chord loop that repeats twice. At 138 BPM this is punchy and driving. Full down strums on each chord feel natural here. Keep the rhythm tight with the drummer. The congregation will be singing hard so the guitar needs to be the backbone of the sound.

🔊 Dynamics — Intro

The intro should feel open and atmospheric before the band comes in fully. Start with electric guitar alone using the delay effect, then add keys underneath with a soft pad. Drums can come in on bar 3 or 4 with brushes or light rim shots to keep the energy building without jumping straight to full band. We have found that starting with just EG and keys creates a sense of expectation — the congregation instinctively leans in when the room is that quiet.

The pre-chorus repeats Bm - A - G and then extends to Bm - A - Em - G on the second line. The Em before G on that last line is a pivot — it heightens the tension right before the chorus hits. Push slightly harder here than the verse. Drummer: start filling more aggressively on the pre-chorus and set up a big crash into the first beat of the chorus. Keys: drop the pad and switch to a rhythm piano part to add urgency.

The bridge uses G - D - Em - G, same as the intro progression. On the first pass of the bridge, try this arrangement trick: play through G - D fully, then stop completely on the D-to-Em transition — a full band stop, total silence for one beat — then hit the Em - G together. This contrast is incredibly effective. We have done this many times in our services and the silence followed by the hit is one of those moments that catches the congregation by surprise in the best way. After that stop, build to full energy and let it explode. The second pass of the bridge should be all out — no stops, maximum energy.

→ Transitions — Bridge

The stop technique works best when the whole band has rehearsed it specifically. Call it out in rehearsal — "we stop after D, then hit Em - G hard." Do not leave it to feel. If even one person misses the stop it loses its impact. In our team we use a hand signal from the worship leader to cue the stop, and everyone knows to watch for it. Once the congregation has experienced it once they anticipate it on every repeat, which creates even more energy.

🎵 Band Direction

General band notes for Nothing is Impossible: Electric guitar has two distinct tonal settings — the dotted 8th delay tone for intro and bridge, and the driven chorus tone. Plan your pedal board switching in advance. Keys: intro = ambient pad, verse = pad only, pre-chorus = rhythm part added, chorus = full keys. Drums: the song lives and dies by the energy in the chorus; a strong kick-snare groove at 138 BPM is non-negotiable. Bass: root notes cleanly through the whole song, walk into chord changes on the chorus for momentum. Acoustic guitar: can strum through everything if there is one in the band, but let the electric lead the sound texture.

🎤 Vocal

The key of D is one of the most worship-friendly keys for mixed congregations — not too high for men, not too low for women. The melody in "Nothing is Impossible" sits in a moderate range with some peaks in the chorus that the congregation can reach comfortably. If your leader tends to sing higher, consider capo 2 (playing in C shapes) for a slightly brighter tone. If singing lower, capo 3 (B shapes) or drop to C key entirely.