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Spring 2026 • TedGreene.com Newsletter

Spring Greetings!

We are thrilled to announce that we are making the Ted Greene tribute album, Ted Greene Remembered available as MP3 files for free download on this website. (Please see below in the “New Material” section for downloading location.) Originally released on CD in 2007 and long out of print, this collection is a beautiful testament to Ted’s legacy. It was produced by one of Ted’s close friends for 35 years, Tom Bocci. We are grateful to Tom for giving his kind permission for us to share this with you.

In the album’s liner notes Tom wrote:

To this great gathering of “cats,” as Ted might have put it, who have given their time, talent, and spirit, generously and unconditionally in the best way possible to someone they admired and loved. The performances contained in this tribute to the legendary guitarist and beloved teacher are each artist’s way of saying goodbye to a special friend, whose musical and personal influence can be felt and heard in each selection. Thank you all for answering the call.

And heartfelt appreciation to Barbara Franklin, who loved and cared for Ted and made the last dozen years the most wonderful and joyous period of his life. To my dear wife, Wendy, whose love, insight, wit, and cheerfulness inspire all who know her to keep reaching higher with intention. Ted thought she was special, too.

And finally, a salute to Ted Greene, himself. A dear friend for thirty-five years, a beautiful “old soul” whose exceptional musical talents were only surpassed by his compassion and humility. “Be Like Ted” has become the catchphrase for all those who knew him. Special thanks for continued support to: Jay Bocci, Ellen and Walt Kreimann, Joan Ecclesine, Cathie and Dave Fital, Bill Straw and Lois Girard, Larry and Chris Brown, Dean Kay, Peter and Viviane Coplon. Much Appreciation to Jennifer Gallacher, Peter Jesperson, Ken Kushnick, Gina Mendello, Heidi Kristine Meyer, Jean Pisano, and Bill Robe.

~Tom Bоссі

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And now, let’s look back at what Barbara Franklin penned for the original liner notes:

THE MANY FACETS OF TED GREENE
by Barbara Franklin

TEACHER

Ted had the rare gift of insight into how to connect with people. First, and most importantly, he took a genuine interest in each student’s general preferences in life. For that reason, Ted was able to choose the best method of learning suited to everyone’s personality and work habits. As a result, Ted’s personal focus and caring was woven into every lesson combined with maintaining a friendly and casual atmosphere, which made the learning experience feel uniquely special.
MUSICIAN

Ted’s musical instincts are difficult to explain. Although gifted with an abundance of natural ability, he eventually recognized that the necessary skills for application would need to be developed. This he did at full throttle.

Ted’s musical path evolved through long hours of exploration; listening, reading, studying, practicing and experimentation. His highly developed sense of tone quality recognition bears testimony in many ways to his exquisite use of chords and amazing improvisations. This led to the knowledge of how to determine and utilize the best aspects of ANY guitar, coupled with the specialized amplifier settings he perfected for each individual piece he played.

He preferred teaching to performing for many reasons. In teaching there was inherent learning, personal challenges, one to one exchanges, and much happiness derived from successful lessons. For live performance Ted’s preference was a small, quiet venue where he could simply fill the room with melodic beauty. Ted was uncomfortable giving concerts due to the direct attention focused on him, which he found much too intense.

PERSON

Ted was ultra-sensitive to the inequities of the world. He would always strive to do some good deed, sometimes to the point of self-sacrifice, often helping friends, students, or even strangers in need.

Ted was a vegetarian not for health reasons, but due to the empathy for what he deemed was the cruelty animals raised for slaughter were subjected to during their lives. Although music encompassed much of his time by preference, he did have many other interests such as studying human behavior, cars, basketball, and baseball. The latter two sports he watched avidly and collected the vintage cards from his youth, arranging them by colors and background rather than numerical order. His was a curious and child-like enquiring nature, never satiated. Almost everything and everyone fascinated Ted on some level.

