Ho Hey by The Lumineers sits on four open ukulele chords in standard GCEA tuning: C, F, Am, G, which create a simple I–IV–vi–V progression in C major that’s ideal for beginners because the shapes are open, the switches are short, and the harmony supports a strong folk-pop groove.
Core uke chord shapes (GCEA) — quick finger placements
C — 0003. Place your ring finger on the 3rd fret of the A string; other strings open. (ukulele chord diagrams, uke chord shapes)
F — 2010. Middle finger on the G string 2nd fret, index on the E string 1st fret; C and A open. (ukulele chord diagrams, uke chord shapes)
Am — 2000. Middle finger on the G string 2nd fret; C, E, A open. (ukulele chord diagrams, uke chord shapes)
G — 0232. Index on the C string 2nd fret, ring on the E string 3rd fret, middle on the A string 2nd fret; G open. (uke chord shapes, ukulele chord diagrams)
Use finger numbers: 1 = index, 2 = middle, 3 = ring. Keep fingers close to the fretwire and use the finger tips so strings ring clear.
Why the I–IV–vi–V progression in C works for beginners
The loop C → F → Am → G repeats through verse and chorus, so you practice the same switches over and over while singing; that repetition builds muscle memory fast.
Those four chords cover root, subdominant, relative minor, and dominant functions, which gives a strong, singable folk-pop harmony without confusing voicings.
Open chord shapes mean minimal finger movement: most switches reuse the same fingers or need only one finger shift, which reduces buzz and missed notes for new players.
Original key, capo advice and chord naming
The recorded track sounds in C major using the open shapes above; you can raise the key with a capo for easier singing while keeping the same fingerings.
Common alternate names: C major, F major, A minor, G major. Use C, F, Am, G shapes no matter where you capo.
If the melody sits too low or too high for your voice, use a capo rather than learning new barre shapes — faster onstage and easier to switch between songs.
Verse & chorus chord map with lyric timing and where to change
Basic bar layout in 4/4: one chord per bar across the main loop: | C | F | Am | G | and repeat. Play one strum pattern per beat or a four-beat pattern per bar depending on feel.
Verse example with chord placements (count each bar as 1–2–3–4): | C | F | Am | G | — “CI belong with Fyou, you belong with Amme, you’re my Gsweetheart.” Put the first syllable of each phrase on the downbeat.
Hook call-and-response timing: the shouted “Ho” lands on the downbeat of the first bar and the “Hey” accents the second or third beat depending on your strum; mark those beats and play them louder for drive.
Counting tips: count straight 1-&-2-&-3-&-4-&; strum on each downbeat for clarity, or play D-DU-UDU and move the accents to the “1” and the “3” where the calls land.
The short bridge/turnaround uses the same progression but often shortens phrases to half-bars or adds a percussive stop; loop the 4-bar progression and drop accents or mute at the end of each 4-bar phrase to create a turnaround effect.
Exact chord sequence for verse and chorus (compact)
Intro/Verse/Chorus loop: | C | F | Am | G | — repeat.
Play the intro riff two measures before singing if you want the band feel; otherwise start strumming on the first downbeat of the verse.
Practical chord diagrams and quick-reference uke tab for the intro riff
Quick text chord cheatsheet: C = 0003 (ring finger A3), F = 2010 (middle G2, index E1), Am = 2000 (middle G2), G = 0232 (index C2, ring E3, middle A2).
Simple picking pattern for the intro hook (one bar per chord, repeat loop):
G | C | E | A (string order G C E A)
C : 0—0—0—3—
F : 2—0—1—0—
Am : 2—0—0—0—
G : 0—2—3—2—
Play those four notes as steady eighths or quarter-eighth combos to outline the harmony while keeping the vocal space open. These lines double as a printable ukulele tab starter and work as a melody hook.
For a compact printable chord chart, export the chord shapes above to PDF or screenshot from a reliable chord site; many mobile chord apps also let you save image charts for quick reference.
Strumming groove that makes “Ho Hey” sound authentic
Basic folk strum: D – D U – U D U (read as down, down-up, up-down-up). It’s flexible and matches the song’s stompy energy if you add weight to the first downstroke of each bar.
Percussive muted strum: mute with the palm or lift pressure on the fretting hand right after the attack to create a “chuck” on the off-beats; combine one full down for the beat and a muted stab on the “&”.
Place accents: hit the full downstroke hard on the beat where the shouted “Ho” or “Hey” falls — typically beat one for “Ho” and beat three for “Hey” in the phrase — then relax the dynamics for following strums.
Two tempo options: campfire/relaxed around 80–90 BPM with lighter accents; upbeat crowd-singing around 110–130 BPM with stronger percussive slaps and louder vocal accents.
Beginner shortcuts: two-chord versions and easy substitutions
Ultra-simple 2-chord loop for kids or beginners: play | C | G | | C | G | and sing the melody — it captures the pull of the original and keeps focus on rhythm.
