Ed Sheeran - Thinking Out Loud - Guitar Lesson

x (Wembley Edition)

2014 4:42

Listen on Spotify

About Thinking Out Loud

At 104 BPM in D major, "Thinking Out Loud" sits in a comfortable mid-tempo pocket that rewards a guitarist who can blend rhythm and melody into one smooth, uninterrupted performance. Ed Sheeran plays this in Eb Standard tuning, so drop your whole guitar a half step before you start or every chord will clash with the recording. The chord sequence itself is not complicated, cycling through D, G, A, and Bm, but the real skill is in the feel: Sheeran leans into a slow, soulful strum pattern with a steady thumb keeping the bass notes anchored while the fingers handle the upper strings. Getting that separation clean and consistent is where most players struggle, and it is absolutely worth isolating the verse groove in the Practice Toolbar, slowing it down until your thumb and fingers are truly independent. The song belongs to the Pop Rock world but leans heavily on soul and R&B phrasing, so relax your right hand and let each chord breathe rather than attacking it sharply.

• The song uses Eb Standard tuning, meaning every string is tuned down a half step from standard, which affects chord voicings and fingering feel.
• The core challenge is a fingerstyle-meets-strum hybrid pattern where the thumb holds a steady bass line while the fingers voice the upper strings independently.
• Looping the verse pattern slowed down is the most effective way to build the relaxed, behind-the-beat groove the rhythm guitar part demands.