Support Center:
I have provided answers to the most commonly asked questions along with other useful information to help you get started. If you have additional questions, please let me know by email.

Printable Order Form

What is NEW in the second edition.

Where are the 100 Songs?

General questions:
How do I connect with my teacher, Eric Roberts?
How long does it take to ship?
I want to start a class and teach this material for my home school or youth group.  What do I do?

Product Answers:
What is included in the complete modern worship guitar program? (Pro Pack Plus)
I already own part of the program. How do I order single books or DVDs?
About the 30-Day money back guarantee?

Editions:
Find out about current and past editions
Edition Upgrades

Course Content:
How long does it take to complete the course?
What exactly does the complete course cover?
What is the age level of the course?
I already know a few chords. Where do I start?
I struggle with singing while playing.  Will this course help me?
I already play guitar but want to go deeper by learning new techniques.  Will this help me?
Do this course teach music theory?
Do you teach me how to read notes?
Will this help me lead worship or be in a band?
How can you really play 100 songs with only 8 chords?
Why just 8 chords?
When do I learn more than 8 chords?
Why do some of the chords look different in your book?
Where do I go once I have completed the 1-2-3 course?

Buying Guide for Guitars and Strings:
What kind of guitar should I start with?
I am a girl or a smaller child and cant get my arm around the acoustic easily.  What do I get?
What type of string are the best?
Should I use an electric or an acoustic?
Why would I want an Electric/Acoustic?
Where should I purchase my guitar?
How much will a guitar cost?
Are guitar packs a good deal?

Answers to questions submitted by email:
Where do I start???
What form of G and C chord should I use?

General Questions:

How do I connect with my teacher, Eric Roberts?
It is easy to connect with me by sending an email from the contact page. For questions you may have during your study, it is best to send an email so I can respond quickly and accurately. If you do not get a response within a few days, call the number listed in the contact section. Sometimes email goes to trash and sometimes my responses back to students get a bounce back. Leave you phone number at the bottom of your email so in case this happens I can contact you by phone. (top)

How long does it take to ship?
The Pro Pack Plus Express Shipping will arrive withing 5-7 business days. Normal book orders will arrive within 2-4 weeks.  Many times they come much sooner but please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery. You will receive an email notifying you that your items have shipped. (top)

I want to start a class and teach this material for my home school or youth group.  What do I do?
I offer special pricing and printings for groups.  Contact me, let me know what you are thinking about and I will send you the group purchase information.  I have many groups that study this program around the country and have heard great success stories.  It works well with one moderator (teacher) who knows how to play and can commit to teaching a weekly class.  Small groups of 2-5 work great. Up to 10 students can work with a qualified teacher. (top)

The Products:

What is included in the complete modern worship guitar program (Pro Pack Plus)?
When you purchase the Pro Pack Plus, you receive 3 Books (under 1 cover) with 3 play along CDs, 6 DVDs which include in-depth video lessons to walk you through each step of the way, lesson plans for each lesson (46 total), notes from the teacher for each lesson with in-depth explanations of the lessons and special tips to help you learn the material quickly and a Practice Journal to track your progress throughout the year. You also receive a FREE Songbook with 100 TOP WORSHIP SONGS and 1 Year Free acces to the worship guitar video vault which contains Bonus video lessons to help you learn even more and connect with your teacher, Eric Roberts. (top)

I already own part of the program. How do I order single books or DVDs?
If you have previously purchased single books or DVDs and need to order others, please contact me by email with your request. I will do my best to provide them to you as a special order. (top)

Where are the 100 songs?
When you purchase the complete program package, you receive an awesome praise and worship songbook (Paperback Songs Praise and Worship) with over 100 of the top worship songs. A list of the songs is found on the home page. You can also download songs from WorshiptheKing at the download songs section and you can purchase additional songbooks from the online store. Each songbook has detailed information. The Praise and Worship Fake Book includes over 400 songs... 185 of which can be played with just the 8 chords in my program!

With your purchase of the the Pro Pack Plus or the Video Vault Membership, you will also receive chord sheets and play along tracks and video lessons to learn how to play some of my top new worship songs.

We do not offer free downloads of chord sheets from major publishers on our site. I encourage my students to purchase songbooks and to become a good enough player to play from any song chart or music sheet. My personal songs are provided at the download songs section and you may use them as you are learning. The chord charts and the audio examples are available. In our blogs and the Download Songs Section, I list several web sites that have free praise and worship chord sheets and some paid services where you can get chord sheets.

