Tenerife Sea

How to play Tenerife Sea by Ed Sheeran on guitar

These are the sounding chords. With a capo on fret 2 you play F#, B, D#m, C#, the shapes the player above shows.

This song is a great beginner pick because it moves at a relaxed pace and loops a small set of chords, so you can focus on clean changes and steady timing. It feels gentle and flowing, with enough repetition that you can settle into the groove quickly.

You will be using barre shapes for G#, C#, Fm, and D#, so the main challenge is getting each shape to ring clearly without extra string noise. The change to watch most closely is the opening move from G# to C# and then back again, since that shift comes up often and sets the feel for the whole song.

Start by practicing the opening progression slowly, G# - C# - G# - Fm, until each change feels smooth. Then loop the full chord cycle at a comfortable pace, keeping your strumming even and relaxed. Once the shapes feel automatic, bring the tempo up little by little until you can play through the song without stopping.

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.