Thinking Out Loud

How to play Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran on guitar

This song is a great pick if you want a calm, romantic feel and a steady groove you can settle into. You get to focus on clean changes and a relaxed pulse, which makes it satisfying even at a beginner level.

You can lean on the open shapes D, A, E, G, and Em for most of the comfort, while the barre shapes G#, F#, F#m, Bm, and C#m will ask for more finger strength. The main change to watch is the opening move from G# into D, since that jump can feel awkward at first.

Start by looping the opening progression slowly, then practice each change on its own until your fingers land cleanly. After that, connect the whole sequence at a very easy pace, and only speed up once the shifts feel 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.