Shawn Mendes - Stitches - Guitar Cover

Handwritten

2015 3:27

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About Stitches

Few songs from 2015 show how much mileage a guitarist can get from a clean, straightforward chord progression, and "Stitches" by Shawn Mendes is a solid example of that. Written in A minor and sitting at a steady 120 BPM in standard E tuning, the song is very approachable for intermediate players, but getting it to feel right takes more attention than the tab suggests. The real work is in the strumming pattern: the groove depends on a consistent, rhythmically locked strum with muted ghost strokes that keep the momentum between beats. Many players rush those transitions, so use the Practice Toolbar to loop the verse pattern slowed down until the ghost strokes feel automatic. This Pop Rock style also rewards clean chord voicings and a light pick attack, since the production is relatively sparse and any buzzing or sloppy changes will be obvious. Focus on smooth Am to F to C to G transitions and you will have the song locked down quickly.

• The song sits in A minor at 120 BPM in standard E tuning, making it a clean vehicle for practising minor key chord progressions at a moderate tempo.
• The strumming pattern relies heavily on muted ghost strokes between main beats, so keeping your strumming hand moving consistently is the key technique to nail.
• Chord transitions between Am, F, C, and G are the main challenge; looping the verse slowed down on the Practice Toolbar will help you smooth them out.