The A Team

How to play The A Team by Ed Sheeran on guitar

This song is a great one to learn because it has a gentle, steady feel and lets you focus on clean changes and even timing. You get a calm, reflective groove that sounds good right away once you settle into the progression.

You will use a mix of open shapes and barre shapes, so it is friendly for beginners but still gives you a little challenge. The main thing to watch is the move between Dm and C#m, since that quick shift can feel awkward at first, and then you need to land back on Dm smoothly before going to Em.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly and making each change without stopping. Then practice the barre shapes on their own until they feel secure, and finally put the whole sequence together at a relaxed pace before bringing it up to the song speed.

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.