Four on Six
Wes Montgomery, 1960, from The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery. Solo by Wes Montgomery.
Thumb-picked single lines give way to octaves and then block chords, the three-stage build that defined his approach.
Four on Six, from The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, shows his approach at full strength. Playing a Gibson L-5CES with his thumb rather than a pick, Wes starts with warm, round single lines, moves into his trademark octaves and then builds to full block chords, raising the intensity at each stage. That three-part structure became a blueprint that countless jazz guitarists studied and copied. The tune itself, a minor-key theme over a tight groove, gives him a strong framework to build on. Listen for the moment he shifts into octaves: the sound thickens without getting louder, and the soft thumb attack keeps even the busiest lines smooth and singing rather than sharp-edged or percussive.
Four on Six by Wes Montgomery is ranked #360 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Wes Montgomery and the song was released in 1960. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #154 (Guitar Tricks).
In our lists
- Genre Champions — #17
- The 25 Greatest Jazz Guitar Solos — #1
- The Best Wes Montgomery Guitar Solos — #1
Sources
Who played the guitar solo on Four on Six?
Wes Montgomery played the solo on Wes Montgomery's Four on Six (1960).
What guitar was used on the Four on Six solo?
A gibson l-5ces, according to widely reported accounts.
Where does Four on Six rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#360 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.