Contemporary Chord Khancepts: Guitar Book & Online Audio

Khan's method treats chord construction as a logical, learnable system rather than a collection of isolated shapes. The inclusion of five original compositions written specifically for this book gives students immediate, musically rewarding context for applying what they've learned, and the recorded examples let them hear exactly how these concepts sound in practice.

The material has an intellectual clarity without being dry; Khan's reputation for sophisticated harmony comes through in both the written explanations and the recorded examples. The original compositions sparkle with the kind of harmonic color that these techniques make possible, motivating continued study.

This book suits guitarists with solid foundational technique who are ready to expand their harmonic vocabulary and understand chord construction from first principles. Jazz students, fusion players, and anyone seeking to move beyond memorized voicings will find Khan's systematic approach particularly valuable.

• Work through the examples with the recordings first to internalize the sound of each chord construction before attempting to play along.
• Focus on one building block at a time rather than moving through the book sequentially; return to earlier concepts once you have new material in your fingers.
• Use the play-along tracks to test your harmonic understanding in a musical context, isolating individual chord forms if accuracy isn't immediate.
• Record yourself playing the study units to develop ear awareness of how each harmonic extension changes the character of the underlying chord.

This works best as an independent study resource for advanced jazz students or guitarists pursuing a more theoretical understanding of harmony. The compositions could anchor a student recital or serve as performance material once the harmonic concepts are internalized.

• Understanding chord construction through superimposition of familiar and extended forms
• Recognizing and applying harmonic extensions (ninths, elevenths, thirteenths)
• Building a personal vocabulary of chord voicings based on logical principles rather than rote memorization
• Translating harmonic concepts into musical performance through the original compositions
• Developing ear training by connecting written harmony to recorded examples