Each year, thousands upon thousands of music fans, musicians, tinkerers, and business leaders gather under one roof to celebrate the latest inventions, appreciate how far the technical side of the music industry has come, and observe as new sonic revolutions unfold.
In 2023, the NAMM Show came to Anaheim, CA, gracing numerous attendees with top-of-the-line musical gear, trinkets, and gadgets. Arguably one of the most populated segments of this year’s NAMM Show was the Innovation Showcase – a place where people had an opportunity to explore the freshest game-changing tools and equipment.
Card Chords, a company founded by Mike Grande with a mission to make the guitar-learning experience as fun and easy as can be was one of the main talking points. The crowded Booth 5545 was the space where Mike and his team demonstrated the practical benefits of perforated guitar tablatures that have been helping innumerable greenhorn guitarists master basic chords in record time.
When the NAMM organizers learned about the Card Chords, the booth was moved to the Innovation Showcase Area, which highlights the most innovative products of the year. Good stuff but let’s move on!
Music Entertainment, Education, and Elevation – The Pillars of NAMM Embodied in Card Chords
The NAMM Show is among the longest-running musical events in the United States. Its longevity could never be achieved if its foundation wasn’t rock-solid; created to bring music fans, inventors, and players together, each NAMM Show is fun, academic, and forward-thinking.
Since Mike Grande, the founder of Card Chords belongs to all three groups, it is not a coincidence that his company encapsulates the very same attributes the NAMM organization strives to uphold.
As a guitar player, teacher, and innovator, Mike understood what most guitarists lacked and needed to achieve consistent progress. Music lessons can be boring; standard tabs are rarely reliable (and accurate) while private tutoring isn’t for everyone. These are just some of the reasons why Card Chords were designed – to bring back the fun in learning how to play music and do so while delivering predictable results.
Music Fans Were Beyond Impressed
Not all people attending the NAMM Show are seasoned veterans with at least a dozen tours under their belts. Many NAMM attendees are die-hard music fans and music tech enthusiasts who enjoy watching how professionals and leading innovators are changing the playbook for musicians worldwide.
The simplicity and efficiency of Card Chords grabbed the attention of hundreds of non-musicians, many of which decided to pick up a guitar and start learning right away at the Booth 5545.
Mike and his team explained that Card Chords are purposefully designed to be portable and practical. With the plainest of instructions, dozens of music fans picked up guitars from the 11-foot guitar wall at Card Chords’ booth, placed a Card Chord under the strings, and began learning basic chords.
Influencers Were Excited to Try Them Out
Trendsetters, people with sizable social media followings, and influencers with large fan bases across various platforms are commonplace at NAMM Shows. Actively searching for the next big thing, many of these prominent individuals came to Booth 5545 to see Card Chords in action.
Among dozens of influential figures visiting the Innovation Showcase, Steve Stine of Guitar Zoom was one of the first to check out Card Chords. A featured instructor in Guitar World magazine and former professor of Modern Guitar Studies at North Dakota State University, Steve shares the same views as Mike and was thrilled about the idea behind Card Chords.
Numerous other guitar influencers praised the attention to detail Mike Grande and his team invested in creating what is sure to replace traditional and digital tabs.
Legendary Guitarists Loved Card Chords
Guitar players from household bands are all but a rare sight at NAMM Shows. At this year’s Anaheim event, some of the most iconic guitarists jumped from booth to booth doing interviews, testing the newest gear, and meeting their fans along the way.
As the crowd in front of the Card Chords booth kept getting bigger, the legendary Rudy Sarzo decided to swing by.
The bassist of numerous high-profile music groups, including Dio, Quiet Riot, Angel, Whitesnake, Blue Oyster Cult, and Ozzy Osbourne to name a few, Rudy is among the most accomplished and knowledgeable musicians out there. He loved the concept of Card Chords and conveyed that it’s great that today’s generations have an opportunity to learn how to play the guitar in minutes.
Card Chords Work with All Guitars
One of the main reasons why Card Chords made such big waves during the 2023 NAMM Show is that these tabs are compatible with guitars of all makes, shapes, and sizes. Mike Grande knew that the number of guitar-making companies keeps increasing and wanted to ensure anyone and everyone could use his Card Chords to start learning the simplest chords at home.
Mike explained that Card Chords come in three editions. He created the Stratocaster Edition Card Chords for guitarists who own a Strat, Telly, Squire, Ibanez, Jackson, or Yamaha guitar models; the Les Paul Edition of Card Chords was designed for boutique instruments, including Gibson, Epiphone, and Gretsch guitars.
For players that own a guitar from any other brand, Mike created the Universal Card Chords Edition. It is compatible with any and all guitars with the exception of nylon-strung acoustic instruments.
Inspiring New Generations of Self-Taught Musicians
Mike Grande and his team came to the NAMM Innovation Showcase with a simple goal – to empower emerging guitar players across the globe with simple-to-use guitar-learning tools that would eliminate the need for YouTube tutorials, private tutors, and online music lessons.
With Card Chords, guitarists now have an opportunity to decide where, how, and when they want to take their music-learning journey. Whether it be at home, at a friend’s home, outdoors, or wherever rock music is blasting, Card Chords enable you to learn basic guitar chords in minutes.
Come and Grab Your Card Chords Set
After a remarkably successful run at the NAMM Show, Card Chords stays the course in its mission to provide beginner guitarists with simple means to learn and have fun at the same time. Card Chords are available at the official online store, so whenever you’re ready to begin, just follow this link.
