Rating: 
Summary: One of the Best
Review: I bought this book 20 years ago, studied it, and learned it (well, most of it, anyway). I've recommended this title to students and fellow musicians for years. Chord theory never seemed so simple. Section 5, Chord Formulas, successfully covers one tough subject in three pages. Excellent.
Rating:
Summary: essential for any guitarist
Review: I bought this book back in 1971 when I was a teenager taking guitar lessons from Ted at a small studio in the San Fenando Valley. Even though I play primarily blues and rock it's still tremendously helpful to know how to put together interesting chords. Many people think this is a jazz book, but it's a theory book. All genres of music can benefit from understanding theory. The book looks intimidating at first, but use Ted's first rule and be PATIENT, persist through the book, and you'll be the best guitarist on your block no matter what genre of music you play.
Rating:
Summary: Systematics of Chord Substitution--Very Helpful
Review: I bought this book in the '70s, when I was trying to be a self-taught rock guitarist. It was initially very helpful because of its basic explanation of chord theory--this really advanced my understanding of music in general and the guitar in particular. It also got me interested in jazz, though I didn't really understand much of what he was talking about. Now I play jazz guitar, and this book has been very helpful to me. The book contains pages and pages of different inversions of different chord types, and when you first open the book you might think this is the point, but it's not. The point of the book is found in the sections on chord theory that follow those diagrams. Here Ted Greene gives a very helpful analysis of the principles of chord substitution--these are the basics of jazz guitar comping (accompaniment) and also solo playing. Along with his discussion of the theory, Ted Greene gives many sample ways of playing the things he's discussing, and these are very valuable chord sequences (worth memorizing). My copy of this book is mostly worn out from years of turning the pages, and I can largely chart my musical education in terms of when I digested various parts of this book. It's a book for serious study, but if you're into that, I recommend it highly. His two volumes on single-note soloing are also extremely helpful.
Rating:
Summary: Systematics of Chord Substitution--Very Helpful
Review: I bought this book in the '70s, when I was trying to be a self-taught rock guitarist. It was initially very helpful because of its basic explanation of chord theory--this really advanced my understanding of music in general and the guitar in particular. It also got me interested in jazz, though I didn't really understand much of what he was talking about. Now I play jazz guitar, and this book has been very helpful to me. The book contains pages and pages of different inversions of different chord types, and when you first open the book you might think this is the point, but it's not. The point of the book is found in the sections on chord theory that follow those diagrams. Here Ted Greene gives a very helpful analysis of the principles of chord substitution--these are the basics of jazz guitar comping (accompaniment) and also solo playing. Along with his discussion of the theory, Ted Greene gives many sample ways of playing the things he's discussing, and these are very valuable chord sequences (worth memorizing). My copy of this book is mostly worn out from years of turning the pages, and I can largely chart my musical education in terms of when I digested various parts of this book. It's a book for serious study, but if you're into that, I recommend it highly. His two volumes on single-note soloing are also extremely helpful.
Rating: 
Summary: Good book, but with some omissions
Review: I have owned this book since 1986 when I was just starting out on guitar. I still use this book, although it is not one that I pick up on a regular basis. The book is all about chords and chord theory for guitarists. You don't need a huge amount of theory knowledge to get started with the material presented in this book, nor do you necessarily need to be able to read music (only one part of the book requires reading skills), however the learning curve is very steep through this book and it is definitely not a book that one works through in a 'lesson one, lesson two' fashion. Rather one would attempt to "absorb a few ideas at a time," as Mr Greene suggests. On the matter of music reading, it is clear that the author has intended the book be useful to the widest audience possible by not requiring music reading on the most part. Although this is a positive thing is many respects, it also severely impedes upon what can successfully be presented. Also, if one were serious about learning this sort of material, not learning to read music would only impede one's progress. The book contains a vast library of chord diagrams in the middle section of the book, depicting numerous chord types and inversions. This part is easily the weakest part of the book. This section for the most part, could be omitted or truncated, and replaced with information on how to build one's own chords and inversions, as well as providing some sort of framework for categorizing voicings and inversions i.e. drop 2 drop 2, 4 etc and perhaps how voices can be spread. The most glaring omissions are the lack of any significant discussions on connecting predominantly rootless voicings, voice leading through progression using 2, 3 and 4 note partials (incomplete/implied chords), or a treatment of quartal harmony. These aspects of chord theory would seem to be vital to prepare a guitarist for modern playing, particularly within an ensemble context. Having said all that, the voice leading discussion provided is quite thorough in other respects, and provides a very good seed for one's own ideas. The book provides quite useful information on Substitution/Reharmonization as well as other miscellaneous topics. Although this book is not an absolute 'must have', Ted Greene's book provides some unique ideas and approaches to chord theory that I have never seen anywhere else. Also, some of the chord voicings he presents would probably be quite foreign to many intermediate, and some advanced guitarists. In this regard the book does provide points of departure for those who are very serious about exploring the guitar.
