Ed Sheeran: Shape of You

Free guitar lesson

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Summary: Shape of You

In this Ed Sheeran song lesson we cover all the parts that go together to build something that sounds amazing! It's a great track for anyone who uses a loop pedal as all the parts work really well together, and also has a simpler version that works really well for beginners.

The Melody: Less Is More!

We start with the main melody in the song. It's a 4 note melody based on the C# Minor scale. Start off playing just the notes in order and once you get comfortable with it try putting in the 16th note mutes to add a bit more funkiness like Dan does in the video!

Here are the notes on the fretboard, remember to play staccato (ie stop the notes from ringing out) to get that funky sound.

The Chords: Barre Chords or Capo Chords

This tune is made up of 4 chords. C#m, F#m7, A major & B major. We've got the beginner/intermediate barre chords or the simpler capo chords below.

We start off with the harder version of the chords. This version uses barre chords so remember to get everything ringing out clearly. The chords are below:

If you haven't quite mastered barre chords but would still like to play this song all the chords are playable as open chords if you use a capo on the 4th fret. These chords also work really well to add another layer on to the song if you're using a loop pedal! The chords are below:

Rhythm: 16th Note Groove

This 4 chord song has a chord playing for 2 beats. So, the progression is:

    | C#m / F#m | A / B / |

For the groove we are playing the chord on the beat, then playing a quick up on the 'a' of the beat, making this a 16th note rhythm:

    Keep Learning: Barre Chords

    Many thanks for watching this video and visiting the website. If you've enjoyed playing the simple version of this song but want to work on the barre chords your next step could be our Electric Beginners Course. We go through barre chord technique step by step to help you crack it! You can find it here: Electric Beginners (Level 3). Give it a try!

All done?

Congratulations

You've now completed Song Jukebox: Ed Sheeran and taken a huge step forwards in your guitar playing journey.

Feel free to bask in glory for a while, or go ahead and try another course if you're hungry for more.