Ed Sheeran – Boat (Guitar)
Half-Step Down (Eb-Ab-Db-Gb-Bb-Eb)
• Video Lesson
Key
-
Versions
(4)
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Chords
UPDATE: The official audio and video were released 21 April 2023:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKEphyIbtXo
These chords were captured to show how Ed played it in a pre-release live performance in Paris:
https://youtu.be/y4QvngjUKQY
Tune down a half step to play these chords with the official audio.
All chords and tab below are listed as if played in standard tuning.
NOTE: to play along with the official audio without tuning down, you could also transpose these
chords down 5 and put a capo on 4 to play Em, G, D, and C shapes. I have included a second version
of the song with the versions of these shapes I would recommend using at the end of this tab.
In the live version, for the most part it sounds as though he's avoiding the high E string but,
after seeing some additional close-up footage in the new Documentary on Disney+, it appears that
he keeps his pinky rooted on fret 3 of the high E string for all of the chords in this song.
Where I have listed Fsus2*, in the live version it sounds like he hammers from an Fsus2 to F then
lifts the middle finger to an Fsus2 again. He does that twice for each F*.
The C/G chords in the verse are quick passing chords between the G and the Fsus2.
In the first 3 lines of the outro he is just plucking the chord once emphasizing the bass note.
For the "waves won't break my boat" lines, it sounds like the tab below is basically what he
is playing.
NOTE: In the live videos I have seen, on the word "my" he plays the Gsus4, but in the official
video it sounds as though he is playing what I would describe as a Csus2/B (Csus2/B x20013)
on "my" instead. I have indicated the note from the official version in parentheses:
(Csus2/B) C C/D C/E Gsus4 Fsus2 Fsus2 e|-----3-3-3-----3-3-3-|-----3-3-3-----3-3-3-|-----3-3-3-----3-3-3-|-----3-3-3-----3-3-3-| B|-----1-1-1-----1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-----1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-----1-1-1-|-----1-1-1-----1-1-1-| G|-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-| D|-----2-2-2-0---------|-2-------------0-0-0-|-3---------3---------|-3---------3---------| A|-3-------------------|----------(2)--------|---------------------|---------------------| E|---------------------|-----------3---------|---------------------|---------------------| 1+2 + 3 + 4+5 + 6 + | 1+2 + 3 + 4+5 + 6 + | 1+2 + 3 + 4+5 + 6 + | 1+2 + 3 + 4+5 + 6 + | waves won't break my boat (but the...)
[Chords]
Am7...x02013
C/G...3x2013
Fsus2.1x3013
C/D...xx0013 (Csus2/D)
C/E...xx2013
[Verse 1]
Am7 G C/G Fsus2 Fsus2 Came in for the embers, stayed out for the breeze Am7 G C/G Fsus2 I need to feel elements to remind me there's beauty when it's bleak Am7 G C/G Fsus2 Fsus2 Stuck out long before lights down, why do I breathe?
[Chorus]
Fsus2 Oh I know, Fsus2* C G Fsus2 The more that I love the less that I feel Fsus2* C G Fsus2 The times that I jumped never were real Fsus2* C G Fsus2 They say that all scars will heal but I know Am7 G Fsus2 Maybe I won't C C/D C/E Gsus4 Fsus2 But the waves won't break my boat C C/D C/E Gsus4 Fsus2 But the waves won't break my boat
[Verse 2]
Am7 G C/G Fsus2 Fsus2 The stones crash on the boardwalk the wind rush through the trees Am7 I keep my eyes peeled G C/G Fsus2 Fsus2 The memories always fall short of what we could have been Am7 G C/G Fsus2 Fsus2 Left out long before last call, what do I need?
[Chorus]
Fsus2 Oh I know, Fsus2* C G Fsus2 The more that I love the less that I feel Fsus2* C G Fsus2 The times that I jumped never were real Fsus2* C G Fsus2 They say that all scars will heal but I know Am7 G Fsus2 Maybe I won't C C/D C/E Gsus4 Fsus2 But the waves won't break my boat C C/D C/E Gsus4 Fsus2 But the waves won't break my boat
[Bridge]
C C/D C/E Gsus4 Fsus2 But the waves won't break my boat C C/D C/E Gsus4 Fsus2 The waves won't break my boat
[Outro]
Fsus2 C G Fsus2 The more that I love the less that I feel C G Fsus2 The times that I jumped never were real C G Fsus2 They say that all scars will heal but I know Am7 G Fsus2 Maybe I wont C C/D C/E Gsus4 Fsus2 And the waves won't break my boat
The chords listed below are the way I would play this song in standard tuning with the capo on 4.
