Copyright Trial In New York Witnesses Ed Sheeran Playing Guitar, Singing In Court

In a civil trial to determine if he copied Marvin Gaye's 'Let's Get it On,' pop singer Ed Sheeran sang and played guitar in front of a New York jury.

Sheeran spoke at length about his whole musical career and even gave a few verses of the disputed song, 'Thinking Out Loud,' during his hour-long testimony.

Claims are being made by heirs of Gaye's co-writer, Ed Townsend, that he stole elements of the chart-topping hit. But in court, Sheeran cradled a guitar as he described his artistic process.

Sheeran denied being influenced by Gaye's classic 1973 R&B hit, saying that he drew inspiration from things in his life and family. He explained to the judges how he and his buddy and collaborator Amy Wadge wrote the song in 2014 at their house in England, BBC reported.

He claimed that during a brainstorming session, he used the line "I'm singing out now," which was later transformed into the song's title.

Sheeran remarked, "When I write vocal melodies, it's like phonetics.

He then took an acoustic guitar from behind the witness stand and began playing the song's chord pattern before singing the song's first few lines.

The musician added that the love between his grandparents, his grandfather's recent death, and a new romantic connection he had just started all served as inspirations for the song.

Sheeran's testimony came after a musicologist called by the plaintiffs on Wednesday, Apr. 26, testified that the two songs share similarities.

Sheeran began his testimony by bumping his hand against the witness stand microphone before uttering a brief "sorry," according to AP News.

He also reportedly told the packed courtroom, "I'm not the world's most talented guitar player."

Additionally, Sheeran claimed that he can write up to nine songs in a single day.

In their opening statement earlier this week, lawyers for plaintiffs played a video of Sheeran at a concert in Zurich transitioning between playing 'Thinking Out Loud' and Gaye's soul classic, claiming that it amounts to a "smoking gun" confession.

Heirs of Gaye's co-writer argue that Sheeran, Warner Music Group, and Sony Music Publishing owe them money for allegedly stealing the song.

A second phase of the trial will begin to establish the amount the pop artist owes if the jury deems him responsible for copyright infringement.

On Monday, May 1, Sheeran is expected to continue giving his testimony.

One year ago, Sheeran was cleared of accusations that he plagiarized his popular song Shape of You at a trial in London.

Edward Christopher Sheeran is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently released the extended play No. 5 Collaborations Project. He signed with Asylum Records the same year.