The Lumineers - Ho Hey - Guitar Lesson

About Ho Hey

"Ho Hey" by The Lumineers is one of those songs that looks deceptively simple but rewards careful attention to feel and rhythm. The whole track is built around a two-chord stomp in F major, and getting that chunky, percussive strum pattern to sit right at 120 BPM is the real challenge. The chords themselves are beginner-friendly, but the push-and-pull of the strumming hand, keeping it loose and driving without rushing, takes more practice than most players expect. This is a great song for working on folk-rock rhythm dynamics, learning to accent the downbeats while letting the off-beats breathe. If the groove is slipping away from you, use the Practice Toolbar to loop the verse or chorus at a reduced speed until the strumming pattern feels natural in your hand before bringing it back up to tempo. E Standard tuning means no retuning required, so you can focus entirely on nailing that stomping, communal energy the song is known for.

• The song sits in F major in E Standard tuning, so no retuning is needed and the chord shapes are open and accessible for most skill levels.
• The core challenge is rhythmic: the strumming pattern requires a confident, percussive downstroke accent to capture the stomping, communal feel of the recording.
• At 120 BPM the tempo is moderate, but keeping the groove steady across the two-chord verse without rushing or dragging is a useful rhythm discipline exercise.