British pop star Ed Sheeran sang and played the guitar on the witness stand Thursday, giving jurors a fleeting free concert during his copyright infringement trial in New York, US media reported.

Sheeran played the basic four-chord progression of his Grammy-winning song, "Thinking Out Loud," denying that it is a copy of Marvin Gaye's 1973 soul classic "Let's Get It On," the New York Times said.&nbsp;

The English musician also sang what he said were his song's original lyrics, "I'm singing out now," ABC News reported.

The lawsuit against Sheeran was filed by heirs of Gaye co-writer Ed Townsend, who allege that harmonic progressions and rhythmic elements of his 2014 song were lifted from the classic made famous by Gaye without permission.

The heirs are seeking a share of the profits from Sheeran's song.

Sheeran said he writes most of his songs in a day, and noted that he cowrote "Thinking Out Loud" with singer-songwriter Amy Wadge, a regular partner. 
The two wrote "Thinking Out Loud" at Sheeran's home in February 2014, he said.

"We sat guitar to guitar," Sheeran said, according to ABC News. "We wrote together quite a lot."

Both Wadge and he had suffered recent loss, Sheeran said, noting that his grandfather had just passed away and his grandmother was battling cancer. Wadge had family members who were fighting illness.

They wanted to pay tribute to those around them that they loved, he said.

Sheeran said he was coming out of the shower when he heard Wadge strumming some chords in another part of the house.

"I remember thinking, 'We have to do something with that,'" he told the court, ABC News said.

The jurors must decide if Sheeran's song and Gaye's classic are substantially similar and if their common elements are protected by copyright law.

A musicologist serving as a witness for the Townsend heirs testified that the Sheeran's and Gaye's songs use a nearly identical four-chord progression -- prompting Sheeran to reach for his guitar, the New York Times said.

Sheeran played both the second major chord, which he said he'd played in every public performance, then a second minor chord used in "Let's Get It On." He said it worked well for Gaye but not for his song, the Times reported.

The trial resumes on Monday, when Sheeran is expected to testify further -- with or without guitar.

British pop star Ed Sheeran sang and played the guitar on the witness stand Thursday, giving jurors a fleeting free concert during his copyright infringement trial in New York, US media reported.

British pop star Ed Sheeran sang and played the guitar on the witness stand Thursday, giving jurors a fleeting free concert during his copyright infringement trial in New York, US media reported. Sheeran played the basic four-chord progression of his Grammy-winning song, "Thinking Out Loud," denying that it is a copy of Marvin Gaye's 1973 soul classic "Let's Get It On," the New York Times said. The English musician also sang what he said were his song's original lyrics, "I'm singing out now," ABC News reported. The lawsuit against Sheeran was filed by heirs of Gaye co-writer Ed Townsend, who allege that harmonic progressions and rhythmic elements of his 2014 song were lifted from the classic made famous by Gaye without permission. The heirs are seeking a share of the profits from Sheeran's song. Sheeran said he writes most of his songs in a day, and noted that he cowrote "Thinking Out Loud" with singer-songwriter Amy Wadge, a regular partner. The two wrote "Thinking Out Loud" at Sheeran's home in February 2014, he said. "We sat guitar to guitar," Sheeran said, according to ABC News. "We wrote together quite a lot." Both Wadge and he had suffered recent loss, Sheeran said, noting that his grandfather had just passed away and his grandmother was battling cancer. Wadge had family members who were fighting illness. They wanted to pay tribute to those around them that they loved, he said. Sheeran said he was coming out of the shower when he heard Wadge strumming some chords in another part of the house. "I remember thinking, 'We have to do something with that,'" he told the court, ABC News said. The jurors must decide if Sheeran's song and Gaye's classic are substantially similar and if their common elements are protected by copyright law. A musicologist serving as a witness for the Townsend heirs testified that the Sheeran's and Gaye's songs use a nearly identical four-chord progression -- prompting Sheeran to reach for his guitar, the New York Times said. Sheeran played both the second major chord, which he said he'd played in every public performance, then a second minor chord used in "Let's Get It On." He said it worked well for Gaye but not for his song, the Times reported. The trial resumes on Monday, when Sheeran is expected to testify further -- with or without guitar.

Ed Sheeran reaches for guitar to defend self in court: report

Jury selection began Monday in a trial to determine whether British pop star Ed Sheeran plagiarized American music legend Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On&nbsp;in his 2014 hit Thinking Out Loud.

