Travis Perry, inventor of the ingenious guitar device, ChordBuddy, talks to EarnTheNecklace about what he has been doing after appearing on the business-reality show “Shark Tank.” Not only has his revolutionary idea helped in teaching people how to play the guitar instantly, but it has also helped the surrounding community in a big way. ChordBuddy has been updated, and you’d want to know about it!
For those who are not aware of this “Shark Tank” product, the ChordBuddy is an attachment for a guitar which enables beginners to learn the four basic chords, without all the initial finger pain. One simply has to attach the device to the neck of a guitar and follow instructions which help in identifying the finger placement according to a color guide. The booklet also offers some ChordBuddy songs which are fast to learn.
The simple yet effective idea struck Perry when he saw his daughter, Bradi struggling with guitar basics. From there on, Perry has come a long way especially after gaining attention on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” where he partnered up with Robert Herjavec for a $175,000 investment for a 20% stake. Since then, ChordBuddy has been doing great in sales, with numbers shooting up to a reported $2.0 million!
Here’s what Travis Perry has to say about the product and his growing success.
Q: It must be very exciting to see ChordBuddy receive so much love over the years. I learned that your product has been on many retail shelves and doing great in sales. Do you see ChordBuddy becoming a staple for first-time guitar learners?
Yes, ChordBuddy has proven to be the fastest way to play and learn. Over 600,000 have learned to play the guitar instantly using ChordBuddy,” Perry said. As a matter of fact, ChordBuddy is available in big places like Target, BestBuy, Walmart, and also on Amazon.com.
Q: Your YouTube channel is full of videos of you teaching students at various schools. That must have been a great experience. Has the product intrigued them enough to come back to you for further lessons?
A: We do have a “life after ChordBuddy” program. So, we do welcome our customers to take advantage of that. But it is not a necessity as there is so much guitar instructions out there these days.”
Q: I was awed by the fact that you wanted to keep the manufacturing of the product within the United States. Has it helped people get more jobs with you through ChordBuddy?
A: For sure. Just ChordBuddy alone has resulted in over 50 hirings.
Q: On a more financial note, has ChordBuddy met sales targets over the years before marketing the product?
A: ChordBuddy continues to make and reach new goals. In today’s new world of social marketing, it is a moving target. So, staying on top of this is an ongoing challenge we strive to meet.
Q: I understand that Chord Buddy has been doing great in Alabama. Do you see your product gaining more popularity across the nation and even worldwide?
A: We now offer ChordBuddy in 5 languages.
Q: Chord Buddy can be used by special learners, too. That must have been an emotional journey for you. How has Chord Buddy helped in music therapy?
A: Oh wow! This market is so important to us. But to honest we did not have this market in mind when I invented ChordBuddy. But as the product started gaining traction, more and more people with special needs started letting us know how important it was to them. Because without ChordBuddy most of them would never be able to play.
Q: I am very keen to know how far along your daughter Bradi has come in learning the guitar. What do your friends and family have to say about your journey so far?
A: Haha, well Bradi did learn to play, but she found that guitar was not her thing. Bradi found the piano was more her deal and still plays and is getting good. But the thing to note here is that, if it were not for ChordBuddy, she most likely would not have found her love for music and started learning the piano.
Q: Now that you’ve successfully found a way to help people learn the guitar so easily, is there another instrument learning system in the works? Will there be a “Buddy” product line for other music learners?
We hope all of you students and parents are happy about this back to school season! May you all have a wonderful time in…
Posted by The Chord Buddy on Friday, August 24, 2018
A: I’m Glad you asked! As a matter of fact we are in development of a ChordBuddy for the Ukulele. And we are trying hard to have it out for Christmas 2018. The brand also launched it’s very own line of acoustic guitars which are also available online.
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