Whether you are an intermediate player looking for your first guide to understanding the fretboard or a seasoned pro in need of a complete reference to complex harmonies, there’s no more detailed and comprehensive a book than Brad Bordessa‘s ‘Ukulele Chord Shapes.
With in-depth and easy-to-understand explanations of chord theory and applications, this method can expand your chord vocabulary twelvefold.
A good ukulele chord chart is one of the most important learning tools you can have. Unfortunately, many other chord books waste time and pages showing the same repeating diagrams – often with very little information explaining them!
‘Ukulele Chord Shapes is different. It presents a streamlined view of chords, eliminating extraneous memorization and clutter. This reduces your mental workload by 12x when learning new chords and shapes, freeing up space for useful background information about how chords work and using them on the fretboard.
‘Ukulele Chord Shapes Features:
- 173 chord shapes that will cover 99.9% of your needs in any genre.
- How to move each shape into all 12 keys (173×12=2076!).
- The step-by-step theory behind how chords are built.
- All about slash chords, inversions, fingerings, and more.
- 55 pages in total available as a beautiful print book or PDF download.
The Method:
‘Ukulele Chord Shapes presents chords in a different light than other books: as movable shapes. In this way you can reduce mental clutter and make learning chords 12 times more efficient.
Each shape in the book shows a highlighted root that easily allows you to move a single chord shape into all twelve keys.
But Ukulele Chord Shapes is a lot more than just a reference book. It’s also an in-depth look at the theory and concepts that drive intelligent chordal playing. Learn how to build chords via easy, step-by-step instructions, how to finger them, and how to select the appropriate shapes for your music.
When You Buy ‘Ukulele Chord Shapes You Get:
- Straightforward content formatted for readability and ease-of-use.
- Big, bold, and user-friendly chord boxes.
- 34 chord types from the mundane to the exotic.
- Descriptions, uses, chord symbols, and chord formulas for each chord type.
- How To Use This Book details every step of using the book.
- How Chords Work is an easy-to-understand chapter on the theory of chords.
- 55 pages of chords, chords, and more chords!
What Other People Are Saying:
FAQs:
I’m a beginner/advanced player. Will I find the content over/underwhelming?
ʻUkulele Chord Shapes is not a chord book for newbies and will be a confusing place to start for someone just seeking diagrams for A, D, and E7 type chords. It’s a method for understanding the fretboard better and requires some background knowledge to get the most out of. I recommend it for intermediate and up players and those with musical backgrounds.
(That said, I have utterly beginner students who are “thinkers” and understand the concepts in the book intellectually, even if they don’t understand the musical underpinnings.)
As for advanced players, I don’t feel like there are many pros out there who use 75% of the chords in this book. Unless you’re a chord weirdo like Benny Chong, it will be a lifetime resource.
What chords types are in the book?
Each chord family presented in ‘Ukulele Chord Shapes has at least four moveable shapes. This gives you arrangement options for any situation.
The chord types that are included:
- Major
- Major 6th
- Major 6/9
- Major 7th
- Major 7(b5)
- Major 7(#5)
- Major 9th
- Minor
- Minor 6th
- Minor 6/9
- Minor 7th
- Minor 7(b5)
- Minor 7(#5)
- Minor (Major 7th)
- Minor 9th
- Minor 11th
- Dominant 7th
- Dominant 7(b5)
- Dominant 7(#5)
- Dominant 7(b9)
- Dominant 7(#9)
- Dominant 9th
- Dominant 11th
- Dominant 13th
- Dominant 13(b9)
- Altered*
- Suspended 2
- Suspended 4
- Suspended 7th
- Add 9
- Add 11
- Diminished
- Diminished 7th
- Augmented
- Slash Chords*
* = Special detailed section.
Do I need to know theory to understand the book?
I sure hope not! The moveable shape concept is a simple spatial pattern that should be easy for even a play-by-ear musician to understand.
If you want to dive deeper there is a section on theory guiding you step-by-step through all that is required to build and understand chords. Essentially, you’ll be able to reverse-engineer any ʻukulele chord by the time you’re done.
Satisfaction Guaranteed
‘Ukulele Chord Shapes is written to be hands-down the most extensive and useful chord resource available to ʻukulele players. I don’t want your money if you feel it was ill spent. Just drop me a line if you aren’t satisfied with your purchase and I will send you a full refund – no questions asked.
Having Trouble?
If you need a hand purchasing the book or are struggling with the download, send me an email:
