Good, handy chord shape reference book?

[blackeyedboy11]

Does anyone know a good chord refence book? I know there are chord generators on the web, but I want something real handy to grab when working out a tune. Would be nice if it had all the playable shapes.

[Professor1]

I have a hal Leonard book called Incredible Chord Finder. It has 3 diagrams per chord. I don't know of any book that has all of the possible chord shapes. There are well over two dozen ways to play each 7th chord. Learn the notes on the fretboard, and practice finding chords in different inversions, and different note orders. Also, remember that the 5th of a chord can be omitted. Also, in 4 note chords with extensions: 9 replaces 1, 11 replaces 3, and 13 replaces 5. Have fun.

[mahayana]

Chord Chemistry (Ted Greene) is the encyclopedia of this stuff. But as Mickey Baker says "There are so many useless chords out there."

So, how many guitar books do you have? They're all full of chords, but I think you are on the right track asking for playable ones. A lot of books delight in "impossible" chords (which have their uses, just not for quick rhythm changes).

My advice? Get a notebook and make up your own book. When you find a chord you like and can play pretty easily, start a page for that chordname, draw the diagram. Eventually you'll collect more forms of it to put on that page.

I like Chordhouse, found here looknohands.com/
The easy guitar section has multiple versions of most jazz chords (advanced has maps to make up your own), play some and decide which ones are worth copying.