MY TED

Ted was the love of my life and fortunately, I the love of his life. We were best friends and playmates as well. Basically, ours was a dyad, a world of two. In the sanctity of home we spent most of our time sharing our love of languishing in every aspect of music (listening, playing, studying, and learning), watching sports or movies, being entertained by our cats, reading, doing jigsaw and crossword puzzles, and simply experiencing the joy of just being together.

Ted was magical and had a way of changing the ordinary into an adventure of sorts. For example, one New Year’s Eve we went to Tower Records to spend the very generous gift certificates given to each of us by my parents. We made ourselves at home in the Classical section of the store and since there were no employees around, we began assisting the customers ourselves. When closing time finally came around, an employee came in and found us behind the counter and was absolutely astonished! We were really just changing the CD in the player, but were booted out of there so fast despite our explanation, that we couldn’t help laughing all the way home. Nevertheless, on many occasions we did venture out; mostly to music stores, guitar stores, book stores, and necessary errands. We were not really reclusive, but rarely were we “social.”

However, one particular New Year’s Day (1996) Ted asked me to come with him to meet some friends of his. I was somewhat reluctant, but he said “Barb, I promise you, you will love them.” That was the day I met Tom & Wendy Bocci—and Ted was so right. Yes, this delightful duo added a new beautiful dimension to our lives, and forever my life will be blessed with their friendship, thanks to my dearest Ted.

THE TED GREENE REMEMBERED CD

When Tom suggested this wonderful project, I was so grateful and appreciative of his desire and dedication to create this extraordinary Tribute CD, because he possesses the sensitivity and insight to incorporate the love and reverence from others that reflect Ted’s beautiful spirit.

Many thanks to Tom and to everyone who so generously donated their time and effort to participate in creating this incredible musical tribute which will further imbue the world with the essence of Ted’s soul.

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We hope you’ve been enjoying the latest series of Ted videos on our YouTube channel—including the Joey Backenstoe wedding audio releases, The California Vintage Guitar seminar from 2004, and the various Ted comping lessons for Brian Totten. To stay up-to-date with every new release, be sure to sign up for our Advance Updates

We’re also excited to welcome a new member to the TG Team: Emil James. Many of you know Emil from his active posts in our “Ted Chord Move of the Day” Forums thread. More importantly, Emil has been instrumental in assisting me with many of the write-ups for the new Ted lesson pages. He has a great eye for the “look and feel” of these pages, ensuring we maintain the high quality and consistency you expect. Thank you, Emil! 

Our heartfelt thanks to our other core Team members:

• Mike De Luca – Music proofreader
• Jeffrey D Brown – Technical and marketing support
• Leon White – Stewardship of the Ted Greene Archives and this site

Our sincere thanks go out to them, and to you, for supporting our mission to share Ted’s music and teachings with the world.

~ Paul and Your Friends on the TedGreene.com Team

NEW ITEMS

AUDIO:
Under the “Ted Greene Remembered” header:
01 - Watch What Happens – Tommy Emmanuel
02 - A Foggy Day – Laurence Juber
03 - For Ted – Lee Ritenour
04 - It Had to Be You – Dan Sawyer
05 - Bring – Mark Goldenberg
06 - Ted's Tune – Anthony Wilson
07 - Theo's Rhythm 'n Blues – John Pissano and Ted Greene
08 - The Star-Spangled Banner – Jay Graydon
09 - Who Can I Turn To? – My Romance – Phil de Gruy
10 - Midnight Greene – Steve Ferguson
11 - Farewell – George Winston
12 - Spirit Lake – Stephen Bruton
13 - Gratitude – Tom Bocci and Ted Greene
Ted Greene Remembered – CD Booklet

BAROQUE:
* Using 6ths and Pedals in Musical Passages, 1988-02-23

Under the “Baroque Ideas” header:
* Baroque Idea #8, Various Ideas for Baroque and Classical Pieces and Interludes, 1986-03-25

CHORD STUDIES:
* Augmented (Whole-Tone) Type Chords and Their Progressions
* Cadences – Triads in Root Position with Upper 3 Voices in Close Position

