Every Breath You Take | TAB (tune down 1/2 step)
The most difficult bit here is to stretch your fingers to reach all these notes. The best way to make this manageable is to not hold down whatever note you don’t play, so as soon as you have played a note, let go of it.
As a bonus, this will make the part more staccato as well.
Here’s some TAB demonstrating Every Breath You Take’s main riff.
The outro is a variation on the verse, moving I – VI – IV on a loop, like this: Aadd9 – F#madd9 – Dadd9.
The bridge goes outside the key, like this:
Dadd9 – Cadd9 – Aadd9 – Badd9 – Eadd9.
The Cadd9 is a bIIIx, the Badd9 is a IIx. Adding these chords creates tension compared with the verse, which was so incredibly straightforward. This gives Every Breath You Take tension and release between the two main sections.
The Middle 8 is a modal interchange, going from A to C major as if A was Aeolian, not Ionian.
From C Ionian, we play chord IV – V on a loop, F – G.
The genius piano notes added are C B A for the F chord and D C B for the G chord.
Using intervals, this is 5th, #4, 3rd for the F (that’s Lydian), and 5th, sus4, 3rd for the G, that’s Mixolydian.
You can play these lines on the top string if you play C-shaped chords. Below, there’s TAB demonstrating how to incorporate this keyboard line on the guitar.
Notice how the pattern is interrupted in bar 4, beat 2. This has been done so it’s easier to play all notes.
Playing along to records that are off the pitch
The original version of Every Breathe You Take is probably played with the instruments tuned down a half step. Most likely the tape machine was not calibrated properly, so when played back, it was too fast.
Or maybe the band forgot the tuner at home and used a nearby piano, who knows? Anyway, all this results in the pitch being somewhere between Ab and A, making it a nightmare for you to play along with the original recording.
There are three ways you could approach this:
- Import the song to a DAW, and pitch shift the song down to concert Ab (tune your guitar down 1/2 step as well, tuner set to 440hz). Think in the key of A.
- Same as above, but shift the pitch up to concert A, don’t tune down the guitar. Still, think in A.
- Tune your guitar down to Ab, having the tuner set to 449Hz, not 440. Play along as if in A.
You can use my free tuner to change the Hz to 449.
Funnily enough, when they play it live, they do it in tune in the key of A, they must have found the tuner!
Every Breath You Take TAB | Related Pages
Every Breath You Take | Chords + Lyrics
You can learn to play Every Breath You Take by The Police using chords, lyrics, chord analysis, a chord chart, and the original recording.
| Aadd9 | Aadd9 | F#madd9 | F#madd9 |
Every breath you take, and every move you make…
Five similar tunes | Chords + Lyrics
- Englishman In New York chords by Sting
- I’m Yours chords by Jason Mraz
- Rosanna chords by Toto
- Roxanne chords by The Police
- What’s Going On chords by Marvin Gaye
The Police tunes
The Police was a New Wave band from England comprising Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland.
Unusually, it was Stewart’s brother, Miles Copeland III who managed the band and later, Sting’s solo career.
The Police on the web
Sting tunes
Sting is an English musician who, prior to his solo career, had a band called The Police, with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers.
Formed in 1977, The Police reached worldwide success after releasing their first single Roxanne only a year after they formed the band.
Sting on the web
About me | Dan Lundholm
This guitar lesson by Dan Lundholm featuring TAB covers Every Breath You Take. Discover more about him and how you can learn guitar with Spytunes.
Most importantly, find out why you should learn guitar through playing tunes, not practising scales, and studying theory in isolation.