ED SHEERAN AFTERGLOW

This easy four-chord song is perfect for improving your strumming technique and building confidence

Landing in December 2020, Afterglow is Ed Sheeran’s most recent single, and was an immediate hit. 2019’s No.6 Collaborations Project was a predominantly electronic hip hop and R ’n’ B affair, but Ed’s back on steel-string acoustic here, performing the kind of folky pop that first made him famous a decade ago.

You need but four easy open shapes to play along. Just remember to pop a capo on the 4th fret so you’re in the original key. Never used a capo? We’d urge you to pick one up! It’s on the 4th fret here, so you can move it up or down the fretboard to suit the pitch of your singing voice.

Finally, take note of Ed’s solid rhythm technique. Afterglow is a bare bones song that relies on your strumming arm to deliver the driving eighth-note feel. If it goes wrong, you can’t blame the drummer!