There are many more than 100 songs available to my students. Once you have mastered my techniques, you will be able to play hundreds and thousands of songs in any style of music. I do not simply teach you to read from easy chord charts, but I teach the fundamentals of music theory and help you understand how music really works. (top)

What is the money back guarantee?
Because I believe so firmly that you will absolutely love our products, I offer a 30-day NO RISK FULL MONEY BACK GUARANTEE on all of the 8 Chords 100 Songs products.  If you are not completely satisfied with the program or book you purchased from our store, simply pack it back up and mail it back for a full refund of your purchase price PLUS a $5.00 shipping credit to cover your return shipping charges.  With your return shipment, include a paper with your name and address and the reason you are returning your items and we will send you a check for your complete payment and initial shipping charges. If you decide to you return the complete program, keep the free worship CD. (Does not include guitars, accessories, ebooks, digital products and worship guitar video vault purchases.) (top)

Course Content:

How long does it take to complete the course?
The core program includes Method Book 1-2-3 and is written and structured to be completed in about 1 year. Some students may finish early and some may take longer. The worship guitar video vault contains bonus lessons and continuing education videos that will help you continue to learn for many years. (top)

What exactly does the complete course cover?
This course is the most complete guitar course I have seen in over 15 years of teaching and playing.  It starts at the beginning and takes you through everything including chords, strumming, picking, exercises, songs, finger picking, using a capo, music theory and playing the top worship songs with professional technique.  This is a course for beginners. It will take you from knowing nothing about guitar to being a real guitar player. (top)

What is the age level of the course?
I suggest my course for students 10 years old and up.  This course was originally written for the older beginner but I have seen and heard from my students across the country that students as early as 8 years old have worked through Book 1 and began playing songs. I know that some younger students may succeed but they will most definitely face a bigger challenge.  To help younger students, it is best to have a guitar that fits properly.  See the buyer's guide section for guitar sizes and suggestions. (top)

I already know a few chords. Where do I start?
Start at the beginning!  Why?  I teach you fundamental techniques and modern forms of the basic chords.  Even intermediate players can learn a new shape for an old chord!  If you feel and play confidently, you will move quickly through to the sections that will take you to the next level in your playing. (top)

I struggle with singing while playing.  Will this course help me?
YES!  I focus on this specifically and teach you techniques to learn to sing and strum at the same time. (top)

I already play guitar but want to go deeper by learning new techniques.  Will this help me?
YES!  I have see players go through my course that have been playing for 15 years and come out saying that they learned a ton!  It doesn’t surprise me that this is a common occurrence because most players never really stdy the WHY of what they are doing on guitar.  My course is very in depth but still very easy to understand.  It helps you cover some of the bases you may have missed early on and builds a stronger foundation for you to become an even better player. (top)

Do this course teach music theory?
YES! I teach you the theory you need to know to rise above the level of mediocre playing.  In fact, my course covers at least the first year of college music theory and applies it directly to the guitar and worship.  Transposing, the Nashville Number System, learning the notes on the neck, keys and signatures, improvising and much more.  It is all covered in my course in a simple and step-by-step way that you will love and enjoy learning.  It also applies to your playing which makes it even better. (top)

Do you teach me how to read notes?
YES!  The section on reading notes gets you started by learning notes on the staff and how to find and play them on the guitar.  This happens in Book 3 after you are playing a ton of songs.  I don’t start you off and waste time in the beginning with this topic because it usually frustrates beginners.  But, it is very helpful to learn to read music and I help you get started doing it in this course. (top)

Will this help me lead worship or be in a band?
Absolutely!  You will be able to lead worship and LEAD the band once you have completed my course.  Many of my students already lead worship for their youth group and even for their main services.  (top)

How can you really play 100 songs with only 8 chords?
Actually, you can play thousands and thousands of songs with just 4 chords.  Most popular songs contain 3-4 chords. Once you know the 8 chords in my program, you will be able to play a ton of songs in the key of G and D.  Using your capo, you will be able to play in any key and play songs in any style of music. (top)

Why just 8 chords?
While leading worship for hundreds of people week after week, I noticed my band was using about 4-6 chords for the entire worship set.  Also, after watching pro worship leaders like Chris Tomlin, Matt Redmann and Paul Baolche, I realized they were playing song after song with just 3 or 4 simple chords.  Seemed silly to me to keep pounding young beginners with pages and pages of chords charts.  I simplified my teaching method and now my students are able to strum and play their favorite songs within a few short lessons.  Once they are inspired, they continue to be encouraged as they learn new techniques and theory that make them an even better player.  With my approach, students do not get overwhelmed and quit in the early stages.  They do not spend 6 months in lesson without playing a full song.  In fact, they are playing a full song within the first month of lessons! (top)

