How To Play Ed Sheeran Shape of You - Tutorial

My Shape of You Cover [ • Shape of You Cover - E... ]
MY LOOP PEDAL [leetownsend.com/rc30-at-thomann/]
Here's my video of how to play Ed Sheeran's Shape of You. This is a tutorial which has been requested a few times over the last couple of days. Please feel free to share it with anyone you think will find it useful. For this song, I use my Boss RC-30 Loop Station.
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[@TheAlbiCollier]

Love your work mate, if you're ever in Nz we gonna have some beers

[@jasongalarza]

This was probably the most helpful/awesome loop tutorial I've found on KZbin. Thanks man!

[@leetownsend]

Cool, thanks for your kind words :)

[@trentmason009]

Lee, you are the man!!!

[@KahimoandRachel]

This kind of tutorial im looking for, cheers mate for sharing this, so i can do that to my new boss rc-30

[@dardi_covers]

Haven’t watched such a helpful tutorial in a very long time. Thank you sooo much for the great and clear guide man! I learned all I needed from you! I’ll soon be getting my loop pedal and wouldn’t have found a better tutorial.

[@fredom.3912]

¡Great tutorials! Thanks so much for taking time underlaying all your looped covers! So helpful!

[@athertop]

excellent explanation! First vid i have seen with in depth discussion and demo of both tracks

[@toofypeg7931]

Cheers lee I’ve just bought a 2nd hand boss Rc-20xl and you’ve really helped me. Cheers pal and your great !!

[@gusturner4741]

I've just purchased an RC30 and looking around to get advice. Nice one Lee easy to follow. Keep rockin' Gus. Leicester UK.

[@omeraktash]

you are one of the best tutor out there, Lee. very clear, very effective, very nice explained!

[@JanetArnold1257]

Very cool! Thanks for showing your pedal set up.

[@wallacenock7423]

Very good tutorial. Please do loads more with loop station. I'm 56 and just got myself a RC300 and a RC30 so I'm really into my looping but need tons of help. Appreciate your work hugely so. Wallace

[@leetownsend]

Cheers Wallace, I will be doing more loop stuff definitely. Very jealous of your purchase of the RC-300, I would love to have one of those. Out of the two, I had to have the RC-30 solely for portability. Thanks for your kind words.

[@batsumoto]

thanks for this great video. Also love your beautiful taylor and 2nd Law poster!

[@morganalexa7749]

Wow this is great. Thanks for making a tutorial for a loop cover! I don't see those often. Great video!!

[@leetownsend]

Thanks! Glad you like it. More cool stuff coming really soon :)

[@TheOneGuru1]

hey man thats a great tutorial / lesson.. really giving people the idea of how working with loops and making a song - thanks :)

[@leetownsend]

Very glad you liked it, thanks for commenting!

[@Dlogreen]

Definitely a solid tutorial, especially for someone trying to figure out how to map it. I think when I do it, I'll make use of the syncopation a bit more and try to capture a little more nuance in the loop, but this was a money baseline to help sort things out.

[@robyhodges]

Well done. Well explained. I think it might be easier with my Rc-300!! Thanks Lee - really good

[@lukemorgan9400]

this is such a good tutorial i finally know how to loop.THANKS

[@leetownsend]

+Luke Morgan Thanks for the feedback dude. There will be more loop stuff coming soon so be sure to subscribe

[@ericbergmueller2981]

Your videos are always clear. Thanks for the tip on using undo as a pseudo track

[@drifter-tt2bk]

hi lee drifter here just not long got the rc30 loop station n your vid is awesome love it n some nice advice there thank you.

[@trentmason009]

The fact that you made this video and how well you made it, puts you into the category of dope amazing cool guy! Spectacular dude. Thanks so much! Subscribed!

[@leetownsend]

Thanks man, that means a lot. Glad you like the videos!

[@Macbrowndog]

Just updated from an RC20XL to the RC30 and your explanation has made the upgrade worth while... Awesome tutorial .. Many thanks

[@leetownsend]

+Macbrowndog Awesome! Glad to hear that it was helpful :)

[@henry5137]

I love the loop tutorial! Brilliant, subscribed!