Safe substitutions: if G is hard, play G7 (0212) to lower finger stretch; if F is tight, try Fmaj7 (0000 with index lightly touching E1 for color) or a simplified F (2010) held lightly.
Drill for smooth switches: practice C ⇄ G or C ⇄ Am for two minutes slow, then speed up by 5 BPM increments; use aim-and-place technique — move fingers to target frets in one motion, then press down cleanly.
Fingerpicking & embellishments to add texture
Basic arpeggio pattern: pick G string (thumb), C string (index), E string (middle), A string (ring) in a steady 1-2-3-4 pattern; this cleanly supports vocals and avoids clutter.
Travis-style feel: alternate bass (G/C) with thumb while using index and middle for melody on E and A; keeps rhythm driving but transparent.
Tasteful embellishments: hammer-on from open to 2nd fret on the E string inside an Am or C shape, small slides on the A string into chord changes, and single-note fills between vocal lines. Use them sparingly so the vocals remain the focal point.
Choose open-strum for crowd-singing or percussive fingerpicking for intimate, detailed performances; stop fingerpicking when the vocal becomes dense to avoid masking lyrics.
How to transpose Ho Hey for your voice — capo tips and equivalent chords
Quick rule: move the capo up the neck to raise the song while using the same open shapes. Move it down to lower if needed.
Three useful capo positions: no capo = sounds in C (C F Am G). Capo 2 = shapes in C F Am G but sound as D G Bm A. Capo 4 = shapes in C F Am G but sound as E A C#m B.
Small chart: No capo → C F Am G (sound C); Capo 2 → play C shapes (sound D); Capo 4 → play C shapes (sound E). Pick the capo position that places melody in your comfortable singing range.
Common mistakes and fast fixes
Muted or buzzing strings: fingers too flat or too far from the fretwire. Fix by rolling the finger onto the tip, lowering thumb position behind the neck, and placing the finger close to the fret.
Timing problems switching chords: slow the tempo to metronome 60 BPM and switch only on beat 1; count bars aloud and return to full tempo only when smooth.
Singing while playing issues: simplify the strum to a single downbeat per bar or reduce embellishments until rhythm and words sync; practice humming the vocal rhythm while strumming before adding lyrics.
4-week practice plan to reach confident sing-along
Week 1 — Shapes & basic strum: learn C, F, Am, G shapes. Practice one-hour sessions split into 10-minute warm-ups and 20 minutes chord drills; target clean ring on each chord.
Week 2 — Transitions & timing: lock the loop C→F→Am→G at 60–80 BPM; use metronome and add the D-DU-UDU pattern. Measure: 8 clean changes in 30 seconds before increasing tempo.
Week 3 — Vocals & embellishments: sing while strumming, add percussive chuck and simple arpeggio fills; aim for consistent “Ho”/“Hey” accents in time at 90–110 BPM.
Week 4 — Performance runs: do full play-throughs, record one practice take, and simulate live conditions. Metric goals: 120 BPM chord loop clean switches, 90% clear vocal consonants, and two dynamic variations (soft/strong).
Performance and arrangement ideas — solo, duo, and group
Solo: add a percussive slap on 2 and 4, mix open-strum and fingerpicked verses to create space for vocals, and use mic distance or reverb for depth.
Duo/duet: one person does rhythmic chords and shouts “Ho/Hey,” the other sings lead; add a second uke playing higher voicings or simple harmony thirds over the chorus for texture.
Group/band: keep uke chords transparent — let bass/drums hold the low end and use ukulele for rhythm and small melodic fills so instruments don’t clash.
Resources, backing tracks and where to find accurate tabs
Reliable sources: official songbooks and licensed sheet music providers, well-moderated tab sites with user ratings, and established uke communities like Ukulele Underground and Musicnotes for paid, accurate charts.
Backing tracks: search for play-along tracks labeled “karaoke” or “backing track” with tempo markers; use them to practice dynamics and timing against a steady band feel.
Spotting bad tabs: compare the chord loop to the recording — if the tab omits the IV or vi regularly, it’s probably wrong; prefer tabs that show chord timing against lyrics and include a playback or video demo.
Mobile-friendly tools: apps like Ultimate Guitar: Chords & Tabs, Chordify, or Yousician provide printable charts, capo transposer, and offline saving for phone or tablet use.
FAQs — tuning, capo and song structure
Is the song in standard uke tuning? — Yes. Use standard GCEA tuning for the open chord shapes shown; some players experiment with low-G but standard high-G is the default.
Can you capo the uke and still use the same fingerings? — Yes. Put a capo on the desired fret and play the same C, F, Am, G shapes; the pitch will rise according to the capo position so you can match vocal range easily.
How many chords are needed to play the whole song, and is there a simple bridge? — Four chords (C, F, Am, G) handle the verse, chorus, and short bridge sections. For a kid-friendly version use a 2-chord loop (C–G) and sing the melody without the bridge until ready.
