This companion volume to the 27 chart topping hits found on the Beatles 1 CD allows you to see, through beautifully rendered and vividly colored Song M aps , how the Four L ads from Liverpool arranged their music, and especially, their brilliant vocal harmonies. Along with each song map are detailed descriptions of the song, back stories, recording and release dates, charting, what was going on in the Beatles' lives , as well as the author's personal reflections and memories. An additional Chord Palettes section uses the idea of an artist's colorful palette applied to sets of chords, to show how the Beatles combined different genres, namely bluesy rock n roll and sentimental pop, in the same songs. Whether you're a long-time baby boomer Beatles fan , a younger newcomer, or somewhere in between, this book will give you an entirely new appreciation for the most amazing band ever . While many books on the Beatles' music are geared towards professionals, this book is for fans and musicians with little or no formal understanding of music theory. By using simple explanations and colorful diagrams and graphics, the basics of harmony and chords are made easy to understand. Also covered: How the Beatles and their music changed over time, their roots in Liverpool's Mersey Beat and in the rich mixture of black and white elements in American popular music, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the British Invasion, and more. Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Blue Notes and Sad Chords" by Brian Hebert. 4 out of 4 stars In everyone's lifetime, there is invariably music that remains ingrained in one's psyche because of the role it plays in our lives. There is always that one band that we will never forget, that one band that captures the whole world and becomes legendary as time flies by. The Beatles without a doubt is one of those bands. Blue Notes and Sad Chords by Brian Hebert is a book that takes us on a journey to discover The Beatles and their chart-topping music. The author tracks down the trajectory of The Beatles through 27 of their number one hit songs. The book is divided into three parts. The first part explains the aim of the book; the second part is an analysis of the 27 songs by The Beatles through color-coded text, and the third part explains the singing parts of the different Beatles and their harmony. When I initially started reading this book, I had no major knowledge of the Beatles. I knew some of their songs as well as the fact that they were famous and that was the extent of my knowledge. I started this book cautiously expecting it to be technical, but thankfully, I was mistaken. The author is quick to reassure the readers that this book is meant for general consumption. This made me happy, as I was able to read the book comfortably without getting lost. I read this book while listening to the songs and I found it to be quite a novel experience. Not only did I get to listen to good music, but I also was able to understand the arrangement of the music. This was quite a fun experience for me, as I have never taken any music classes. The author's explanations were simple and straightforward, and an amateur like me was able to understand the explanations given. I liked that there were the personal stories of not only The Beatles, but also the author scattered throughout the book. It gave the book a personal touch and made me feel as if I had gotten to know The Beatles better. It felt as if the author had put a lot of care into writing this book and that touched me. I liked the book as a whole and I cannot find one thing to criticize. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because it did a great job of introducing a band I previously knew nothing about. I would recommend this book to fans of The Beatles as well as anyone who wants to know more about this fascinating band. However, I would especially recommend this book to first- generation fans of The Beatles. This is because they will definitely be in for a nostalgic remembrance of the past. Brian Hebert is a cartographer, computer programmer, musician, and author living in the Boston area. After hearing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan in 1964, he started to play the guitar. Over the years his musical interests broadened to include blues harmonica, classical guitar, keyboards, Appalachian claw-hammer banjo, Strumstick, and especially traditional Irish and Scottish tunes played on fiddle, tenor banjo, and octave mandolin. In recent years his interests have turned to morphing and arranging Beatles' songs and both old and new popular music, into Americana and Celtic instrumental tunes, on both acoustic and electric tenor guitar, and cello. The music of Brian Hebert and Friends can be found on Amazon, iTunes, Pandora, CD Baby, Spotify, and YouTube.