Forget Bebop Scales. Wes Montgomery Knew One Shape That Works Every Time. #junewonchoi #voiceleading

Added: 2026-05-14

[00:00:07][music] [music] >> If you have ever frozen on fast 2 5 two beats per course, no time to think, there is a reason.

[00:00:29]Wes Montgomery had the answer. So did it Charlie Parker.

[00:00:34]Same answer. Today on The Stablemates.

[00:00:40]People ask me the question about the bebop tune, the fast 2 5 progression in it.

[00:00:50]So, I decided to do this today.

[00:00:56]The Stablemates, but I am going to show how Wes was playing on this fast 2 5 motion or in bebop tune, and then I will connect how he was playing to the how Charlie Parker was playing over the same change.

[00:01:25]So, today is going to be I'm just showing you the fingerboard and explain the how the melody of the Charlie Parker, the Donna Lee, and how Wes was playing over the same progressions in same voicing shapes.

[00:01:48]So, let's right get into it.

[00:01:52]So, first of all, the Stablemates.

[00:01:58]The progression is I said first 2 5 1, yes. And then chromatic 2 5 1.

[00:02:10]So, it is not just the 2 5 1 to the D flat major 7, but is the half step up to 5.

[00:02:20]And then 2 5 we are 2 5 to the D flat major 7.

[00:02:27]But before we see what Wes is solo over this progression, let's see the Donna Lee, the end of the first eight measure, the melody of it, okay?

[00:02:46]So, when the melody lands on the A flat major 7, on the sixth measure over the first eight measure of Donna Lee, it lands on [music] the A flat major 7 and then we have a quick 2 5 >> [music] >> to the D flat major 7 going to the next section.

[00:03:14]So, let's see where and what Charlie Parker was playing over this E flat minor A flat major A flat 7 to the D flat major 7.

[00:03:26]So, the melody lands on the A flat major 7, the major before and right? And then >> [music] >> E flat major E flat minor 7 over here, Charlie Parker played G flat major.

[00:03:44]>> [music] >> Like the way Wes was playing, it could be >> [music] >> the Wes line, right?

[00:03:54]This is coming from this voicing [music] shape, the upper structure.

[00:04:03]>> [music] >> A flat 7.

[00:04:05]And then D flat major 7.

[00:04:09]And let's see what Wes was playing over first couple of measure on Stablemates.

[00:04:19]The quick 25 half step up from 251 is a E minor [music] 7 going to A7.

[00:04:28]What Wes was playing is >> [music] >> Yeah, E minor 7.

[00:04:36]So, he's playing his >> [music] >> Wes line. But then over this chord shape >> [music] >> then it could be in >> [music] >> same notes, but in same shapes on the guitar but Wes was selectively playing what notes off of this chord voicing to make his own sound.

[00:05:18]So, the Charlie Parker plays it >> [music] >> right? But then Wes plays it up up a half step [music] over here.

[00:05:31]And then D flat minor >> [music] [music] >> That is Wes's first phrase on Stablemates.

[00:05:48]>> [music] >> Over here.

[00:05:56]That's his phrase. And where those are coming from?

[00:06:02]>> [music] [music] >> And then couple of days ago on Monday, I showed you the Which tune was it?

[00:06:23]Round Midnight, right?

[00:06:26]So intro of that Round Midnight, that was played on West Montgomery Trio.

[00:06:34]>> [music] >> Right? It's the same structure.

[00:06:46]>> [music] >> Right? And then we have A flat minor.

[00:06:59]>> [music] [music] >> I bring this up because in this tune, Stable Mates, we have 2-5-1 to the G flat major 7.

[00:07:18]Over there, what Wes was playing is >> [music] [music] [music] >> When he's playing that line is It means [music] the flat seven, the dominant function.

[00:07:48]>> [music] >> So, what >> [music] >> he's seeing is the same as the Round Midnight.

[00:08:17]>> [music] >> So, on Round Midnight >> [music] [music] >> on Donna Lee >> [music] [music] >> So, he is moving along with all of these chords voicings.

[00:08:59]>> [music] >> So, that is what I called my curriculum.

[00:09:09]The easiest way to call it is functional diagonal approach. The functional means the function of the chords and depends on which function you are in we could choose either Wes line or Django line.

[00:09:33]So, there's only two options and that is what Wes was playing over certain type of chord, the Wes line, and certain type of chord voicing, that is Django line.

[00:09:49]And then, diagonal approach.

[00:09:53]That voicing is octave below, and the diagonally up, there is octave above.

[00:10:02]The same chord is a rise.

[00:10:05]So, the line goes exactly through those voicings.

[00:10:12]So, functional diagonal approach.

[00:10:17]If you guys want to see more about that, and if you want to see the fretboard the way Wes was looking at, please visit my website. The building blocks are 2 hours of all this basic information for you to know.

[00:10:40]2 hours of free, and 28 pages of PDF files.

[00:10:48]And if you think you are ready to go on to the next step, please submit the score card on my website, or just write into the Wes's insight.

[00:11:01]And if you want to see how I am looking those structures and making my own sound, so that you can make your own sound from it, then June's songbook is ready for you.

[00:11:21]And in the June June's songbook, we are talking about in tunes like Fly Me to the Moon, All the things you are and autumn leaves.

[00:11:35]And all those diatonic circle of fifths motion tune, and I will show you which voicings I'm using for the chord melody and the solo is curated to use those chord melody voicings for making a solo.

[00:11:58]So, this is a building up to the my next big project, which is I will do the blues and my members are waiting so long from beginning of this year.

[00:12:18]They were waiting for the blues. So, I am almost ready to do that and I am more building up to that.

[00:12:30]So, the dominant functions and I will do probably a couple weeks later talking about the blues and my my blues program will be ready soon.

[00:12:40]Please stay in tune and until I will see you next time, keep swinging. Thank you.