POST # 147 Ted Dunbar on Wes Montgomery and Practice

When I first met Wes we talked about playing with the thumb, and he said, "Control is a bitch, ain't it?" He told me to practice with my amp because the guitar and the amp are one instrument. That made so much sense. He perfectly understood how his thumb worked, and he treated it like a science. He also talked about phrasing, saying, "You have to phrase everything you play. No note should be wasted; everything inside a statement should be economical and to the point. The phrasing should have a feeling on it." He was that specific. He understood music with only his ears. Buddy and Monk also had that kind of talent. - Ted Dunbar

( Few player gets so much out of an electric guitar as Wes does and he didn't even use any effects! Although once in a while he'd kick in a Fender vibrato/tremelo effect for ballads. Love the quote about phrasing. - Ed)