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British artiste Ed Sheeran sang and played the guitar to a New York jury at a civil trial that will decide whether he copied Marvin Gaye\u2019s Let\u2019s Get It On<\/strong>.<\/p>\n For roughly an hour, Sheeran described his entire musical career and performed parts of the song in question, Thinking Out Loud<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Heirs of Gaye\u2019s co-writer are claiming that he stole elements of the chart-topping hit.<\/p>\n But in court, Sheeran cradled a guitar as he described his artistic process.<\/p>\n \u201cI draw inspiration a lot from things in my life and family,\u201d said Sheeran, denying that he had been influenced by Gaye\u2019s legendary 1973 R&B hit.<\/p>\n He told the jury how his 2014 song was written at his home in England with friend and collaborator Amy Wadge.<\/p>\n He said the process began during a brainstorming session, with him saying the phrase \u201cI\u2019m singing out now\u201d, which was ultimately changed to become the title of the song.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I write vocal melodies, it\u2019s like phonetics,\u201d Sheeran said.<\/p>\n He then picked up an acoustic guitar from behind the witness stand and played the chord progression for the song before singing the opening words.<\/p>\n The musician also said the song had been inspired by his grandparents\u2019 love for each other, his grandfather\u2019s recent death and a new romantic relationship he had just begun.<\/p>\n Sheeran\u2019s testimony came after a musicologist called by the plaintiffs on Wednesday testified that the two songs share similarities.<\/p>\n According to the Associated Press, Sheeran began his testimony by bumping his hand against the witness stand microphone before uttering a quick \u201csorry\u201d.<\/p>\n He also reportedly told the packed courtroom: \u201cI\u2019m not the world\u2019s most talented guitar player.\u201d<\/p>\n