Rating:
Summary: Good book, but with some omissions
Review: I have owned this book since 1986 when I was just starting out on guitar. I still use this book, although it is not one that I pick up on a regular basis. The book is all about chords and chord theory for guitarists. You don't need a huge amount of theory knowledge to get started with the material presented in this book, nor do you necessarily need to be able to read music (only one part of the book requires reading skills), however the learning curve is very steep through this book and it is definitely not a book that one works through in a 'lesson one, lesson two' fashion. Rather one would attempt to "absorb a few ideas at a time," as Mr Greene suggests. On the matter of music reading, it is clear that the author has intended the book be useful to the widest audience possible by not requiring music reading on the most part. Although this is a positive thing is many respects, it also severely impedes upon what can successfully be presented. Also, if one were serious about learning this sort of material, not learning to read music would only impede one's progress. The book contains a vast library of chord diagrams in the middle section of the book, depicting numerous chord types and inversions. This part is easily the weakest part of the book. This section for the most part, could be omitted or truncated, and replaced with information on how to build one's own chords and inversions, as well as providing some sort of framework for categorizing voicings and inversions i.e. drop 2 drop 2, 4 etc and perhaps how voices can be spread. The most glaring omissions are the lack of any significant discussions on connecting predominantly rootless voicings, voice leading through progression using 2, 3 and 4 note partials (incomplete/implied chords), or a treatment of quartal harmony. These aspects of chord theory would seem to be vital to prepare a guitarist for modern playing, particularly within an ensemble context. Having said all that, the voice leading discussion provided is quite thorough in other respects, and provides a very good seed for one's own ideas. The book provides quite useful information on Substitution/Reharmonization as well as other miscellaneous topics. Although this book is not an absolute 'must have', Ted Greene's book provides some unique ideas and approaches to chord theory that I have never seen anywhere else. Also, some of the chord voicings he presents would probably be quite foreign to many intermediate, and some advanced guitarists. In this regard the book does provide points of departure for those who are very serious about exploring the guitar.
Rating:
Summary: Ted Greene, Guitar Genius
Review: I own this book, as well as all of Ted's other books. When I lived near his hometown, I was even able to meet and study with Ted Greene. He is truly a guitar genius if ever there were one. His view of the guitar neck is unending and infinite. This book will present a challenge to even the most advanced players. It will be a little overwhelming at first for a beginner, but my advice is to stick in there and keep going...the best things in life take patience and practice. And this book will help you come up with many things to patiently practice. Check out a search using just his name, and you will find his other books. He also has an album on vinyl, but I don't know if it is on amazon.com, or released on CD. Ted is a true guitar genius. And a great guy to boot!
Rating:
Summary: Ted Greene, Guitar Genius
Review: I own this book, as well as all of Ted's other books. When I lived near his hometown, I was even able to meet and study with Ted Greene. He is truly a guitar genius if ever there were one. His view of the guitar neck is unending and infinite. This book will present a challenge to even the most advanced players. It will be a little overwhelming at first for a beginner, but my advice is to stick in there and keep going...the best things in life take patience and practice. And this book will help you come up with many things to patiently practice. Check out a search using just his name, and you will find his other books. He also has an album on vinyl, but I don't know if it is on amazon.com, or released on CD. Ted is a true guitar genius. And a great guy to boot!
Rating:
Summary: One word: Essential
Review: If you can only afford one book for the study of guitar, this is your best choice! Most other books on the subject of chord theory present a chord form, and tell you how it's constructed...end of story. Ted Greene takes chords and derives an exhausting amount theory and application that it enables you to take a simple chord and run with it. There are very few educational resources that I would recommend for others, but this definatly qualifies. Buy this book!
Rating:
Summary: If you purchase one book of guitar chords, this is THE ONE!
Review: Most chord books are encyclopedias promising 10,000 guitar chords. What you get is about 900 in the 12 positions on the neck!
All chords in Chord Chemistry are shown in a single position only. This book has more chords and better explanations of how to learn and use them than any other book I've seen in 35 years of study.
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