The plaintiffs are the heirs of Ed Townsend, a musician and producer who co-wrote Gaye's 1973 soul classic.

They allege that there are "striking similarities and overt common elements" between Gaye's sultry classic and Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud.

It's not the first time Sheeran has been taken to court, as copyright lawsuits in the music industry flourish.&nbsp;

Sheeran testified in a London court in April last year in a case centered around his song Shape of You.&nbsp;He is among the potential witnesses to be called in this trial as well, in which opening arguments were due to begin Tuesday after a jury is selected, a lawyer working on the case told AFP.&nbsp; 
 
Townsend's family has pointed out that the group Boyz II Men has performed mash-ups of the two songs, and that Sheeran has blended the songs together on stage as well.

Sheeran's team contests the allegations, saying "there are dozens if not hundreds of songs that predate and postdate" Gaye's song, "utilizing the same or similar chord progression."

"These medleys are irrelevant to any issue in the case and would be misleading [and] confuse the jury."

Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud&nbsp;shot up America's Billboard Hot 100 charts when it was released, and won Sheeran a Grammy Award for Song of the Year&nbsp;in 2016.

The lawsuit, filed in 2016 -- and refiled in 2017 after being rejected on procedural grounds -- also names Sony.

In Sheeran's London trial, the singer called the lawsuit emblematic of copyright litigation that goes too far, potentially stifling creativity.

The judge agreed, declaring that Sheeran had "neither deliberately nor subconsciously copied" part of the melody in the song Oh Why&nbsp;by Sami Chokri and Ross O'Donoghue. 
 
The judge acknowledged similarities between the two songs, but ultimately ruled there were large differences, and that Chokri's lawyers failed to prove Sheeran had ever heard the song.

Gaye's family is not part of the New York lawsuit against Sheeran, though his estate successfully sued the artists Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and T.I. over similarities between the song Blurred Lines&nbsp;and Gaye's Got to Give it Up.

Jury selection began Monday in a trial to determine whether British pop star Ed Sheeran plagiarized American music legend Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On in his 2014 hit Thinking Out Loud.

Jury selection began Monday in a trial to determine whether British pop star Ed Sheeran plagiarized American music legend Marvin Gaye's Let's Get It On in his 2014 hit Thinking Out Loud. The plaintiffs are the heirs of Ed Townsend, a musician and producer who co-wrote Gaye's 1973 soul classic. They allege that there are "striking similarities and overt common elements" between Gaye's sultry classic and Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud. It's not the first time Sheeran has been taken to court, as copyright lawsuits in the music industry flourish. Sheeran testified in a London court in April last year in a case centered around his song Shape of You. He is among the potential witnesses to be called in this trial as well, in which opening arguments were due to begin Tuesday after a jury is selected, a lawyer working on the case told AFP. Townsend's family has pointed out that the group Boyz II Men has performed mash-ups of the two songs, and that Sheeran has blended the songs together on stage as well. Sheeran's team contests the allegations, saying "there are dozens if not hundreds of songs that predate and postdate" Gaye's song, "utilizing the same or similar chord progression." "These medleys are irrelevant to any issue in the case and would be misleading [and] confuse the jury." Sheeran's Thinking Out Loud shot up America's Billboard Hot 100 charts when it was released, and won Sheeran a Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2016. The lawsuit, filed in 2016 -- and refiled in 2017 after being rejected on procedural grounds -- also names Sony. In Sheeran's London trial, the singer called the lawsuit emblematic of copyright litigation that goes too far, potentially stifling creativity. The judge agreed, declaring that Sheeran had "neither deliberately nor subconsciously copied" part of the melody in the song Oh Why by Sami Chokri and Ross O'Donoghue. The judge acknowledged similarities between the two songs, but ultimately ruled there were large differences, and that Chokri's lawyers failed to prove Sheeran had ever heard the song. Gaye's family is not part of the New York lawsuit against Sheeran, though his estate successfully sued the artists Robin Thicke, Pharrell Williams, and T.I. over similarities between the song Blurred Lines and Gaye's Got to Give it Up.

Trial begins into whether Ed Sheeran stole Marvin Gaye classic

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Ed Sheeran reaches for guitar to defend self in court: report

Trial begins into whether Ed Sheeran stole Marvin Gaye classic