There is no more honest way to end a relationship than to spell it out one letter at a time, and GAYLE's "abcdefu" does exactly that with the pettiness of a true poet. Naturally, I decided the healthiest response was to play the whole thing on one guitar — melody and chords at the same time — so I can be bitter in full harmony.
This clip is a MelodyChords arrangement of abcdefu for solo guitar: the vocal line lives on top, the chords hold it up from underneath, and no band, ex, or emotional-support bassist is required. Tabs are in the description, and yes, it is playable without a music degree.
How MelodyChords turns one guitar into a whole breakup anthem
The trick behind a MelodyChords arrangement is voicing: the melody note must always be the highest thing you hear, so it sings over the harmony instead of drowning in it. For abcdefu that means grabbing each chord shape so the tune sits on the top string, then filling the notes below it with your thumb and remaining fingers. The song leans on a moody little loop in a minor key, which is exactly why the melody sounds sulky even when you are just holding block chords.
Concrete takeaway: learn the melody by itself first — one string, no chords. Once your ear knows where the tune lives, add the nearest chord tones underneath without moving the top note. If the melody ever disappears, you are strumming too evenly: lean on the top string and let the lower notes be quieter, and the whole thing snaps back into a song instead of a mush of notes.
Is it a slightly unhinged way to process a breakup? Absolutely. But it is cheaper than therapy and it comes with tabs. If you want the Guitar Pro file and the original videos, come spell a few letters with me on Patreon.