Under the “Chording Ideas” header:
* Chording Idea #12, Strength Harmony in 4ths, 1983-07-03
* Chording Idea #13, Application of Chord-Implying Technique, 1979-07-15
* Chording Idea #14, v7b9 Fragments: V7 — I, 1978-05-23
* Chording Idea #15, Triad Phrases
* Chording Idea #16, Grids in E
* Chording Idea #17, Add 9 and Major 9 Cycles
* Chording Idea #18, C major 7 – C6/9 Cumulative
* Chording Idea #19, I - I7 - IV
* Chording Idea #20, Dominant 7 Fills over B7
* Chording Idea #21, Aeolian Sequence in G minor
* Chording Idea #22, III7 - VI7 - II7 - V7, 2001-08-15
* Chording Idea #23, Triad Chord Sequences
* Chording Idea #24, Broken Chord Scale Patterns, 1979-12-03
* Chording Idea #25, ii7b5 - V7 Sounds, 1978-12-09

COMPING:
* It’s the Talk of the Town – taken from 1994 video

HARMONY & THEORY:
* Chord Embellishment Chart, 1979-08-19
* Favorite Sounds and Devices in Diatonic Major Tonality, 1979-08-11, 1981-04-09

SINGLE-NOTE SOLOING:
Under the “Single-Note Ideas” header:
* Single-Note Idea #8, ii7 - VI7 - ii7 - V7 Runs, 1986-02-09
* Single-Note Idea #9, ii7b5 - V7alt - I in key of E, 1977-11-29
* Single-Note Idea #10, Country-Classical Diatonic Runs, 1979-10-21
* Single-Note Idea #11, Arpeggios for ii7 - V 7 in Key of A
* Single-Note Idea #12, Page 4 of Undated Fragments 1
* Single-Note Idea #13, F Major 7 Arpeggios, Circa 1979

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Winter 2026 • TedGreene.com Newsletter

Warm Winter Greetings to all Ted Greene fans, friends, musical family, and lovers of harmony!

In this newsletter we wanted to share with you some of the introductory text from the book, My Life with the Chord Chemist by Barbara Franklin. If you haven’t read this book, then perhaps the following might inspire you to do so. If you already have a copy, I hope you don’t mind this reiteration.

An Excerpt from the Preface:

There are many musicians all over the world that have only experienced Ted Greene through his books. I have been told many times that the impression given through this view alone is of a music scholar, even a genius (always refuted by Ted), given the young age at which he wrote his first and most celebrated book, Chord Chemistry.

Since Ted’s untimely death from a massive heart attack in 2005, interest in his music studies and his amazing guitar playing abilities has soared. Ted has gained much new exposure through the Internet, through magazine articles and interviews with famous guitar players commending his talent and expertise as a guitarist and musician. Many of these musicians have noted the influence Ted had on their own musical growth. And the interest continues to build.

Besides being an amazing musician, a renowned teacher, and one of the greatest solo guitarists who ever lived, Ted Greene was an extraordinary human being who spent much of his life striving to enhance the quality of life on this earth in many ways.

In the San Fernando Valley, where he lived most of his life, Ted had acquired a mysterious aura. After several years of being featured playing with numerous Los Angeles area rhythm and blues bands where he garnered high acclaim and prominence for his dazzling guitar prowess, Ted took the surprising step of giving up the opportunity of a career in the spotlight. There were several reasons for this decision, one being Ted’s penchant for teaching. Due to his choice to teach rather than perform, and his preference for staying at home, many unfounded rumors of a reclusive existence proliferated. Perhaps the extensive book collections; books stacked from floor to ceiling in Ted’s apartment fed the rumors. However it happened, he took on the enigmatic aura of a secluded guru. Ted was well aware that many people misinterpreted his way of existence, and refuted these claims but to no avail. Ted’s lifestyle and intriguing demeanor were decidedly captivating, yet he did little to enlighten people when questions arose.

However, it is hard to convey what it was like to experience being in the presence of this singular, exceptional person. Therefore, since many people had asked me to write a book about him, this is my attempt at coming as close as I can to depicting who Ted was….

