How to Play Ho Hey Chord by The Lumineers on Guitar

Ho Hey is a popular song by the American folk rock band The Lumineers. It was released in 2012 as the lead single from their self-titled debut album. The song has a catchy melody and simple lyrics that express the longing for love and belonging. Ho Hey is also easy to play on guitar, as it only uses four basic chords: C, F, Am, and G. In this article, we will show you how to play Ho Hey by The Lumineers on guitar, step by step.

Learn the Chords

To play Ho Hey by The Lumineers on guitar, you need to know four chords: C, F, Am, and G. These are all open chords, which means you do not need to use a capo or barre any strings. Here are the chord diagrams for each chord:

 
[Intro]
F C      F
 (Ho!)
 C      F
(Hey!)
 C      F
(Ho!)
 C      F
(Hey!)
 
[Verse 1]
 C                                    F
(Ho!) I've been trying to do it right
 C                                    F
(Hey!) I've been living a lonely life
 C                                    F
(Ho!) I've been sleeping here instead
 C
(Hey!) I've been sleeping in my bed,
 Am               G     F C       F
(Ho!) sleeping in my bed (Hey!)
 
 C       F
(Ho!)
 
[Verse 2]
 C                      F
(Ho!) So show me family
 C                                     F
(Hey!) Or the blood that I would bleed
 C                                F
(Ho!) I don't know where I belong
 C
(Hey!) I don't know where I went wrong
 Am                   G     F C
(Ho!) But I can write a song (Hey!)
 
[Chorus]
              Am                   G               C
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart
              Am                   G             F      C      F
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweet (Ho!)
 
 C       F
(Hey!)
 C       F
(Ho!)
 C       F
(Hey!)
 
[Verse 3]
 C                                       F
(Ho!) I don't think you're right for him
 C                                       F
(Hey!) Think of what it might've been if we
 C                            F
(Ho!) Took a bus to Chinatown
 C
(Hey!) I'd be standing on Canal
 Am       G     F
(ho!) and Bowery
 C
(Hey!)
 Am                     G           C
(Ho!) She'd be standing next to me (hey!)
 
[Chorus]
              Am                   G               C
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart
              Am                   G               C
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart
F            G      C
'Cause love we need it now
       F          G
Let's hope for some
       F        G          C
'Cause oh, we're bleeding out
 
[Chorus]
              Am                   G               C
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart
              Am                   G             F      C      F
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweet (Ho!)
 
 C       F
(Hey!)
 C       F
(Ho!)
 C
(Hey!)

If you are not familiar with these chords, you can practice them by strumming each chord four times slowly and switching to the next one. Make sure your fingers are pressing the strings firmly and your strumming hand is relaxed.

Learn the Strumming Pattern

The strumming pattern for Ho Hey by The Lumineers is very simple and repetitive. You just need to strum down once on each beat and add an upstroke on the “and” of the second and fourth beat. The pattern looks like this:

D = Downstroke U = Upstroke 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & D U D U D D

You can practice this strumming pattern by muting the strings with your fretting hand and strumming along with a metronome or the song. Start slowly and gradually increase the speed until you can match the tempo of the song.

Learn the Chord Progression

The chord progression for Ho Hey by The Lumineers is very simple and repetitive as well. You just need to play C, F, Am, and G in that order throughout the whole song. Each chord lasts for one measure (four beats). The progression looks like this:

C | F | Am | G |

You can practice this chord progression by playing along with the song or a backing track. Make sure you change chords smoothly and in time with the strumming pattern.

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Step 5: Add Some Variation

Once you have mastered the basic chord progression and strumming pattern, you can add some variation to make your playing more interesting and expressive. Here are some tips:

• You can add some palm muting to create a percussive effect. To do this, lightly touch the strings with the side of your strumming hand near the bridge of your guitar. This will dampen the sound of the strings and make them sound more rhythmic.
• You can add some hammer-ons and pull-offs to embellish some chords. To do this, pluck a string with your fretting finger and quickly press or release another finger on the same string. This will create a smooth transition between two notes without picking them.
• You can add some dynamics to vary the volume and intensity of your playing. To do this, adjust the force of your strumming hand or use a volume pedal. This will create contrast and emotion in your playing.

Conclusion

Ho Hey by The Lumineers is a great song to learn on guitar, especially for beginners. It has a catchy melody, simple lyrics, and easy chords. By following these steps, you can learn how to play Ho Hey by The Lumineers on guitar in no time. Have fun and enjoy playing!