[@leetownsend]

+Henry Thanks man! It means a lot

[@voltstv9496]

Nice work man. . . Thanks for the tutorial. . .

[@MitchPhillips]

Quality mate - nicely done!

[@leetownsend]

Thanks man, glad you liked it!

[@bentaylorfilmltd]

Great tutorial man, really helpful.

[@mcg3334]

Awesome tutorial Lee. I am about to get myself an RC30 in a couple of weeks (super excited) and was looking for a decent channel with helpful tutorials to use it. Seems I have found that channel. Cheers

[@leetownsend]

Hey thanks so much! Stay tuned for more! :)

[@LiveHart]

Thank you so much. Great tutorial. Very helpful!

[@leetownsend]

Very glad to be able to help :)

[@sibacky]

Excellent and clear lesson there! Really learnt how to make the most of the 2nd channel which has always been a weak point. Cheers Lee!

[@leetownsend]

Great to hear that you found it useful! Thanks for your feedback!

[@samuelcommons4393]

please do a lesson on Tash Sultana's "jungle"

[@jasonwalton6979]

Deciding which loop pedal to buy as my first one now... really enjoyed the video

[@leetownsend]

Definitely recommend the RC-30, it's a great all-rounder. Glad you liked the video :)

[@prajwalsrinivas5157]

Thank you for such a simple breakdown

[@dananastasi]

this is great man. thanks for your work!

[@leetownsend]

Thanks for your comment, glad you like what I do :)

[@l.f.cliverpoolfilmclub4526]

Excellent work.

[@StFengler]

Well done Lee!

[@feyttuccine1596]

thank you for this🙌...please make more loop tutorial like this mate

[@leetownsend]

+Graciela Feybi Will definitely do that! Thanks for the comment!

[@nikhilvalaboju1492]

Thank you so much for making it❤️

[@john-junior3501]

Finally, a great tutorial I've been looking for. Just one thing. Could you show us how to move on to a different song after doing all that recording please?

[@bladesaint21mr]

Rhanks..I have the same loop station bought used with no instructions so your vids are handy.

[@leetownsend]

Great to hear! Although if you need it, the owners manual is available here www.boss.info/global/support/by_product/rc-30/owners_manuals/

[@aochengsu]

Awesome job!

[@thomstal3626]

great tutorial. only channel switching and undoing is frustrating, ill recommend then a rc300 for 3 tracks. tracks 1 main rif, track 2 bass/kick, track 3 bridge vocals

[@leetownsend]

+Eppo thanks man. Yeah I've threatened on getting the RC-300 for a while but I like the portability of the RC-30. I do love the stop/start all feature though...

[@dreitharetardguitaristyand3630]

Thank you very much!! wish granted

[@daxie2610]

Very clear demo thank you.

[@shiggins316]

Great video mate.

[@Bluescat13]

Awesome! Thank you so much.

[@MeurigDavies]

Great Loop tutorial, very helpful thanks +++

[@leetownsend]

Thanks for your comment, happy that you found my video useful :)

[@yellow_lad7674]

SO GOOD!!

[@SHEKHARRAWAT]

very very helpful thanks man :) cheers

[@leetownsend]

Great to hear! Thanks :)

[@jackancher]

hi mate, great job with the video. really helped me :)

[@leetownsend]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it and found it useful.

[@sarasky457]

cheers for the lesson big thumbs up

[@lucasxavierdecampos9006]

Very cool! thanks for the tips!

[@leetownsend]

Thanks for being here. Glad you're finding it helpful!

[@Windrider77]

Awesome tutorial.

[@LostPvPGames]

U`re cool! Thnx, useful tutorial 4 me

[@basitQ360]

What a worth learning lesson! awesomely explained.

[@leetownsend]

+Abdul Basit Thanks for your comment. Glad you found it helpful :)

[@basitQ360]

Worth helpful.

[@biebs_shreds]

Very helpful!