About This Book

This book is intended to answer some of the most compelling questions about Ted the musician and Ted the person. It contains some biographical information for a general knowledge of Ted’s background and as reference regarding Ted’s musical growth, but it was never my intention to write Ted’s definitive life story. The pages herein are divided into sections in order to feature Ted’s musical development as it occurred during the course of his life, and how Ted blossomed into the brilliant and innovative musician he was known as.

Foreword: (by Leon White)

So much has been said and written about Ted since his passing in 2005. His accomplishments in performing and teaching, his generosity, and his encyclopedic knowledge of so many things remain larger than life. Questions persist around “How did he do it?” whether the “it” was playing music, teaching, collecting baseball cards, or remembering who played rhythm guitar on the B side of a single released in 1955.

I was lucky enough to be among a group of folks who were around, in my case more than 30 years, as he created the life that has become both legend and legacy. Ted was a humorous, gentle, compassionate man who seemed to draw upon the entire history of music as the whim suited him to play, to teach, or to just amuse.

The questions of how he accomplished all that he did are probably more frequent now than they were when he was with us, as more and more musicians have become acquainted with him. I think the answer lies in who he was, how he lived his life, and what were his passions and frustrations – the humanity behind the incredible beauty of his music.

This book is about Ted and Barbara, and what life was like with Ted. It isn’t about chord substitution or inversions – but about his life and how he lived it. And I think it’s important because it sheds some light on Ted that few of his musical friends saw. In addition, I think it may answer the question “How did he do it?” for those that are interested.

I thank Barbara for her painstaking efforts to create this narrative. The more you know about Ted, the more you can appreciate his contributions to music, and the way in which he made them. That is inspirational. Further, I think you’ll find a life well lived – something we can all learn from, and I think that would please him.

~ Leon White

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As usual we want to thank our team members who generously contributed to this newsletter:

• François LeDuc for another brilliant transcription of Ted playing at Alec Silverman’s Home.
• Mike De Luca for music proofreading
• Jeffrey D Brown for the technical and marketing support.
• Leon White for his stewardship of this website.

And once again I’d like to encourage anyone who’d like to help with the writing up some of Ted’s musical notes to please contact us. There’s a lot of material to present (some of which is quite simple to notate), and we could really use your help. Thanks!

~ Paul and Your Friends on the TedGreene.com Team

NEW ITEMS

AUDIO:
In the “Joey Backenstoe Wedding” area:
* 12 – Medley of 5 Heartfelt Standards
* 13 – Ted Greene’s –Joey Backenstoe Wedding – Index of Songs
* 14 – Ted Greene’s Wedding Song Lists

BAROQUE:
* Ascending Major Scale Soprano Harmonization Neo-Baroque

Under the “Baroque Ideas” header:
* Baroque Idea #4, Breaking Up 4-Part Chords
* Baroque Idea #5, Baroquish Minor
* Baroque Idea #6, Baroquish Pedal Studies
* Baroque Idea #7, Using 10ths and Descending 3rd Progressions in Baroque

BLUES:
* Minor Jazz Blues

CHORD STUDIES:
* Systematic Inversions – Patterns to Learn
* Turnarounds for bVI-bIII-bVII-IV-I

Under the “Chording Ideas” header:
* Chording Idea #7, (1989-01-02)
* Chording Idea #8, Multi-Name Chords
* Chording Idea #9, (1989-03-13)
* Chording Idea #10, bVI-to-I
* Chording Idea #11, Modulation Cycles Using ii7-V7, ii7

Under the “Harmonization of a Given Melody” header:
* Dancing on the Ceiling – Harmonic Variations on the First 8 Measures

SINGLE-NOTE SOLOING:
* Dominant Sounds with Lines

Under the “Single-Note Ideas” header:
* Single-Note Idea #6, Melodic Chart of Patterns to Explore in Six
* Single-Note Idea #7, Examples Using Dominant 7th Scales

TRANSCRIPTIONS:
* Here’s That Rainy Day (from “Silverman” concert) – Transcribed by François LeDuc

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