Watermelon Sugar (Harry Styles) Guitar Lesson with Backing Tracks + TAB

In this guitar lesson, you’ll get TAB and play-along loops to learn how to play Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles in an improvised way – as the only guitarist in the band!

Watermelon Sugar | TAB

Let’s look at how to play Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles using TAB and play-along loops (see further down the page), as this has become a standard in the working guitarist’s repertoire in the U.K.

Here’s a good basic rhythm you could use throughout – we’re only using three strings per chord and playing in a simplified, beginner-like way.

Play this along with the loop below, as well as the backing track and chord chart above. As soon as you feel comfortable, start exploring the fretboard by trying the same rhythm using different shapes.

Next, let’s develop that basic idea by not always playing three strings. Here’s idea 2:

We’re hammering on, sliding up, and most of the time playing two strings at once. Depending on whether it’s a downstroke or upstroke, which two strings you play will vary.

I haven’t changed the chord names, even though there are occasionally notes beyond the triad.

Here’s the next idea – we’re now avoiding string 1 entirely. This approach will likely sit better in the mix compared to ideas 1 and 2. Notice how I’m altering the rhythm on beat 4.

If you explore the fretboard using this way of playing the rhythm, you can keep yourself entertained for many gigs. If you don’t, you may get bored.

Here’s idea 4, where we start using extensions. Play along with the loop in the playlist to get it right.

We’re now into small, microscopic details. For example, notice the dot on beat 2 – this means “play short.” It’s used to make the rhythm easier to read compared to using 16th notes and rests.

Here’s idea 5. This time, we’re using new chord shapes. I’m not a massive fan of the Dm7 using an Em shape – it doesn’t feel great – but the other new shapes do!

Most interestingly, the Am7 and C use the same notes – as do Am and C6. The only thing that separates the two bars is beat 4. You can only play like this if the bass changes the root note.

The last bar moves between G and G6.

Here’s the final idea – it’s a bit extreme. Practise it as written (use the loop), and then explore moving this concept to other shapes.