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Lukas Graham

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7 Years - Guitar Cover

YouTube Stats: 578K · 9.9K

Band Overview

Lukas Graham is a Danish pop and soul band fronted by vocalist Lukas Forchhammer, formed in Copenhagen around 2011. While they are not a guitar-driven band in the traditional sense, their music weaves acoustic and electric guitar parts into lush, piano-based pop arrangements that make for excellent practice material for intermediate guitarists looking to develop tasteful rhythm playing, chord vocabulary, and dynamic accompaniment skills. Their breakout hit "7 Years" became a global phenomenon in 2015, and their catalog blends soul, pop, R&B, and funk influences into songs that reward a sensitive, less-is-more approach on guitar. The band's guitar work, handled primarily by guitarist Magnus Larsson, sits in a supporting role rather than taking center stage. This makes Lukas Graham's catalog ideal for guitarists who want to practice the art of serving the song: playing clean chord voicings, subtle embellishments, and rhythmic patterns that complement vocals and keys without overwhelming them. Magnus Larsson favors clean to lightly overdriven tones, often using compact chord voicings and fingerpicked patterns that give the songs their warm, organic feel. Think Fender-style sparkle rather than Marshall crunch. For guitarists, the difficulty level sits in the beginner-to-intermediate range. The chords themselves are not overly complex, but the real challenge lies in dynamics, timing, and feel. Songs like "7 Years" require you to lock in with a piano-driven arrangement, which means your strumming hand needs to be precise and controlled. You will not find blazing solos or heavy riffs here, but what you will find is a masterclass in how to play guitar within a pop band context. Learning to add value without dominating the mix is a skill every working guitarist needs, and Lukas Graham's music is perfect training ground for that. If you are a guitarist looking to expand beyond rock and blues into pop and soul territory, or if you want to develop your acoustic accompaniment skills, Lukas Graham is well worth your time. The harmonic movement in their songs often borrows from soul and jazz traditions, giving you exposure to chord progressions that are more sophisticated than typical four-chord pop.

What Makes Lukas Graham Essential for Guitar Players

Clean tone chord work is central to Lukas Graham's guitar approach. Magnus Larsson typically uses neck or middle pickup positions on a Fender-style guitar to achieve a warm, rounded tone that blends seamlessly with piano and strings. Practicing these parts teaches you how to sit in a mix without clashing with keys.
Fingerpicking and hybrid picking patterns appear throughout their songs, especially in more stripped-back arrangements. Rather than flat-picking strummed chords, you will often get more authentic results by using your fingers to pluck individual notes within chord shapes, giving each part that intimate, organic quality.
Dynamic control is arguably the most important technique to master when playing Lukas Graham songs. Verses are whisper-quiet, and choruses swell with intensity. Practicing these songs will force you to develop right-hand control, learning to vary your attack from barely audible to full strum within the same song.
Compact chord voicings on the middle four strings (D, G, B, high E) are frequently used instead of full open or barre chords. This keeps the guitar out of the bass player's frequency range and avoids muddying the low end, which is a practical skill for any guitarist playing in a full band.
Rhythmic precision matters more than flashy technique in this context. Locking into a groove alongside programmed drums and live bass requires you to internalize the pocket. Working on songs like "7 Years" with a metronome will sharpen your timing in ways that noodling over a blues backing track simply will not.

Did You Know?

Lukas Graham's guitarist Magnus Larsson is also a skilled producer and multi-instrumentalist, which heavily influences how he approaches guitar parts. He thinks like a producer, always asking what the song needs rather than what sounds impressive.

"7 Years" was originally built around a piano progression, and the guitar part was added later as a textural layer. This is a great reminder that some of the most effective guitar parts in pop music are written last, designed to fill gaps rather than lead.

The band's sound is rooted in the Christiania neighborhood of Copenhagen, a bohemian community known for eclectic musical influences. This multicultural upbringing gives their music a blend of Scandinavian pop, American soul, and street-level funk that you can hear in the harmonic choices.

Live performances often feature more prominent guitar work than the studio recordings. Magnus Larsson has been seen using loop pedals in concert to build layered guitar textures on the fly, which is a fun and practical skill for any gigging guitarist to explore.