[@jammiestone552]

Im on the learning curve with these loopers. Great demo. Very helpful, Thinking of getting a looper, I think the Boss RC 300 looks like a pedal that gives lots of options. Easiest to operate? maybe. What you think?

[@leetownsend]

Hey, thanks for your comment. Yeah I think the RC-300 looks to be the most versatile. I've never used one myself but I've read a lot about them. I especially like the feature of unsynchronising a certain channel so that you can make a beat of just one bar but then loop for 4 bars (for example). The only issue I can imagine is getting the timing right with this but I'd say it's something to just get used to.

[@desireemostetschnig819]

thanx for the great tutorial!!!

[@leetownsend]

You're very welcome! Thanks for being here!

[@rcduvall77]

Excellent review. re: Am I ready for this pedal?? Boss RC3 doesn't have 2 the Jamman (maker?).channels nor an XLR input for a mic, but ways to get it around, probably > 100$ which is basic difference between the RC3 and RC30. Basic Looper which I would recommend not knowing your skill level would be. The $99.00 version. (easy) and if go at 45 day generous Return policy you will know in 30 days whether this is right for you or you will know what you need in a Looper (saves you $100). The RC 30 is considered a higher end pedal and much much harder to learn.

[@fergey96]

This is brilliant thank you!

[@leetownsend]

Thanks man, glad you like it!

[@trevorbuccieri8650]

Nice job brother. Quick question… How do you hook the mic to the loop station and record your loops so the mike doesn’t pick up all of your guitar riffs as well? Hope that makes sense

[@altijdlaura4607]

This is fantastic

[@iankevern3842]

Great tutorial Lee, just wondering when you busk and do this song do your take 2 mics or do you leave a bit of the ooh wah ooh wah ooh wah out of the song .cheers

[@quentinwade5531]

hey man great tutorial! just got a loop pedal today and tried this out. I was curious how you have the mics set up? Do you have your lead vocal mic going through another amp channel and not through the looper?

[@leetownsend]

Thanks for getting in touch. Yeah, that's right. My lead vocal doesn't go through the looper at all

[@75ocs]

Could you do a list of your gear setup including mics speakers etc Cheers dude Great work

[@leetownsend]

+paul stokeuk I want to do a setup video but I'm still in the process of moving house so most of it is in boxes. I will sort it very soon. Thanks for the kind words!

[@mickbraun1118]

Hi Lee. I have an Boss RC 30 loop pedal, but never really used it. Is there any chance you can do demo/ tutorial on "How to use it" . Thank you.

[@brianarmas1017]

Buen tutorial!! Gracias!!

[@leetownsend]

Gracias, me alegro que lo has disfrutado :)

[@jack28727]

Super helpful tutorial. You should do one for "don't".

[@leetownsend]

Cheers, yeah "don't" is another great song.

[@Eldnak]

Thank you, man!

[@altijdlaura4607]

Subscribed!

[@gab-ot9hc]

very well done!!!

[@leetownsend]

Thanks :)

[@harshitjain1224]

Amaze Sir!! Can you teach me how to establish the loop pedals with guitar , microphone , and other stuff. How to connect to each other with wires and chords. Pleases teach me to establish the complete arrangement of loop stations!! Thanking You!!

[@regeta2003]

Very good man! Well done! Thanks from Sweden! Just two questions: How do you record without the music song going to the loop? Änd how you attach a Synth or simple mini keyboard to the loop`?

[@leetownsend]

Thanks feri. I guess what you're asking is how do the loops not bleed back into the microphone and record into both tracks, right? It's fairly easy in a studio situation as I'm wearing headphones so the sound isn't coming out of any other speakers. In a live situation, it's a bit more tough. I try to make sure the speakers are in front of me where possible and that the loop mic isn't turned up too loud. Something else I sometimes do is switch the loop mic off when I'm only looping the guitar, that helps. It sometimes still does bleed a little though. Regarding the midi stuff, it's not something I've ever done with my looper so I can't really help. Sorry!

