Major view
C major
Brightness rank 2/7 (bright)
Characteristic notes
- 7 = B (leading tone, pulls home)
- 4 = F (the note that leans on the 3rd)
The Lumineers - Ho Hey - Chord
Key C major – A minor Chords C, F, G, Am, Gsus Easy key G (capo 5)
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Key: C | Am
Capo: 0
F C F C F C F C F
(Ho) (Hey) (Ho) (Hey) Ho
C F C
I've been trying to do it right (Hey)
C F C
I've been living a lonely life (Ho)
C F C
I've been sleeping here instead (Hey)
C
I've been sleeping in my bed (Ho)
Am G F C
Sleeping in my bed (Hey)
F C F C
(Ho) (Ho)
C F C
So show me family (Hey)
C F C
all the blood that I will bleed (Ho)
C F C
I don't know where I belong (Hey)
C
I don't know where I went wrong (Ho)
Am G F C
But I can write a song (Hey)
Am G C
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart
Am G
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my:
F C
sweet (Ho)
F C F C F C F C
(Ho) (Hey) (Ho) (Ho)
C F C
I don't think you're right for him
C F C
Think of what it might've been if you
C F C
Took a bus to Chinatown
C Am G F C
I'd be standing on Canal and Bowery
Am G F C
And she'd be standing next to me
Am G C
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart
Am G C
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart
F C G C
And love, we need it now
F C Gsus G
Let's hope for some
F C G C
Cuz oh, we're bleeding out
Am G C
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart
Am G
I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my
F C
Sweet (Ho)
F C F C F C
(Hey) (Ho) (Hey)
End of song Play again?
The Lumineers - Ho Hey Tabs
NotesX
Harmony analysis
The Lumineers – Ho Hey: key and chord analysis
The song opens on F and ends on C. Its chords belong to both C major and Am, so every chord below is read both ways.
Minor view
A minor
Brightness rank 5/7 (leaning dark)
Characteristic notes
- b6 = F (the minor's melancholy)
- b7 = G (natural-minor colour)
Which side does the ear lean to?
Our reading: to us the song feels closer to the C major side because it comes to rest on C and C is heard 49 times against 10 for Am. That is an interpretation, not a rule — hearing the same chords from A minor is just as valid and teaches you something different.
Chord degrees: major and relative minor
Show the degrees above the chords — relative to C or to Am; comparing both readings is a practice of its own.
Every chord of the key, listed 1 to 7 separately for each key. Chords played in the song show how often they appear; chords from outside the scale sit next to their own degree.
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | C | Tonic — home | C · E · G | 49× |
| ii | Dm | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | D · F · A | — |
| iii | Em | Mediant — a tonic-family shade | E · G · B | — |
| V/vi | E | Secondary dominant V/vi — leads to Amsecondary dominant | E · G# · B | — |
| IV | F | Subdominant — moves away from home | F · A · C | 32× |
| V | G | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · B · D | 13× |
| Vsus4 | Gsus | Dominant — strongest pull home | G · C · D | 1× |
| vi | Am | Relative minor — the melancholy side | A · C · E | 10× |
| vii° | Bdim | Leading-tone chord — tension | B · D · F | — |
| Degree | Chord | Role | Notes | In song |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Am | Tonic — home | A · C · E | 10× |
| ii° | Bdim | Supertonic — prepares the dominant | B · D · F | — |
| III | C | Relative major — the bright side | C · E · G | 49× |
| iv | Dm | Subdominant — moves away from home | D · F · A | — |
| v | Em | Minor dominant — soft pull | E · G · B | — |
| V | E | Dominant — borrowed from harmonic minor, pulls hard to the tonicharmonic minor | E · G# · B | — |
| VI | F | Submediant — warm colour | F · A · C | 32× |
| VII | G | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · B · D | 13× |
| VIIsus4 | Gsus | Subtonic — steps back to the tonic | G · C · D | 1× |
Analysis
The key pair is C major and its relative A minor (no sharps or flats). 5 different chords appear 105 times in total; 5 of them sit naturally inside the shared scale. Everything stays inside one scale, which is why the song is easy to follow by ear.
Chord movement
- F C CIV → Iplagal cadence AmVI → III ×32
- G C CV → Iauthentic cadence AmVII → III ×6
The move to watch is F → C, heard 32 times. From the C side it reads IV → I (plagal cadence: the soft 'amen' ending); from the Am side it is VI → III. Knowing where these arrivals fall helps you feel the phrasing and anticipate the next chord.
Improvisation tips
- C major pentatonic and A minor pentatonic are the same five notes (C – D – E – G – A): start from C for a brighter phrase, from A for a bluesier one.
- Over C, land on C, E, G — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over F, land on F, A, C — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
- Over G, land on G, B, D — the chord's own tones always sound right on strong beats.
The song on the circle of fifths
- Played in the song — chord of the key
- Played — the minor's harmonic V or a secondary dominant
- Played — borrowed or outside chord
- Home region: IV–I–V and ii–vi–iii
Empty slices are chords the song doesn't use.
Capo and easier keys
With C major shapes
- No capo — open C shapes
- Capo 3 + A shapes
- Capo 5 + G shapes
With A minor shapes
- No capo — open Am shapes
- Capo 5 + Em shapes
- Capo 7 + Dm shapes
Easiest keys on guitar
- 5 semitones down · capo 5 keeps the original pitch
- 2 semitones up
The song's harmonic story
The opening F lays a solid floor for everything that follows. C, F, G, Am carry the song: I–IV–V–vi relative to C, III–VI–VII–i relative to Am. No chord leaves the shared scale, so a single pentatonic shape works over the whole song. Keep an ear on F → C (IV → I in C, VI → III in Am): plagal cadence — the soft 'amen' ending. Ending on C, the song seals C as home.
This analysis is generated from the song's chords by akorculuk's harmony engine using consistent rules. When you change key, the degrees stay the same; only the chord names change.
The Lumineers - Ho Hey Chords on Guitar, Ukulele and Piano
Hover over or tap a chord in the lyrics for its shapes, its degree in both keys and a listen button. Here you have every chord of the song side by side.
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