Letters from Readers of Guitar Chords

“Guitar Chords is indeed very helpful. I am looking at making my own music some day, and for a person who is learning on his own and wading out into deeper waters it provides a nice sense of direction.

“Your classification of chords in terms of what they sound like and why they sound as they do is very helpful.

“So are the ‘when to use what’ directions. Your stuff has a practical focus, without being too long-winded or theoretical. It provides practical, helpful guidelines.

“In the Chapter Popular Chord Progressions there is an amazing amount of rich information. Also, it was great of you to mention the links to other sites.

“The Blues Changes section was also good. It cuts through the fog (of the material on the web) and gives the essence.

“Thanks an awful lot for your detailed response to my queries in my mail. Your suggestions are extremely helpful and valuable. They have opened up new vistas. I understand I have to explore the paths they open up and find out for myself.

“Guitar Chords provides a lot of information in a condensed form, without getting too messy with unnecessary details. It has been invaluable.

“And it contains material that you have to WORK ON and make part of your system. That is what I propose to do. I am going to work on it until I internalize it.

“My sincere thanks and regards.”

- Ritwik Talukdar

“The Guitar Chords ebook is certainly all that I expected. It's practical, easy to understand and follow, and broad enough in scope. Well done!

“After reading several pieces at this site I decided to order the Guitar Chords ebook (the J. Andreas endorsement didn't hurt either; I'm a fan of the Principles). I also signed up for the daily chord tip. While Jamie's endorsement helped, the main reason I ordered Guitar Chords is that I know what I'm going to get from it! It won't be just another guitar chords book (to add to the countless others that gather dust on my shelf). I know what to expect from the ebook based on my experience with MaximumMusician.com. Max Music is one of the most enjoyable and helpful guitar websites I've come across.

“The reason I say enjoyable is because I teach and I love learning. I sincerely believe that learning can and should be fun; even the most complex theory can, with appropriate examples and teaching strategies, be made accessible. As someone who is an educator, I want to congratulate you on so creatively proving that point. I can't believe I've finally found an easy to understand and applied method for learning chord structure and progressions.

“I am especially excited about this site and the ebook because I have for years yearned to and looked for effective ways to learn to play by ear. Not just the melody (which I can do) but chords. Thank you for your creative and effective approach to this subject matter. I'm looking forward to future interactions at MaximumMusician.com.”

- D. Butler, Educator

“I have really enjoyed Guitar Chords. It gets to the point and cuts out all the confusing elements associated with guitar theory.

“The first time I read it, I suddenly felt confident about chords, especially replacing one chord by another.

“The book is full of gems like that. I would like to thank you again for everything and wish you success for many years to come.”

- M.B.

“The Guitar Chords ebook has helped me a lot. I like the ‘one equals three six’ chord substitution thing, because chord subbing is something I’ve wanted to know about for a while. Because of your book, I now have a little bit of insight on it.

“I found the chapter on Transposing Keys VERY, VERY useful. There are certain keys you can sing in and there are ones you can’t sing in, so it’s nice to know how to change them around.

“The Main Chord Types and When to Use Them section was very useful. After studying the chapter only a couple of times, I could already hear changes like those in some music I listen to.

“It really helps to try one of those chords when what I’m playing just doesn’t sound quite right.

“I must say I’ve enjoyed Chapter 5 the most, because Blues is the main style I play. I found the Little Big Changes section very helpful. It taught me a lot about improvising, and I was able to use it in other blues riffs I play. Thanks for that!

“The section Putting Chords to a Melody was by far the hardest but most rewarding chapter yet.

“I have always wondered how people put chords to a melody, and now I have a good grasp on it. Thanks.”

- Chris Kirkbride

“Thanks for the explanation about chord substitution in your last e-mail. It helped me understand it better.

“I really like the transposing info in chapter 3. It’s so helpful! I’m printing out that transposition chart right away!

“It was nice to try out the chord combinations, replacements and substitutions in the Guitar Chords Appendix. I’d like to learn more of these. There are many new chords for me to experiment with.

“I really appreciate the opportunity to learn about guitar chords from you. Thanks so much for working with me. I hope to find more time to perfect my guitar playing in the future.

“Take care and God bless.”

- Erick Reeve