[@Kasia-jg7by]

good job man

[@tomasvoeller2826]

Hey Lee. Nice and helpfull video. The time problem with switching channels and the un- / redo problem can easily be solved with a switch pedal like the Boss FS-6 or Boss FS-7. I made the experience that it makes it a lot faster. It only needs the time to reload the track back into the loop, but you saved the 2seconds. Cheers from Germany

[@leetownsend]

+Tomas Voeller To drop out the vocal part you're referring to, I use undo, not switching the channel. Can you use the FS-6 to undo? To be honest, I don't play this version of Shape of You any more. My live version has modified itself over the past few months and it sounds much more fluid now. I'd only heard the song on the day I made my KZbin cover so I didn't know the song well. Maybe I'll do an updated version some time. Cheers for your comment!

[@tomasvoeller2826]

Hey Lee. My comment referred to the switch in general. Good to hear that it continues to evolve. Yes you can use it as a switch between the chanels and/or un- / redo. I think even a FS-5 can ;) I'm looking forward to hear the new version.

[@steveinkent9843]

Excellent!

[@gInabr0wn]

so helpful, thanks :)

[@leetownsend]

Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@big-fella]

great tutorial. I'm just starting out with looping so forgive he question. I notice Ed uses a dedicated loop mic as you have. I can see the benefit for sure however is there any reason why your main mic couldn't go through the looper as does the guitar? thanks

[@leetownsend]

Hey Dave, thanks for the comment. The main mic could go through the looper but it has to have the same effects (EQ, compression, reverb) as the guitar, which doesn't make for a great vocal sound. That's the reason I split them anyway.

[@nicholasgordon7332]

just started this video and im a new subscriber and fuck your a legend! not meant to be sarcastic! keep up the good work!

[@rachelgale2690]

can someone please tell me how to play the 2 riffs (the ones at the beginning) because i don't really understand thank you :)

[@DannyMellin]

I've done a cover of 'Shape of You' with a RC-300 loop station. If you're interested, make sure to check it out!

[@maxlimgj]

first rift: A x3 (close)[second fred] E x3(Open) EX3 (close) [third fred] Ax3(Open) Second rift: B(open, close, open, open, close ,open, open, close, open )[third fred], (close)(open), G(close)

[@charlotteswift4099]

I managed to do this after practicing for 5 weeks thanks for making this video :)

[@leetownsend]

+Charlotte Swift Awesome! Have you recorded it? I'd love to see your version :)

[@charlotteswift4099]

no but I'm thinking about recording it one day next week :)

[@NBDFJOB]

Good tutorial. I like how detailed it was, If that makes sense.

[@leetownsend]

Thanks man, glad you like it

[@socialgenerationyt]

I'm 18 and love music, i ordered a new guitar after having not played in 5 years. It arrives tomorrow and i can't wait to start playing again 😛

[@normandtherien9434]

awesome..im gonna buy a used boss rc 30

[@ward_jl]

This was GREAT

[@leetownsend]

Thanks so much, means a lot :)

[@behrinmuhdpb4760]

Hi thanks for the lesson. Whefe to get thebpedal

[@vrounnn2708]

First of all, this is an incredibly helpful tutorial!! Secondly, I just found your channel and absolutely love it (and also the Ed Sheeran and Muse vibes on the wall to your left)

[@joostvlieger6052]

Great tutorial. I'm trying to decide which looper pedal I should get, the Boss RC-3 or RC-30. I don't think you could reach the same result with just an RC-3 as done in this video probably?

[@leetownsend]

+Joost Vlieger Hey! Thanks for your comment. I would recommend the RC-30 as it has the 2 channels which allows you to stop the main riff but keep the beat going, a feature which the RC-3 doesn't have. The RC-30 has dramatically decreased in price since I bought it and is well worth the extra cost.

[@joostvlieger6052]

Thanks for the quick reply, definitely thinking about getting an RC-30 now, really see potential in it. I have some other questions about using it, if you don't mind me picking your brain ;) Is it best to set-up in the front or in the back of your FX chain? If you're building up a song with 2 different layered/looped parts, would you be able to stop track 1 and launch track 2 in one punch? Or would you be needing an additional footswitch to do the trick?

