Song chords
Ho Hey chords
The Lumineers
Four open chords in C with no capo, and a verse that spends most of its length parked on one of them. The chorus is the only place the minor chord shows up.
Before you start
The chords you need.
4 shapes covers the whole song. Tap any diagram’s play button to hear it, or open its page for every voicing on six instruments.
The chart
Section by section.
Key of C, no capo. The verse sits on the C, touching the F on the way past, and only reaches Am–G–C in its final line; the bridge is a bare F and G alternating. Hit play on any section to hear it walk through at 80 bpm.
Verse
7 barsMostly a C vamp; the Am only appears in the last line.
Chorus
4 barsTwice through — the tightest section in the song.
Bridge
2 barsThree times through, bare, then straight back into the chorus.
Need it in a different key, or without the capo? Run it through the transposer — move every chord by the same interval and the song is unchanged.
Playing it
What actually trips people up.
The stomps and claps on the record fall exactly where you would strum, so the guitar plays less than you expect. Hit beat one, let it ring, and leave the gaps alone.
The chart above is the commonly played arrangement — the version a competent player would hand you, not a bar-for-bar transcription of a specific master. Section labels are there to orient you; live and studio versions repeat, extend and drop sections freely, and none of that changes which chords you need.
About this page
Chord names and song structure are facts; for lyrics and official notation, support the artist. This page carries no lyrics on purpose — Ho Hey was written and recorded by The Lumineers, and the words belong to them. What you get here is the harmony: the key, the capo, the tempo, and which chord goes where.
Next
Songs that sit near this one.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask.
What key is Ho Hey in?
Ho Hey is in C Major, and it is played in that key with no capo — the chords you read here are the chords you hear.
Do I need a capo for Ho Hey?
No. Ho Hey is played open in C Major. A capo will only move it out of the recorded key, which matters if you are playing along with the record.
What chords are in Ho Hey?
C, F, Am and G — 4 chords across 3 sections. Key of C, no capo. The verse sits on the C, touching the F on the way past, and only reaches Am–G–C in its final line; the bridge is a bare F and G alternating.
What is the easiest way to play Ho Hey?
Beginner overall. The stomps and claps on the record fall exactly where you would strum, so the guitar plays less than you expect. Hit beat one, let it ring, and leave the gaps alone.
How fast is Ho Hey?
About 80 bpm. Every section on this page plays back at that tempo, so you can hear how long each chord is meant to be held before you try it yourself.
Can I play Ho Hey in a different key?
Yes — the progression is the song, not the letters. Move every chord by the same number of semitones and it still works. The transposer will do the arithmetic, or you can move the capo and keep these shapes.