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The Lumineers

2 guitar songs · Tabs, Lessons & Tone Guide Folk Rock

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Band Overview

The Lumineers are a Folk Rock band formed in Denver, Colorado around 2009, built around the core duo of Wesley Schultz (vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano). They broke through massively in 2012 with "Ho Hey" and have since become one of the most recognizable acts in the modern folk rock and Americana scene. For guitarists, The Lumineers offer something deceptively valuable: songs that sound simple on the surface but reward careful attention to dynamics, strumming patterns, and feel. This is a band where the guitar serves the song rather than showing off, making them an ideal study in restraint, groove, and acoustic tone. Wesley Schultz is the band's primary guitarist, and his approach leans heavily on open chord voicings, rhythmic strumming with percussive muting, and fingerpicking patterns that give their songs a warm, organic pulse. He rarely plays traditional lead lines or solos. Instead, his guitar parts function almost like a rhythm section on their own, locking in with Fraites' sparse percussion to create a big sound from minimal instrumentation. Schultz's right-hand technique is critical to replicating The Lumineers' feel. He frequently uses a combination of strumming and slapping the strings against the fretboard to add a percussive "thwack" that drives songs forward without a full drum kit. For beginning to intermediate guitarists, The Lumineers are a goldmine. Songs like "Ho Hey" use basic open chords (C, G, F with a capo) and straightforward strumming, making them accessible within the first months of playing. "Ophelia" steps things up slightly with its driving rhythmic pattern that demands more right-hand control and consistency. The real challenge across their catalog is not fretting complex shapes but nailing the dynamics and feel: knowing when to dig in hard and when to pull back to a whisper. If you want to develop your acoustic rhythm guitar skills, your sense of dynamics, and your ability to make simple parts sound compelling in a band context, The Lumineers are essential listening and learning material.

What Makes The Lumineers Essential for Guitar Players

  • Wesley Schultz relies heavily on percussive strumming, where the fretting hand partially mutes the strings while the picking hand strikes them to create a snare-like "chuck" sound. This technique is essential for songs like "Ho Hey" and "Ophelia," giving acoustic guitar parts a built-in rhythmic drive.
  • Most Lumineers songs use standard open chords (C, G, Am, F, D) with a capo to shift keys without changing chord shapes. Learning their catalog is a masterclass in how capo placement can change the entire vibe and voicing of simple progressions.
  • Schultz's right-hand dynamics are where the real skill lies. He moves fluidly between soft fingerpicking passages and aggressive full-strum sections, often within the same song. Practicing this dynamic range will dramatically improve your acoustic playing.
  • The band frequently uses drop tunings and alternate tunings on deeper album cuts, particularly on their "Cleopatra" and "III" records. Songs in open D and DADGAD tunings add textural depth and are great for guitarists looking to explore beyond standard tuning.
  • The Lumineers almost never feature traditional guitar solos. Instead, Schultz builds melodic hooks directly into his rhythm parts, teaching guitarists the valuable skill of making a single guitar part carry an entire song's melody and rhythm simultaneously.

Did You Know?

Wesley Schultz's go-to acoustic guitar for years has been a Gibson J-45, one of the most iconic flattop acoustics ever made. He's said in interviews that its warm, midrange-heavy tone is the backbone of The Lumineers' sound.

"Ho Hey" was recorded with almost no studio effects on the guitar. The raw, room-sound quality of the recording is a big part of why it sounds so intimate and direct, proving that great tone starts with the player and the instrument, not the gear.

Schultz taught himself guitar and has cited Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen as primary influences, which explains his emphasis on strumming feel and songwriting over technical flash.

The Lumineers' debut album was largely recorded in a converted barn studio, and the natural room reverb became part of their signature acoustic guitar tone. For home recording guitarists, this is a reminder that room sound matters enormously for acoustic tracks.

On their album "III," Schultz incorporated more electric guitar textures, using a Fender Telecaster through clean, slightly broken-up amp tones. It's a great example of how a folk-oriented guitarist can expand into electric territory without losing identity.

Jeremiah Fraites often plays a single floor tom or stomps on a suitcase instead of a full drum kit, which means Schultz's guitar has to fill more sonic space. This is why his percussive strumming technique is so developed and so central to their live sound.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

The Lumineers 2012

The self-titled debut is where you should start. "Ho Hey" is perfect for beginners learning open chords and basic strumming, while "Stubborn Love" and "Submarines" teach dynamic control and percussive acoustic technique. Every song is built on simple chord progressions executed with impeccable feel, making it ideal for developing rhythm guitar fundamentals.

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Cleopatra album cover
Cleopatra 2016

This album pushes the guitar work into more interesting territory with fuller arrangements and more complex strumming patterns. The title track "Cleopatra" features a fingerpicking intro that's great for developing independence between the thumb and fingers. "Ophelia" is the standout for rhythm guitarists, with its relentless driving strum pattern that builds serious right-hand endurance.

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III album cover
III 2019

For guitarists ready to explore beyond basic acoustic strumming, "III" introduces electric guitar textures, alternate tunings, and more atmospheric arrangements. Tracks like "Gloria" and "Life in the City" blend acoustic and electric parts in ways that teach layering and arrangement. It's the best album for intermediate players looking to expand their tonal palette.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Wesley Schultz's primary instrument is a Gibson J-45 acoustic, known for its warm, rounded midrange and punchy low end that cuts through a mix without sounding harsh. He has also been seen with a Gibson Hummingbird and various other slope-shouldered Gibson acoustics. On electric tracks, he reaches for a Fender Telecaster, using its bright, articulate single-coil tone for cleaner, more textured passages on later albums.

Amp

For acoustic performances, Schultz typically runs through high-quality DI boxes or acoustic preamps to keep the signal clean and natural. When playing electric, he favors small to mid-wattage tube amps with clean headroom and a touch of natural breakup, similar to a Fender Deluxe Reverb style tone. The emphasis is always on clarity and warmth rather than heavy gain or distortion.

Pickups

On his Gibson acoustics, Schultz uses an undersaddle piezo or internal microphone pickup system for live amplification, prioritizing a natural, woody tone that avoids the "quacky" piezo harshness. On his Telecaster, the stock single-coil pickups provide the bright, snappy attack that gives electric parts their clarity and separation from the acoustic-driven foundation of the band's sound.

Effects & Chain

The Lumineers' guitar tone is famously minimal on effects. For acoustic work, Schultz runs essentially clean with perhaps a touch of reverb from the venue or mixing board. On electric passages, he may use a light reverb and occasional subtle delay for ambiance, but there are no overdriven pedals, modulation, or heavy processing. The philosophy is straight-ahead: tone comes from the fingers, the guitar, and the song itself.

Recommended Gear

Fender Telecaster
Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Wesley Schultz uses the Telecaster's bright, snappy single-coil pickups to add articulate texture and clarity to The Lumineers' electric passages, keeping them distinct from the acoustic foundation. The guitar's natural brightness cuts through the band's stripped-down mix without requiring heavy effects or processing.

Fender Deluxe Reverb
Amp

Fender Deluxe Reverb

Schultz favors the Deluxe Reverb's clean headroom and natural breakup to maintain clarity and warmth on electric tracks, avoiding distortion while adding subtle reverb that complements the band's minimal, song-focused aesthetic. Its vintage character preserves the natural tone that defines The Lumineers' restrained approach to amplification.

How to Practice The Lumineers on GuitarZone

Every The Lumineers 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 Ophelia - Guitar LessonPractice Ho Hey - Guitar Lesson