Guitar Songs, Tabs & Lessons

WALK THE MOON

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Shut Up and Dance - Guitar Cover

YouTube Stats: 192K · 2.9K

Band Overview

Walk the Moon is an indie pop-rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, formed in 2008 and rising to mainstream prominence with their self-titled debut album in 2012 and the massive 2014 hit "Shut Up and Dance." The band consists of Nicholas Petricca (vocals, keyboards), Eli Maiman (guitar), Kevin Ray (bass), and Sean Waugaman (drums). Their sound draws heavily from 1980s New Wave, synth-pop, and anthemic arena rock, creating a guitar-friendly landscape that blends bright, jangly clean tones with driving rhythmic parts that are perfect for intermediate players looking to work on their timing and dynamics. From a guitarist's perspective, Eli Maiman is the player to study here. His approach is all about serving the song rather than shredding. He favors clean-to-crunchy tones, rhythmic precision, and tasteful use of effects to create textures that sit alongside the synths without competing with them. If you are a guitarist who wants to learn how to lock in with a keyboard-driven band and play parts that are hooky but never overplayed, Walk the Moon is an excellent case study. Maiman's parts often feature bright, funky strumming patterns, palm-muted eighth-note rhythms, and occasional octave-based melodies that recall bands like The Cars and Talking Heads. Difficulty-wise, Walk the Moon songs generally land in the beginner-to-intermediate range. The chord shapes are standard open and barre chord fare, and the tempos are moderate enough to keep up with after a few practice sessions. The real challenge is nailing the rhythmic feel and making your guitar parts groove with the rest of the band. Songs like "Shut Up and Dance" demand tight, syncopated strumming and the discipline to stay in the pocket without overplaying. For guitarists transitioning from bedroom playing to jamming with a band, this is ideal material to build those ensemble skills.

What Makes WALK THE MOON Essential for Guitar Players

Eli Maiman's rhythm playing on "Shut Up and Dance" is built around a driving, syncopated strumming pattern that mixes downstrokes with quick upstrokes. Nailing the muted ghost strums between chord hits is key to getting that bouncy, new wave energy.
Walk the Moon's guitar parts frequently sit in the upper register or use capo positions to achieve a bright, chimey tone that cuts through the synth layers. This is a great lesson in frequency management within a dense mix.
Palm muting plays a subtle but important role in many of their tracks. Maiman uses light palm muting on verse sections to create dynamic contrast before opening up into full, ringing chords on choruses.
Octave shapes and single-note melodic hooks appear throughout their catalog, giving guitarists a chance to practice clean articulation and precise fretting without diving into complex lead work.
The band's 80s-influenced sound means lots of chorus and delay effects on the guitar. Learning to play cleanly with time-based effects (without getting muddy) is a valuable skill you will develop by working through their songs.

Did You Know?

Eli Maiman has cited The Edge (U2), Johnny Marr (The Smiths), and Andy Summers (The Police) as key influences, which explains his effects-driven, textural approach to guitar rather than a lead-heavy style.

"Shut Up and Dance" was originally written in a different key and with a slower tempo before the band reworked it into the uptempo anthem that became a number-one hit. The guitar part was simplified during this process to make it punchier and more immediate.

Walk the Moon's name comes from a Police song ("Walking on the Moon"), reinforcing the band's deep connection to 1980s new wave and post-punk guitar aesthetics.

Maiman frequently uses a capo during live performances, shifting standard chord shapes up the neck to achieve brighter voicings that complement the synth-heavy arrangements.

The guitar tone on their recordings is often a blend of direct (DI) signal and a lightly driven amp, giving the tracks a polished, modern sheen while retaining enough grit to keep things interesting.

During early tours, the band was known for painting their faces before performances, but from a gear standpoint, their stage setup was notably streamlined, with Maiman running a compact pedalboard focused on modulation and delay rather than heavy distortion.

Essential Albums for Guitarists

Talking Is Hard 2014

This is the album that contains "Shut Up and Dance" and represents Walk the Moon at their most guitar-forward. Tracks like "Different Colors" and "Work This Body" offer funky, rhythmic strumming workouts, while "Aquaman" features more laid-back, arpeggiated clean tones. It is the best starting point for learning how to blend guitar into a synth-pop context.

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Walk the Moon 2012

Their self-titled debut has a slightly rawer, more indie-rock edge compared to later releases. "Anna Sun" features a driving guitar riff with crunchy tone and rhythmic urgency that is great for building your alternate picking stamina. "Tightrope" offers jangly, Smiths-inspired arpeggios that will sharpen your clean-tone articulation.

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Tone & Gear

Guitar

Eli Maiman has been seen playing a variety of guitars live and in the studio, but he most frequently reaches for Fender Telecasters and Fender Stratocasters. The Telecaster's bright, cutting single-coil tone is a natural fit for the band's new wave-inspired sound, slicing through synth pads and bass with clarity. He has also been spotted with semi-hollow models on occasion for warmer, rounder tones on ballads.

Amp

Maiman's amp choices lean toward clean, headroom-rich platforms. Fender-style amps (including the Fender Twin Reverb and similar clean-channel models) form the foundation, providing that sparkling, uncompressed clean tone. He keeps the gain low and relies on pedals for any overdrive, which is typical of modern indie and synth-pop guitarists who need pristine cleans as their default setting.

Pickups

Single-coil pickups are central to Walk the Moon's guitar sound. The bright, articulate attack of Fender-spec single-coils (around 6-7k output) provides the snappy, percussive quality that makes rhythmic strumming parts pop in the mix. The lower output ensures the dynamics of ghost notes and muted strums come through clearly, which is essential for their style.

Effects & Chain

Chorus and delay are the two most defining effects in Maiman's chain, giving his parts that signature 80s shimmer. A Boss CE-series or similar analog chorus adds width and movement, while a digital delay (set to dotted-eighth or quarter-note repeats) creates rhythmic depth. Light overdrive from something like a Tube Screamer or Klon-style pedal is used sparingly for chorus sections. The overall philosophy is "less is more," keeping the signal clean and letting the effects breathe rather than stacking heavy gain.

Recommended Gear

Guitar

Fender Stratocaster

Eli Maiman uses the Stratocaster's versatile single-coils to deliver bright, articulate tones that cut through Walk the Moon's synth-heavy arrangements. The guitar's natural clarity complements the band's new wave aesthetic while maintaining the dynamic ghost notes essential to their rhythmic style.

Guitar

Fender Telecaster

Maiman's primary choice, the Telecaster's cutting single-coil brightness and snappy attack are perfect for the band's percussive strumming parts and indie-pop sensibilities. Its inherent twang naturally sits above synth pads without requiring heavy processing.

Amp

Fender Twin Reverb

This clean, headroom-rich amplifier provides the pristine foundation Maiman needs for his effects-driven tone, staying uncompressed and dynamic. The Twin Reverb's natural reverb and sparkling clean channel let his pedal effects shine without competing artifacts.

Pedal

Ibanez Tube Screamer TS9

Maiman uses the Tube Screamer sparingly to add light, transparent overdrive during chorus sections, preserving the clean signal integrity that defines Walk the Moon's sound. Its mid-focused character enhances brightness without mudding the mix.

Pedal

Boss DD-3 Digital Delay

The DD-3's digital delay creates the rhythmic, 80s-shimmer foundation of Walk the Moon's signature sound when set to dotted-eighth or quarter-note repeats. This pedal adds spatial depth while maintaining clarity essential to the band's synth-pop aesthetic.

How to Practice WALK THE MOON on GuitarZone

Every WALK THE MOON 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 Shut Up and Dance - Guitar Cover