The ultimate chord theory reference guide to drastically improve your chord knowledge and the theory of what you are playing and why it works

Chords are probably one of the first things you ever learned on guitar

Trying your first two or three shapes in the low frets, developing the muscle memory to be able to move in and out of them, then putting them together with some strumming to play your first song.

And the process continues, you learn more chords...play more songs. 

Everything's great until you start getting thrown curveballs like E/G♯, F♯7(add11) or even Cm7(b5) (what?!)

Things quickly get confusing and those basic chord shapes get stale ...FAST!

Take the confusion out of chord theory

The Chord Book (Volume 1) is your step-by-step guide to everything you’ll need to take any confusion out of chord theory, and provide you with a whole load of new chords to try out.

But rather than just presenting you with chord boxes, I'll be breaking everything down at each stage so you know exactly why the chords are played in a certain way and exactly how you can use them.

A 227-page PDF eBook available for instant download!

Play chords anywhere!

You’ll learn how to play a chord in multiple ways with the help of the CAGED system, and then how to play through progressions anywhere on the neck with the help of my Root Note Maps. 

With the fundamentals firmly established, we’ll get into all the indispensable chord substitutions that are available to you, including:

  • Close voicing triads
  • Power chords (5 chords)
  • Sus2 and sus4 chords
  •  6 and m6 chords
  • ‘add’ chords (add9 and add11)
  • Major Seventh
  • Minor Seventh
  • Dominant Seventh

We even explore the fascinating world of the diminished seventh

Learn smarter

I'll teach you the five 'master' CAGED chord shapes and how (with a knowledge of the chord tones/intervals) each shape can be adjusted to give you all the seventh chords.

A much more efficient way to learn!

Students LOVE The Chord Book


"Very intuitive and with great visuals. I've been playing guitar for over 25 years and unfortunately jumped right to riffs without building really any understanding of chords. This book has opened my eyes."


"I’ve bought all of [Ry's] products, and watched most of [Ry's] videos, learning massively as a result. This chord book is just another great example of [Ry's] work, easy to understand and informative."


"I've been wanting to create beautiful chord progressions in my looper to jam over and I think this will give me the knowledge I need. It's a really good book."


"I know how to construct scales and chords and I would say I'm fairly well-versed in basic-intermediate theory. This book has had several "mind blown" moments. Really great stuff. Look forward to really digging in."



"One of the most accessible books on a pretty challenging topic."

"The Chord Book Volume 1 has been the biggest help in my guitar journey so far, really hope that Volume 2 is also available someday!"

Going a little deeper

For those of you who want to go beyond the essentials, the 'Going a Little Deeper' sections of the book offer even more insight and fretboard visualization tips to turn you into a fretboard wizard!

FAQs


Who is this book written for?

The student I had in mind when writing this book has a foundation in basic open chords and a general understanding of which chords can work together. They have perhaps started experimenting with their first barre chords. They are keen to understand the music theory behind what they're playing and develop chord fluency across the fretboard.

Do I need to have completed 'Guitar Rut Busters: Essential Theory' before buying this?

Taking the course beforehand will undoubtedly give you a much stronger foundation going in. The Chord Book does review some important concepts from 'Guitar Rut Busters, Essential Theory' such as the formation of chords and musical keys.  

How can I view the book?

The Chord Book is an A4 PDF document that can be viewed on a desktop or tablet.

Can I download The Chord Book more than once?

Absolutely! When you purchase the book it will be added to your store account which you can access at any point with your password to download the PDF as many times as you need. There's no risk of ever losing it or deleting it by accident.

Before you do...


  • Please note that this product is sold as a digital download (PDF). 
  • You will be able to download it instantly and print it at home after purchasing it. 
  • You will receive access to the PDF as soon as you check out.
  • As the product is delivered upon confirmation of purchase, I am unable to offer any refund.