So - how did Wes Montgomery play the guitar?

[Christian Miller]

New video up!

I think in the end I've come down more on Paul Shigihara/John Abercrombie's etc assessment that Wes was mostly slurring the faster 8th note stuff. But there are some cheeky up strokes in there..

[TF]

Thanks, Mr. Miller!

I have always imagined that Wes developed his skill, when he was first learning, by focusing on sound and tone FIRST, before developing and expanding his note choices. He created a beautiful tone with his thumb, and saw no need for a pick. At that point, he could begin developing his genius musical concepts. He already had sound and tone covered.

The lesson I would derive would be to sound good FIRST, and think about note choice SECOND.

I may be completely off base here. But in performance, I personally have gotten a lot more mileage from sounding good, than from my musical concepts, which are not extremely advanced.

[Aiq]

Another winner, I look forwatd to a deeper drive when I finish the Wolf Marshall xcription.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

I have always imagined that Wes developed his skill, when he was first learning, by focusing on sound and tone FIRST, before developing and expanding his note choices. He created a beautiful tone with his thumb, and saw no need for a pick.

Wes played with his thumb because he had to practice late at night - he had a day gig as a machinist. He had to play quietly to avoid disturbing his neighbors.

[Mick-7]

Wes played with his thumb because he had to practice late at night - he had a day gig as a machinist. He had to play quietly to avoid disturbing his neighbors.

I heard it was his kids he didn't want to disturb (he had quite a few of them). I can't imagine his playing disturbing his neighbors, that would be a disturbance I'd welcome!

[PMB]

Another excellent vid, Christian.

You mention around the 11'30" mark that Wes breaks the slur rule on the triplet but I reckon he plays something closer to this - eighth notes with a triplet swing feel slurring from weak to strong except that the 'and' is subdivided:

[Christian Miller]

Another excellent vid, Christian.

You mention around the 11'30" mark that Wes breaks the slur rule on the triplet but I reckon he plays something closer to this - eighth notes with a triplet swing feel slurring from weak to strong except that the 'and' is subdivided:

Could be!


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[MarkRhodes]

Wes played with his thumb because he had to practice late at night - he had a day gig as a machinist. He had to play quietly to avoid disturbing his neighbors.

I have heard this story.
I do not doubt that Wes said this.
But after all these years of hearing it, I still think what I immediately thought when first hearing it: Turn Down The Amp! You don't have to practice loud.

I'm glad Wes did what he did. I'm with Joe Pass in thinking the Trinity of jazz guitar is Django, Charlie, and Wes. But it never made sense to me to say that he played with his thumb BECAUSE if he used a pick, it would wake the neighbors.

[Christian Miller]

I have heard this story.
I do not doubt that Wes said this.
But after all these years of hearing it, I still think what I immediately thought when first hearing it: Turn Down The Amp! You don't have to practice loud.

I doubt he was playing plugged. An old school jazz box is still plenty loud enough to wake the kids. I speak from personal experience.

[wintermoon]

I doubt he was playing plugged. An old school jazz box is still plenty loud enough to wake the kids. I speak from personal experience.

He was plugged in, its well documented and his wife confirmed it.

[Christian Miller]

He was plugged in, its well documented and his wife confirmed it.

[citation needed]


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[djg]

MUSIC / Wes Montgomery (March 6. 1923 – June 15, 1968): In the Year of the 100th Anniversary of his Birth / Kenneth Parsons I Drunk Monkeys | Literature, Film, Television

I refused to play unamplified, so I'm sitting in my house playing, you know — happy, but when I used my brand-new amplifier, I guess I didn't think about the neighbors.

[Christian Miller]

I’ll let someone else disentangle this one then…..

I think we can reasonably say Wes sometimes liked to pull people’s legs sometimes.


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[Cunamara]

I have no idea what Wes did or didn't do. All I know is that I'm not necessarily any quieter playing with my thumb than I am with a pick.

[Christian Miller]

I have no idea what Wes did or didn't do. All I know is that I'm not necessarily any quieter playing with my thumb than I am with a pick.

I definitely notice a difference, but I do pick quite loudly.


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[GuyBoden]

Very good video, well done.

[2bornot2bop]

Any examination of Wes” style or music, sign me up!

But the complexity of putting it all together at speed and tone is an entirely different matter. I’ve heard a few on YouTube do it, and I’m amazed every time. I’d imagine it takes years to be able to play and sound like him.

[Joseph2]

Respectfully, back then home air conditioning was a luxury, window units, & actually not needed very often in Indiana- but everyone had the windows open.
And Wes developed his sound specifically as an electric- not acoustic- guitarist. A very light touch on the right thumb, frequent slurring, legato of left hand, & constant muting. If you only practice that technique acoustically, you're in for an unpleasant surprise when you plug in and hear how much extraneous noise you're making that escaped your attention. Kind of what today's finger tappers go through too.