The chord progression in "7 Years" (Em, G, Cmaj7, D) is deceptively simple on paper but sounds sophisticated because of the melodic movement in the top notes. Paying attention to voice leading within these basic shapes is a valuable harmonic lesson.

Lukas Graham's music rarely uses distortion or overdrive on guitar, making their catalog a great workout for players who rely too heavily on gain to sound good. Playing clean exposes every flaw in your technique, from sloppy fretting to inconsistent dynamics.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Lukas Graham (Blue Album) 2015

This is the album that includes "7 Years" and represents the band's most accessible and widely known work. For guitarists, it is the best starting point because the guitar parts are clear in the mix, built around clean chord voicings and tasteful rhythmic patterns that teach you how to support a vocal-driven pop song. Tracks like "Mama Said" and "Happy Home" offer additional practice in dynamic strumming and fingerpicked accompaniment.

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3 (The Purple Album) 2018

The follow-up album pushes into slightly more complex harmonic territory with songs like "Love Someone" and "Lie." Guitar parts here incorporate more subtle chord embellishments and chromatic passing tones that will challenge intermediate players to think beyond basic open chords. It is a solid step up in difficulty while maintaining that clean, supportive guitar approach.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Magnus Larsson has been seen performing with Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters, leaning toward classic single-coil equipped guitars for their clarity and articulation in a pop band mix. Acoustic guitars (likely Martin or Taylor dreadnoughts and smaller body shapes) are also heavily featured on recordings. For learning Lukas Graham songs at home, any decent Strat-style guitar or a quality acoustic will get you in the ballpark.

Amp

The band's guitar tones suggest a clean Fender-style amp platform, something in the Fender Deluxe Reverb or Twin Reverb family, set clean with just a touch of natural warmth. Volume stays low enough to avoid breakup, and the amp's reverb provides subtle ambience. In a live setting, a Fender-style combo or a clean channel on a versatile amp with the gain dialed way back will nail the sound.

Pickups

Single-coil pickups are the go-to for achieving Lukas Graham's guitar tones. The bright, glassy attack of a Strat or Tele single-coil cuts through a dense pop mix without adding unnecessary low-end weight. Positions 2 and 4 (the in-between settings on a Strat five-way switch) offer that quacky, scooped tone that sits perfectly alongside piano and synth pads.

Effects & Chain

Minimal effects define this guitar sound. A touch of reverb (spring or hall) and possibly a subtle chorus or delay for depth is all you need. No distortion, no fuzz, no wah. Live performances may incorporate a loop pedal for building textural layers. The philosophy here is that tone comes from clean signal path, good dynamics, and precise right-hand technique rather than a stacked pedalboard.

Recommended Gear

Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Magnus Larsson uses the Strat's bright single-coils and in-between switch positions to achieve that quacky, articulate tone that cuts through Lukas Graham's dense pop arrangements. The guitar's clarity ensures each note sits perfectly alongside pianos and synth pads without muddying the mix.

Guitar

Fender Telecaster

The Telecaster's punchy single-coil attack provides the glassy brightness needed for Lukas Graham's pop-influenced guitar work. Its tight, defined tone adds clarity and presence in a band context while maintaining the clean, uncolored signal the music demands.

Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

The Twin Reverb's legendary spring reverb and pristine clean headroom deliver the spacious, warm ambience essential to Lukas Graham's sound. Its natural reverb decay adds subtle depth without coloration, letting the band's production shine through.

Amp

Fender Deluxe Reverb

This amp's creamy reverb and slightly compressed tone create the intimate yet full clean sound heard on Lukas Graham recordings. Its lower wattage makes it ideal for capturing that warm, naturally breaking-in tone in both studio and live settings.

How to Practice Lukas Graham on GuitarZone

Every Lukas Graham song page on GuitarZone includes a built-in Practice Toolbar. No app to download, no account needed. Open any song, then use the toolbar to slow the video to 0.5× speed, set an A/B loop around the exact riff you're working on, and jump between song sections instantly.

The toolbar appears automatically on every guitar tab, lesson, and cover page. Pick a song below, hit play, and start practicing at your own pace.

Practice 7 Years - Guitar Cover