Eyes Closed

How to play Eyes Closed by Ed Sheeran on guitar

This song is a good beginner pick because the steady pace and simple key make it feel approachable right away. You get a clear, looping progression that helps you lock into the groove without needing a lot of speed. It is the kind of song that feels smooth once your hands settle in.

You can lean on the open shapes G, Dm, D, and A, but the harder barre shapes C#m, A#, B, Bm, and F#m will ask for more finger pressure and clean muting. The main change to watch is the opening move from G to C#m, then back to G and into A#, since that shift can break your flow if your hand is not ready.

Start by practicing the opening progression slowly, one change at a time. Then loop the full chord cycle until the switches feel automatic, and only after that bring it up to tempo. Once your fingers know the shapes, focus on keeping the motion relaxed 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.