[@leetownsend]

+Joost Vlieger No problem. Yeah the RC-30 is a great tool but it does have its limitations, one of which you highlighted in your questions. It isn't possible to stop track 1 and start track 2 with one click. That would be an amazing feature if it could be added into future models. The RC-300 is much more versatile as far as I'm aware but I've never used one myself. With regards to your other question, I have my looper third in the chain after my tuner and octave pedal. The reason I place the octave first is so that I can add a bass line and then turn the pedal off for the rest of the song. This way, I'm recording the processed sound. If the octave pedal came after the looper, it would process every loop which is playing. Hope this makes sense!

[@joostvlieger6052]

Hi Lee, thanks for the answers. Makes sense what you say about the FX chain. RC-30 will be an improvement anyway, since I now have nothing :) But was just wondering how far you could take this concept with the pedal. Many thanks and keep up the good work!

[@dirtyturps]

Please do more loop tutorials. The people need them!

[@leetownsend]

Sure will as soon as I get back to KZbin 😎

[@thomassimpkins6492]

everything is explained well. nothing to change. keep it up.

[@leetownsend]

Thanks for the feedback. Happy to help!

[@TommyRobinsoncat]

great thanks alot

[@johnattapat9524]

Hi Thank you for sharing I've learn a lot. I want to start practicing loop but don't know which loop station to get for beginner. Please suggest :) Thank you

[@leetownsend]

+nattapat jiraniwat Thanks so much for your comment and good to hear that you want to learn to loop. The best loop station really depends on what you want to spend. I have only owned my RC-30 and I would definitely recommend it for a beginner because it's fairly compact, has 2 channels which makes it more versatile than say the RC-3 or the Ditto. RC-300 is probably a bit much to start with as it's expensive. Let me know how you get on :)

[@johnattapat9524]

RC 03 could support with microphones too right?

[@leetownsend]

+nattapat jiraniwat Good question. I'm not sure. Check out the official manual first to make sure!

[@rcduvall77]

Boss RC3 doesn't have 2 the Jamman (maker?).channels nor an XLR input for a mic, but ways to get it around, probably > 100$ which is basic difference between the RC3 and RC30. Basic Looper which I would recommend not knowing your skill level would be. The $99.00 version. (easy) and if go at 45 day Return you will know in 30 days whether this is right for you or you will know what you need in a Looper. The RC 30 is considered a higher end pedal and much much harder to figure out.

[@pumaespana]

F*cking great tutorial! I'm getting a Boss Looper for my birthday. Can't wait for October!

[@leetownsend]

Thanks! You'll have lots of fun with it. They're great to play with!

[@leejim584]

Easy and effective !

[@leetownsend]

+Lee Jim Cheers, glad you found it helpful

[@benson3800]

Can you do photograph loop pedal tutorial?

[@6leafdom]

HI there, how do you hook up the mic to the loop pedal? with the regular 1/4 jack? i am a song writer and i am looking to build my very first own pedal board....any advice would be appreciated! =)

[@leetownsend]

Hey! The Boss RC-30 has an XLR input for the microphone so it plugs straight into there. Which pedals are you considering for your build?

[@benrobertson1576]

This is sick

[@fuzzking3615]

you are very talented bro

[@leetownsend]

Thanks so much!

[@stephanlappas4143]

how do you add both a guitar and a mix into the pedal. and can tou do this with every pedal?

[@leetownsend]

The Boss RC-30 has stereo jack inputs but it also has a microphone xlr input which even has a phantom power switch in case you want to use a condenser mic. I'm 100% sure that these options are NOT available on every loop pedal so make sure you do your research before buying! Thanks for your comment :)

[@deffnotangel5942]

Hey! So I have a question. I have the exact same pedal board and basic setup as you and I see that you have a xlr plugged into your rc30 for the mic and I was wondering how you fit the cable while it's plugged in, mine won't really fit too well.

[@leetownsend]

+DeffNotAngel The XLR cable doesn't fit very well, you're right. I just forced it to fit as the space in the board is only slightly out of line but I agree, it's not the best design. I just have to hope that the cable doesn't fail.