How To Play "Every Breath You Take"

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Learn to play a classic

Every Breath You Take is one of the classics in rock history. What's more, the guitar part totally makes the song -- and makes you want to play along.

Here's a simple guide to wrapping your head and your fingers around this classic Police hit.

The original and best 

Get the original song in high-quality MP3 format, compatible with everything from the iPod to the Zune.

Enjoy the show! 

Watch the Police performing this song in the original MTV-bound video.

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Get Synchronicity in your favorite format with Every Breath You Take in its full glory. Maybe you want the song book for the whole album? Well, here you go!

Let me play it, note by note 

Here's the song in tab format. (Don't know how to read a tab? Don't worry, it's easy.)

Andy Summers plays this song in standard tuning with a capo on the first fret. Use a pick (plectrum, not an ice pick), preferably on an electric guitar with heavy compression, palm-muting the picked-out notes. Chords are simply strummed without muting.

If you want to play along with the record, you need that capo on the first fret. Otherwise, there's no shame moving the tune from G# to G.


G add9               Em add9              C sus2
E|-----------------| e|-----------------| e|-----------------|
B|---------0-------| B|-----------------| B|-----3-----------|
G|-----2-----2---2-| G|---------0-------| G|---------5-------|
D|---0---0-----0---| D|-----4-----4---4-| D|---5---5---5---5-|
A|-----------------| A|---2---2-----2---| A|-3-----------3---|
E|-3---------------| E|-0---------------| E|-----------------|

D sus2               C7 sus2              A add9
E|-----------------| e|-----------------| e|-----------------|
B|-----5-----------| B|-----3-----------| B|---------2-------|
G|---------7-----7\| G|---------3-------| G|-----4-----4---4-|
D|---7---7---7-----| D|---5---5---5---5-| D|---2---2-----2---|
A|-5-----------5---| A|-3-----------3---| A|-0---------------|
E|-----------------| E|-----------------| E|-----------------|

Eb          F
e--6--      e--8--
B--8--      B--10-
G--8--      G--10-
D--8--      D--10-
A--6--      A--8--
E--x--      E--x--

Intro
G add9 | G add9 | Em add9 | Em add9 | C sus2 | D sus2 | G add9 | G add9

Verse
G add9 | G add9 | Em add9 | Em add9 | C sus2 | D sus2 | Em add9 | Em add9
G add9 | G add9 | Em add9 | Em add9 | C sus2 | D sus2 | G add9 | G add9

"Oh can't you see..."
C sus2 | C7 sus2 | G add9 | G add9 | A add9 | A add9 | D sus2 | D sus2

"Every move you make..."
G add9 | G add9 | Em add9 | Em add9 | C sus2 | D sus2 | Em add9 | Em add9

"Since you've gone..."
Eb======|======== | F=======|======== |
Eb======|======== | F=======|======== |
Eb======|======== |

Verse
G add9 | G add9 | Em add9 | Em add9 | C sus2 | D sus2 | Em add9 | Em add9
G add9 | G add9 | Em add9 | Em add9 | C sus2 | D sus2 | G add9 | G add9

"Oh can't you see..."
C sus2 | C7 sus2 | G add9 | G add9 | A add9 | A add9 | D sus2 | D sus2

"Every move you make..."
G add9 | G add9 | Em add9 | Em add9 | C sus2 | D sus2 | Em add9 | Em add9

Mini-bridge
C sus2 | D sus2 | Em add9 | Em add9 | Em add9| Em add9

"I'll be watching you..."
G add9 | G add9 | Em add9 | C sus2 (repeat and fade out)

Learn by example 

This guy (not me!) is playing Every Breath in the original G# key with a capo on the first fret. His version looks very similar to the note chart above, and sounds a lot like the original. Of course, he's finger-picking on an acoustic rather than attacking a Les Paul with a guitar pick. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

♪♫ The Police - Every Breath You Take (cover)

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