Bad Habits

How to play Bad Habits by Ed Sheeran on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 2 you play Am, C, F, Em, Dm, G and more, the shapes the player above shows.

Bad Habits is a great one to learn if you want a steady, driving pop groove with a strong repeating feel. At about 120 BPM, it sits in a comfortable pocket once you lock into the pulse, and the progression gives you a clear, catchy loop to hang onto.

You can lean on the open shapes D, G, Em, A, Am, and E, but the tougher moves are Bm and F#m, which need clean barre control. The main change to watch is the jump between Bm and D, since that shift comes up right away in the opening progression Bm - D - G - Bm.

Start by practicing just the opening loop slowly, then add the rest of the chord cycle once your fingers find Bm and D without hesitation. After that, play along at a reduced speed, then bring it up to full tempo while keeping your changes smooth and even.

Use the play-along above to follow each chord change in time with the music, or learn the shapes first with the chord diagrams below.