How to play Hey Brother by Avicii
Hey Brother by Avicii is a great song for acoustic steel-string players. Created by writer-producer Avicii, Hey Brother was the third single from the 2013 mega-platinum album True. Featuring Dan Tyminski on vocals it became a top-ten hit in many countries 2013-14. From the opening guitar octaves riff to the full-on rhythm of the dance drop, Hey Brother makes a great song chart for acoustic guitarists.
Chords: Em C G D C2 G6 D2
Do I need a capo? To play at the same pitch as the original recording yes, you need a capo at the 3rd fret. This chart works fine without the capo but to play along with the Avicii version you need the capo.
Is the Dan Tyminski version the same? The singer on the original version, Dan Tyminski does a fabulous Bluegrass version of Hey Brother (if you don’t know it check it out!). It’s in the same key as the original and is mostly the same as this chart, except they let the Em go for two bars before the D in the verse (it feels right). The fact this version works so well just highlights the Country/Roots DNA of Hey Brother, despite Avicii original’s EDM styling.
Pick or Fingers? a pick will project a strong tone in the loud sections better but finger-style could work too, especially for a solo rendition.
Acoustic or Electric? Acoustic steel-string guitar is best but also works well on Electric guitar. The style of this song doesn’t project well from nylon strings; you need steel strings to give it the necessary twang!
Rhythm: the intro and first verse feature an ‘octave’ riff on the Em chord. Hold the chord whilst picking the 6th to 4th strings back and forth with steady quavers. In the second verse this becomes an E bass note (6th string) on the beat followed by an upstroke chord (1st, 2nd, 3rd strings) off the beat. Keep the quaver rhythm very straight. The second verse has a fuller tone than the first verse but still has a light feel. Build the strumming intensity from the lead in to the chorus, and even more as you go into the dance section. Then drop back to the light feel for the verse repeat section.
Relevant pages in Modern Guitar Chord Styles 1 : To learn more about Hey Brother go to pages 5, 8, 10, 12, 14, 20, 24 - 25 and 36 - 37
Need a bit of help?
Modern Guitar Chord Styles 1 is the perfect companion for our song guides. It is specifically designed to help beginners speed up their chord changes, master their strumming patterns, and many other techniques.