These are the basic shapes Ed uses in videos when he talks about being able to play every song
with the same chords. This is a very easy way to play this one keeping the ring and pinky rooted
on fret 3 of the B and E strings for the entire song (while basically avoiding the high E string
in the strumming).
Where I have listed Csus2* and Csus2**, I actually hammer on to fret 2 of the A string
(Csus2 to Cadd9) once for the single asterisk and twice for the double asterisk.
The G/B chords in the verses in the verses are quick passing chords between the Dsus4 and the
Csus2 and I actually think it matches the song nicely to use hammer on from fret 2 to fret 3 of
the A string to make the transition from G/B to Csus2.
For the outro he is primarily plucking each chord once emphasizing the bass note.
For the "waves won't break my boat" lines in this version, this is what I would play:
G Gsus2/A G/B Dadd4/F# Csus2 Csus2 e|-----3-3-3-----3-3-3-|-----3-3-3-----3-3-3-|-----3-3-3-----3-3-3-|----3-3-3------3-3-3-| B|-----3-3-3-----3-3-3-|-----3-3-3-----3-3-3-|-----3-3-3-----3-3-3-|----3-3-3------3-3-3-| G|-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-|----0-0-0------0-0-0-| D|-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-|-----0-0-0-----0-0-0-|----0-0-0------0-0-0-| A|-----------0---------|-2-------------------|-3---------3---------|-3---------3---------| E|-3-------------------|-----------2---------|---------------------|---------------------| 1+2 + 3 + 4+5 + 6 + | 1+2 + 3 + 4+5 + 6 + | 1+2 + 3 + 4+5 + 6 + | 1+2 + 3 + 4+5 + 6 + | waves won't break my boat (but the...)
[Chords]
Em7 022033
Dsus4 xx0233
G/B x20033
Csus2 x30033
G 320033
Gsus2/A x00033
Dadd4/F# 2x0033
[Verse 1]
Em7 Dsus4 G/B Csus2 Csus2 Came in for the embers, stayed out for the breeze Em7 Dsus4 G/B Csus2 I need to feel elements to remind me there's beauty when it's bleak Em7 Dsus4 G/B Csus2 Csus2 Stuck out long before lights down, why do I breathe?
[Chorus]
Csus2* Oh I know, Csus2** G Dsus4 Csus2* The more that I love the less that I feel Csus2** G Dsus4 Csus2* The times that I jumped never were real Csus2** G Dsus4 Csus2 They say that all scars will heal but I know Em7 Dsus4 Csus2 Maybe I won't G Gsus2/A G/B Dadd4/F# Csus2 But the waves won't break my boat G Gsus2/A G/B Dadd4/F# Csus2 But the waves won't break my boat
[Verse 2]
Em7 Dsus4 G/B Csus2 Csus2 The stones crash on the boardwalk the wind rush through the trees Em7 I keep my eyes peeled Dsus4 G/B Csus2 Csus2 The memories always fall short of what we could have been Em7 Dsus4 G/B Csus2 Csus2 Left out long before last call, what do I need?
[Chorus]
Csus2* Oh I know, Csus2** G Dsus4 Csus2* The more that I love the less that I feel Csus2** G Dsus4 Csus2* The times that I jumped never were real Csus2** G Dsus4 Csus2 They say that all scars will heal but I know Em7 Dsus4 Csus2 Maybe I won't G Gsus2/A G/B Dadd4/F# Csus2 But the waves won't break my boat G Gsus2/A G/B Dadd4/F# Csus2 But the waves won't break my boat
[Bridge]
G Gsus2/A G/B Dadd4/F# Csus2 But the waves won't break my boat G Gsus2/A G/B Dadd4/F# Csus2 The waves won't break my boat
[Outro]
Csus2 G Dsus4 Csus2 The more that I love the less that I feel G Dsus4 Csus2 The times that I jumped never were real G Dsus4 Csus2 They say that all scars will heal but I know Em7 Dsus4 Csus2 Maybe I wont G Gsus2/A G/B Dadd4/F# Csus2 And the waves won't break my boat