Here is a follow up to yesterdays post…

I made it to ZZ Top & Aerosmith last night in Phoenix. Forget that the temperature was 113 degrees, the concert was outside, and bottled water was selling for $4.00… this was one HOT concert!

First, Aerosmith was amazing. In fact, Aerosmith was the first band I ever saw perform live. They played at a small club called “The Agora” in Cleveland Ohio back in the 70′s. You could barely fit 100 people in there… and I was one of them. That was then, and this is now. Aerosmith is a major draw today packing the largest venues to the max. Like 20,000 max at the Cricket Pavilion Amphitheater.

Steven Tyler rocked…but for my money…Billy Gibbons is the legend I wanted to see. He did not disappoint. He owned the stage!

I am still amazed that 3 people can generate the sound that ZZ Top creates. The main reason? Reverend Willie G!

One last tribute to one of the all-time greats of lead guitar… Billy G — give us a blues lesson!

I used to think that buying another new chord book was like buying the 2009 edition of Webster’s Dictionary (is it really that different from last year’s?). That may be true for “most” chord books, but certainly not for Guy’s Grids. This book is very different from the others and is well worth the $64.95 price (CD included).

To start, this book is massive. I’m talking about 228 spiral bound 11×17 pages! When you open the book and lay it flat on a table it is nearly 3 feet wide! Printed on high quality and heavy paper stock, Guy’s Grids is in itself a stunning work of art. Even my non-guitar-player friends are amazed at the detail when they flip through the pages.

Make no mistake, this is not a large print version of a “pocket-sized” guitar chord book. This is a comprehensive encyclopedia that will guide you along the path of understanding music theory and the relationship between chord families. On his website, Guy says: “I searched for a great chord reference book that would present the most useful chord forms in a manner that would reinforce the chord theory I had just learned… I wanted a book that would help me to recognize the relationship between related chords… I could not find such a book… So, I created my own.”

The book is very thorough and includes over 2,000 open chord forms and over 700 moveable chord forms. The book is divided into four major sections with sturdy tabbed dividers for 1) Open Chord Grids, 2) Moveable Chord Grids, 3) Index of Open Chords and 4) Index of Moveable Chords. Each page is extremely detailed with chord forms illustrating the recommended fingering and the chord tones and scale degrees for each string. Each page is a “grid” (obviously!) with identical column and row formats. The columns are divided into chord families (major, dominant, minor, and diminished). The rows are divided into triads and the variations of the triads that are created by the inclusion of a 7th, 6th, 9th, 11th, or 13th scale degree.

While the magnitude of reference information included in this book may seem intimidating to the new player, it is important to note that the book also contains a section for the beginning student called “Anchor Chords” with grids for the most commonly played chords that every guitarist should focus on first. The book also includes a “Bonus CD” for play-along practicing of the progressions found on every grid.

I ordered my book direct from Guy’s website which arrived quickly, wrapped in bubble-wrap inside a sturdy box. I have averaged spending about 30 minutes a day with the book since it arrived and in less than a week, my eyes have been opened to a fascinating new way of looking at the fretboard. I highly recommend Guy’s Grids to every guitar player who is serious about becoming a better player!

For more information or to order your copy, visit http://www.guysgrids.com/.

Robben Ford is one of the premiere electric guitarists today, particularly known for his blues playing as well as his ability to be comfortable in a variety of musical contexts. A four-time Grammy nominee, he has played with artists as diverse as Larry Carlton, Joni Mitchell, Jimmy Witherspoon, Miles Davis, George Harrison, Phil Lesh, Bonnie Raitt, Claus Ogerman, Michael McDonald, and many, many others…

Robben is a gifted player and a very effective teacher. Robben has released several instructional DVD’s that center around his blues improvisation skills.

Check out this video clip from “The Art of Blues Solos”: