If you’ve been playing guitar for a while, chances are you’ve gone down the rabbit hole of books on scales, chords, theory, and “ultimate” fretboard systems. Some of them are gold. Some… not so much.
This particular book falls somewhere in the middle—and very much depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re hunting for a deep dive on scales, this isn’t it. But if you want a solid, fairly comprehensive chord reference with some interesting voicings, it might deserve a spot on your shelf. You can grab it here on Amazon.
Overview / First Impressions
This is a traditional guitar theory book that aims to cover both scales and chords. It even comes with an audio CD, which tells you a bit about when it was originally put together.
In practice, it’s much stronger as a chord reference than as a scale or theory guide. The chord material is surprisingly thorough and creative. The scale explanations, on the other hand, feel dated and underdeveloped compared to what you can easily find online today.
So:
- Great for: Players who want a wide variety of chord shapes and voicings.
- Not great for: Learning scales, fretboard navigation, or modern improvisation concepts.
Build Quality & Design
Physically, it’s a standard guitar book:
- Printed chord diagrams
- Scale patterns
- Accompanying CD with examples
From a modern guitarist’s standpoint, the CD is basically obsolete. Almost anything on there you could probably find in better quality on YouTube or other online resources.
The diagrams and notation, however, still do their job: they’re readable, organized, and usable on a music stand.
It’s not flashy, but it’s functional.
Features & Functions
The book is divided into two main sections.
1. Scales Section
This is where it falls short:
- The explanations of scales aren’t very clear or well-developed.
- It doesn’t do a great job of tying scales into real-world playing, improvisation, or fretboard logic.
- If you’re hoping to finally “get” scales from this book, you’ll likely be disappointed.
There are other resources that explain scales and fretboard mapping in a much more intuitive way.
2. Chords Section
This is where the book shines:
- Lots of chord voicings across the neck.
- Includes unusual and advanced chord types, not just your basic open and barre chords.
Examples of what you’ll find include:
- Cmaj7♭5
- Bmaj7♭5
- B7sus4
- Multiple B7 variations and more
The chord section is pretty thorough and goes beyond the typical beginner chord book. If you like exploring new colors and tensions in your harmony, there’s a lot to dig into here.
Use Cases
From a guitarist’s perspective, the real value of this book is as a:
- Chord vocabulary builder – Great for expanding your harmonic language.
- Reference tool – When you want a specific chord type or voicing, you can flip through and find options.
- Idea generator – Those odd chords (maj7♭5, extended and suspended voicings, etc.) can spark new song ideas or reharmonizations.
Use it like you’d use a dictionary:
- Stuck writing a bridge? Flip through some maj7♭5 or sus voicings.
- Want to color up a basic progression? Swap in some of the more colorful chords you find here.
- Working on jazz, fusion, or more harmonically rich styles? The weirder chords in this book can be very useful.
Just don’t expect it to teach you why those chords work in context—that part is mostly up to you.
Limitations / Things to Know
A few important caveats:
- Weak scale explanations
The scale section is not its strength. If your main goal is learning scales, fretboard mapping, or improvisation, look elsewhere. - Outdated CD format
The included CD is more of a historical artifact at this point. You can almost certainly find better, more interactive examples online. - Not a complete theory course
This isn’t a one-stop shop for understanding harmony, modes, or fretboard logic. Think of it more as a chord encyclopedia than a full curriculum.
Final Thoughts
If you’re:
- A chord nerd who loves collecting voicings,
- A songwriter looking for fresh harmonic colors,
- Or an intermediate-to-advanced player who already understands basic theory…
…then this book can be a decent chord resource, especially for its range of unusual voicings and thorough chord listings.
If you’re:
- A beginner trying to understand scales,
- Someone who wants a modern, integrated approach to fretboard mastery,
- Or you don’t care about having a physical chord dictionary…
…then you’ll probably be better served by more up-to-date methods and online resources.
Use this book for what it’s good at: chords, voicings, and harmonic ideas—and don’t lean on it for scale education.
Resources & Further Study
If you’re serious about mastering the fretboard and harmony, especially from a practical guitarist’s point of view, here are some better directions to go:
Fretboard Memorization Cheat Sheet (Triads-Based)
A triad-focused approach is one of the most powerful ways to actually use theory on the guitar. A fretboard cheat sheet that maps major and minor triads in every key—using approaches like octave mapping—can help you:
- Memorize the notes on the fretboard
- Understand the foundation of harmony (triads)
- Improvise in multiple keys more confidently
Guitar Community / Forum
Joining a guitar forum (like the one at forum.travelingguitarist.com) lets you:
- Talk through theory questions
- Share chord ideas and voicings
- Get feedback on your playing and practice routines
In short: keep this chord book as a voicing library, but build your real fretboard understanding through more modern, triad-based and community-supported resources.