I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how to learn chord fingerings. For instance if I wanted to learn/practice various positions of C7b9. I vaguely remember stumbling upon a method utilizing the cycles of 4th & 5ths but don't recall how that flowed exactly. Does anyone have any helpful suggestions?

Thanks Ursin I'll check that out

ok to be fair that chord chemistry is some hard shit....On an unrelated noter, I feel compelled to mention that simply knowing where the chords are on the neck is not sufficient to say one has "learned them" Really learning means having spent enough time with your unique set of hands to have accurately discerned which way of fingering them best fits your hands...then figuring out about that chord voicing what exactly it is about it that makes it "special" to you...(like maybe its special way to play the chord because the chords 7th happens to be in the soprano voice of the chord)....then figuring out what other chords you wanna be able to accurately channge to and from with it. Then for good measure you gotta whip out the metronome and work to accurately time up to say 200 BPM (if you want make sure you really know them, that is) Then for extra good measure try to play through the chords to see if you have enough control over your fingers being used in that voivcing to try and one finger at a time make the note that finger plays a "dead note" so that way when you encounter situations where you may not want certain members of that chord to sound you know that you have what it takes to deaden any particular note of that chord...Oh...and try and work on doing any of these things without having to look at the fretboard or left hand...And for those who are shaolin guitar munks try practicing this stuff completely blindfolded...and then see how well you can do them while carrying out a two way conversation with someone about something unrelated to music (that is ultimate test of if you know what you are playing)

also really cool is to make an index of chord voicings involving open strings...those sound so cool because open strings shimmer in a way that freted notes do not.

Yea watch a few Pebber videos on theory. A little theory goes along way
print out some neck diagrams write out the notes and pick some voicings you like .

Thanks for the input guys. I do know theory for the most part and actually made up my own voicings for many chords years ago but not altered jazz chords. Not as much time anymore for that.

Ursin- I do not read music but do know scales/chords and the theory and logic behind them. Do you think it still worth my while to purchase Mick Goodricks book "The Advancing Guitarist"? I noticed you recommended this book in some other thread.

I was wondering because a number of the reviews on Amazon had mentioned the necessity of being able read music while reading this book. It sounded very interesting otherwise. I think I'll pick it up anyhow. Thx

The advancing guitarist is going to take you years to get through. If you're looking for a quick hitter, check out the PDF in the chord thread further down the first page of posts. I created it based off of fingerings in a book by a well known guitarist and a co-writer. Making your own charts really can't be beat though.

That advancing guitarist book makes me really hungry whenever i read it...for beef stew (-:

Also, maybe go through Berklee Books 1, 2, and 3. EXCELLENT starting point for reading, chord reading, voicings, scales etc, etc. Leavitt's stuff is great... It will provide a really good foundation to the Greene Books, and as well as the Goodrick stuff.
Perhaps, pick up a 'Real book' and start playing those tunes...? If you just dig in, it won't take long to learn them...

Cool. Thanks guys. I'll look into all your suggestions.

Thanks Pebber. And thanks a billion for the generous cornucopia of free information on technique!!. I have only started a few weeks ago with your material, mostly the chromatic scale exercises and have already noticed a tangible improvement in my playing. This is after only scratching the surface of what you have gifted the world guitar community with. And just so you know I'm not a mooch I have also recently ordered four of your DVDs on picking techniques. Thanks for the feedback!