When do I learn more than 8 chords?
You really do learn more than 8 chords in this program.  But, the foundation of the program is built upon the 8 chords in the key of G and D.  Though book 3, you will learn suspended chords, slash chords and other forms of popular chords.  Once you learn and master the fundamental 8 chords in this program, you will be able to play any other open chord with ease. (top)

Why do some of the chords look different in your book?
As you will learn, there are more than a few ways to play (voice) each chord.  The chords I teach in the beginning are popular and widely used chord shapes used by the top guitar players in the world.  They look different from the traditional shapes that some beginner books teach.  When you play thes modern voicing of the common chords you will sound more like the pros because these are the forms they are using in the popular chart toping songs.  Also, I picked these shapes because they sound the best and are easiest to learn.  Once you have the hang of these shapes, you will be able to easily make all of the other shapes.  (top)

Where do I go once I have completed the 1-2-3 course?
The next step in my structure for study is to learn a few more open chords and then begin to learn and develop your ability to play barre (bar) chords and moveable scales.  This is covered in the worship guitar workshop compilation. Bonus and continuing education videos are added to the worship guitar video vault to help you go further and continue to learn through the online school. (top)

Worship Guitar Online School Video Vault:

Do I need high speed Internet to access online videos?
Yes, you will need DSL or Cable Internet to successfully view the online flash videos. (top)

What is included in the Worship Guitar Video Vault?
It includes everything you need to complete my entire program online with Streaming Videos, PDFs, and MP3 Downloads. Flash streams for the core videos that take you through book 1-2-3 and special bonus lessons and continuing education videos to help you learn techniques and songs for worship.  Get special Skype access to your teacher, Eric Roberts. You will also find MP3s and chord sheets for special worship songs from WorshiptheKing.com. Special charts, tabs and songs are available as downloadable material.

How do I log in to the Worship Guitar Video Vault?
Simply come to the 8chords100songs.com website and click on the "Log In" button directly below the main top navigation bar. Enter your email and your password that you used to create your online store account.  Paypal student login is only for alumni students with prior paypal login accounts. (top)

(Alumni Students) How do I cancel my online school subscription?
Simply log in to your 8chords online store account (use the email and password you used to create your account)and click on MY ACCOUNT in the SCHEDULED ORDERS section, DELETE in your product order status.  Once you delete this product, your subscription payments will stop and you will no longer have access to the online school.

Paypal alumni subscribers, you must log into your paypal account, search subscriptions, find the ACTIVE subscription and click cancel. (top)

Buying Guitars and Strings:

What kind of guitar should I start with?
This is a huge question and the decision you make on what type, size and quality of guitar can affect your journey to learn in a really positive way or a terribly negative way.  Before you make a purchase or just grab the guitar from your basement and start strumming, read my advice here in the support center. (top)

I am a girl or a smaller child and cant get my arm around the acoustic easily.  What do I get?
They make an acoustic guitar with a thin body just for you.  The auditorium style guitar has a smaller body and is great for girls and younger kids.  The bloom guitars are just like this and they also plug in so you can run them to an amp or a sound system. (top)

What type of string are the best?
The best strings for a beginner are light gauge.  For an electric, use .09 gauge strings (most common) and for an acoustic use with a .10 or .11 gauge.  No thicker than .12 on an acoustic.  The thicker the gauge of the strings you use, the harder it is to press down, make sound and sustain practice time without pain.  In the beginning, it is best to take your guitar to a local shop and ask for it to be set up with a light gauge string.  (top)

Should I use an electric or an acoustic?
Either one is going to work just fine.  An electric is easier to play for a beginner because the strings are lighter, less tension and the body is smaller.  Acoustics are usually more desirable because of their beautiful sound and portability.  For a small child, I always recommend an electric because it is much easier.  You can purchase a small battery powered amplifier for a great price to avoid spending too much on the amp (plus it won’t drive everyone in the house crazy).  (top)

Why would I want an Electric/Acoustic?
An electric/acoustic is an acoustic guitar that has a pickup under the saddle and can plug into an amp or a sound system.  If you plan on leading worship soon, this is a great feature.  You can always use an external pickup in your sound hole (about $100.00) but the onboard preamp in most acoustic/electric guitar is a really nice feature to have.  It allows you to control the EQ settings and the volume with switches on the side of the guitar. (top)

