Chords Done Right - Guitar Chord User Guide - 96 Pages Paperback

Chords are a huge part of playing the guitar.

And knowing how to play a lot of chords is vital to being a good guitar player. And as we learn guitar, we are always looking for new chords, and new voicings, and new ways to learn more chords. The way a lot of us go about increasing our chord vocabulary is by looking at chord dictionaries, and learning to make the chords and chord variations that they show us. A lot of learn guitar course materials have these, and a lot of them are available on the web. But the problem with the chord diagrams and dictionaries is they just give the way to make the chord. Without any explanation of why the chord is the way it is. This book also has a chord dictionary section, with over 800 of the most used chords with diagrams. But they also go this resource one better. They show you not just how to make a chord, but also how the chord fits in with the music you're playing. They include much teaching about the theory of chords, how to work with chords by changing and substituting them, and using them to fit your needs. The subtitle of this book is that it is a complete guide to finding, playing, and using chords. So the idea is to give you a whole lot more than just diagrams. So this is a book that will increase the number of chords you know, for sure. But the book will also increase your understanding of chords: how chords work. Which chords will work in which situation. Why a particular chord is being used for a certain circumstance. How and when one chord can be used in place of another.

Let's look for a minute, at what the information in the chord book is like. In the book, they are always talking about the harmonic function of the chord, and speak of the book as being a harmonic reference or guide. Where most chord books are just presenting you with the chords with regard to the root of the chord, this book is showing you the chords and roots, but also how the chord fits in with the harmonic function of the song you're playing. You can use this book to add flavor to songs by substituting chords you like more. You can alter and shape the sound of the songs you play, by using this book as a guide to chord substitution.

Here's a list of some of the major topics that are covered in the instruction of the chord book.

An explanation of diads, triads, how chords are constructed
The three roles a chord plays in a major key of a song
A guide to chord substitution and alteration
Chord construction.
Required or necessary notes in chords
Table of chord substitutions
Table of major triads
Chord diagrams for over 800 chords

The chord diagram part of the book has all the chords grouped by the root key of the chord, and also by the harmonic function of the chord (major, minor, seventh).

So, if you're looking for a book on chords, that not only gives you the commonly used chord diagrams, but also supplies some background on what chord goes where in a song, and why, take a look at the Ultimate Guitar Chord Users Guide.