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Home ❯ Songs ❯ Ed Sheeran ❯

Shape of You

by Ed Sheeran • Lesson #60 • Apr 24, 2017

About this lesson

This guitar lesson will show you how to play Shape of You by Ed Sheeran, with and without a capo. I also include a fingerstyle tutorial for the intro riff heard at the beginning. I’ll teach the chords needed, strumming pattern, and show tabs for the intro riff played various ways. This song is from Ed Sheeran’s third studio album ÷, released in 2017.

  • 0:00 Preview
  • 1:07 Single string, single finger
  • 2:28 Two strings, 2-3 fingers
  • 3:55 No capo: chords and strumming
  • 5:47 Capo 2 intro riff
  • 7:58 Capo 4 intro riff
  • 8:58 Capo 9 intro riff

Capo and chords needed

This entire song uses the same progression:

C#m . . . F#m . . . A . . . B . . .

These chords the vi, ii, IV, and V triads in the key of E major. By adding a capo, we can play the same relative progression but use different chord shapes. Here’s a map of the chords you’d need, depending on where you used a capo (if at all):

          vi   ii   IV  V
          ------------------
No Capo   C#m  F#m  A   B
Capo 2    Bm   Em   G   A
Capo 4    Am   Dm   F   G
Capo 9    Em   Am   C   D

In this lesson, I’ll show you how to play the chords and intro riff for each the keys above.

No capo (key of E / C# minor)

Chords needed:

E –––4––––2––––5––––7––––
B –––5––––2––––5––––7––––
G –––6––––2––––6––––8––––
D –––6––––4––––7––––9––––
A –––4––––4––––7––––9––––
E ––––––––2––––5––––7––––
    C#m  F#m   A    B

Intro riff, using one string:

E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
G –––6–9–6–––6–9–6–––6–9–6–––8–6–4––––––
D ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Intro riff, using two strings:

E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––5–––––––5–––––––5–––––4––––––––––
G –––6–––6–––6–––6–––6–––6–––––6–4––––––
D ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Capo 2 (key of D / B minor)

Chords needed:

E –––2––––0––––3––––0––––
B –––3––––0––––0––––2––––
G –––4––––0––––0––––2––––
D –––4––––2––––0––––2––––
A –––2––––2––––2––––0––––
E ––––––––0––––3–––––––––
     Bm   Em   G    A

Intro riff:

E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––3–––––––––3–––––––––3–––––––2–––––––
G –––4–––4–––––4–––4–––––4–––4–––––––4–2–––
D –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A –––2–2–2–––––––––––––––––––––––––0–0–0–––
E –––––––––––––0–0–0–––––3–3–3–––––––––––––
     Bm        Em        G         A

Capo 4 (key of C / A minor)

Chords needed:

E –––0––––1–––(1)–––3––––
B –––1––––1––––1––––0––––
G –––2––––2––––2––––0––––
D –––2––––0––––3––––0––––
A –––0––––––––(3)–––2––––
E ––––––––––––(1)–––3––––
     Am  Dm7   F    G

Intro riff:

E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––1–––––––––1–––––––––1–––––––0–––––––
G –––2–––2–––––2–––2–––––2–––2–––––––2–0–––
D –––––––––––––0–0–0–––––3–3–3–––––––––––––
A –––0–0–0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––3–3–3–––
     Am        Dm7       F         G

Capo 9 (key of G / E minor)

Chords needed:

E –––0––––0––––0––––2––––
B –––0––––1––––1––––3––––
G –––0––––2––––0––––2––––
D –––2––––2––––2––––0––––
A –––2––––0––––3–––––––––
E –––0–––––––––––––––––––
     Em   Am   C    D

Intro riff, lower octave:

E –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
B –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
G –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
D –––2–5–2–––––2–5–2–––––2–5–2–––––4–2–0–––
A –––––––––––––0–0–0–––––3–3–3–––––0–0–0–––
E –––0–0–0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     Em        Am        C         D

Intro riff, higher octave:

E –––0–3–0–––––0–3–0–––––0–3–0–––––2–0–––––
B ––(0)–––––––(1)–––––––(1)–––––––(3)––3–––
G ––(0)–––––––(2)–––––––(0)–––––––(2)––––––
D –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––0–0–0–––
A –––––––––––––0–0–0–––––3–3–3–––––––––––––
E –––0–0–0–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
     Em        Am        C         D

Enjoy!

Let me know if you have questions. I hope this is helpful!

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