Where should I purchase my guitar?
First, I offer an affordable line of quality beginner instruments at the 8chords online store.  Any of these guitars will be good to start with and the prices are very competitive.  You may also shop at a local guitar shop but heed this important piece of advice that will save you time and MONEY!  Take a friend, a church member or someone in your circle of trust that plays guitar well when you go to make your purchase.  Tell them what you want and have them play and make the deal at the music shop.  Guitar shop sales teams will most likely take advantage of you if you do not know what you want.  A larger price does not mean a better instrument.  (top)

How much will a guitar cost?
For acoustics, a good beginner guitar will cost between $150-300.  This is the price range I suggest for complete beginners.  You will learn enough in your first year to begin to hear the difference in quality and make an informed decision on your next guitar.  The next price level is $300-600 and then $600-1,000.  I advise beginners to stay away from this price range until they really know what they want.  For electrics, you should be able to pick up a decent guitar for about $200.00 and then add an amp for $50-100.  (top)

Are guitar packs a good deal?
For a beginner ELECTRIC guitar, I say YES.  You can usually pick up an electric player pack, which included a guitar, amp, case and some other small accessories for about $200-300.  Two guitar packs I suggest for an electric are the Fender Squire pack or the Dean Player Pack (Dean pack is available in the 8chords store) (top)

For an ACOUSTIC, I say NO!  I don’t like the acoustic packs because they are usually cheap guitar packaged with unnecessary things and the price just goes up.  I suggest picking a good sounding acoustic guitar and then adding an inexpensive case and a few picks.  The Lauren guitars are just as good and sound even better than most acoustic pack guitar. (top)

Answers to questions submitted by email:

Send your questions!

Where do I start???
I own the 8 chords 100 songs song book (from the original method 2005). I have been playing guitar for about 2 years and am to the point where I know a bunch of chords and strum patterns and can play many of the songs in your book plus other songs with a bit more complex chords (but not too much more complex). I can play some barre chords.I don’t need what would be taught in a Guitar Method 1 book. What could I do with your online school? Maybe start in the middle?

ANSWER:
Yes, you can start in the middle and I think it would help. Look through the entire video lesson content. You will see book 2 is picking and fingerpicking, palm mute etc with more intermediate techniques and book 3 is music theory and lots of other things that are important to learn. You can start at whatever point you need. (top)

What form of G and C chord should I use?
I have one quick question. I note that you use do not use the standard G or C that I know. Can I use the standard G and C that I learned, or is it advisable to use the ones that you show in the book? I can already move between the chords pretty quickly, but don't have a pivot finger. Is that important?

ANSWER:
You should learn all forms of the chords. It really depends on the song and the next chord in the song what chord shape you will use. Many of the modern worship songs and bands use the forms that I teach in my program and you also have the 3rd finger in common which makes it much easier for a beginner to switch between chords. (top)

Information about current and past editions of the program

What is NEW in the 2nd edition Released August 2008:
The second edition is available now.   The 2nd edition is a fully revised version of the 8 Chords 100 Songs program 1st edition.  It follows the same format as the first edition with 3 separate books.  A big change in the 2nd edition is that the lesson plans are now weaved into the text of the books.  Each lesson plan precedes the material for the lesson.  This will help students follow through much easier.  Also, the notes from the teacher section have been revised for some of the lessons to help the students understand the lesson better.  Page numbers, CD tracks and other important information has been simplified for each lesson.  The new Second Edition Worship Pro Pack Plus! comes with a practice journal and a songbook with top worship songs. It also includes DVD video lessons to take you through each step of your journey to learn worship guitar. (top)

Second Edition Upgrades Available:
For those who purchased the 1st edition ProPak or Complete Program, you may receive an upgrade to the 2nd edition. You may also be eligigle to receive a free pass to the video vault. To receive details, please send and email with your name, approximate date of purchase, how you purchased (paypal, online store, convention), what email address you used for your purchase and what product you purchased.  Once confirmed and approved, I will send you confirmation and instructions. (top)

First Edition - Release Date April 2006 Book 1-2-3
This edition included 3 method books with lesson plans in the back of each book.  6 DVDS with video lessons.  The lesson plans are located in the back of the book.  The Original Songbook (yellow cover) in this edition has 23 songs from the program and is intended to supplement the learning from the method book.  The first edition is no longer available.  (top)

2004 Pioneer Edition - Release Date August 2004
This is the first printing and the pioneer edition of the program before it was split and the video course was added.  Much of the information is the same but is arranged differently and does not follow the video series in terms of order.  The songbook (purple cover) in this series had song sheets with CDS.  The lesson plans were in a separate workbook.  There were 5 CDS with this edition. The pioneer edition is no longer available.  (top)