Hey Everyone,

I’ve developed a new way of writing chord diagrams that I’ll be using in all future chord charts, and will eventually include them in currently posted chord charts too. Here’s some press about it:

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 28, 2005

Seattle (AP) — Guitar teacher Rob Hampton announced in a news conference today his company’s development of the Nanochart™, the world’s smallest complete chord diagram. Chord diagrams are used in guitar sheet music known as “chord charts” and “tablature” to illustrate chord fingerings.

Out With the Old

Online chord diagrams typically come in two varieties. The most common is a single row of six characters identifying which fret is played on each string. “x” signifies muting or not playing a string, and “0″ signifies an open string. Here’s an “A” chord diagrammed in this manner:

A: x02220

While this format is compact, it doesn’t show which fingers should be used, confusing beginning guitarists. The second variety of chord diagram does show fingerings, but by the time the transcriber writes it out, everyone’s lost interest in the song. Here’s an “A” chord in this format (commence Jeopardy theme song):

  A
xo   o
------
''''''
------
''123'
------
''''''
------

In With the New

Nanocharts™, utilizing cutting-edge nanotechnology, are compact, quick to write, and show which fingers should be used. Here’s that same “A” chord in Nanochart™ format: 

       123
A:   x02220

The top line (normally in bold) shows the fingering, and the bottom line shows the fretting.

“Nanocharts™ will change the course of history,” said Hampton at Wednesday’s news conference. Stock in Heartwood Guitar Instruction (HGI) fell slightly to $1.32 in light trading.


Hampton beta testing the Nanochart™