How to Play Drop 2 Chords Like Wes Montgomery: 5 Chord Vocabulary Phrases in G Minor

Short answer: A drop 2 is a chord voicing you get by taking a closed voicing (all the notes as close together as possible) and dropping the second-highest note an octave, which makes it playable on guitar. Wes Montgomery's chord solos lean on a small toolkit in G minor: G-7 drop 2 voicings (often just the three-note G minor triad), the same shape moved up to A-7 when the melody hits A or C, a diminished voicing that acts as D7♭9, and chromatic side-steps like F♯-7 into G-7. Above all, keep the melody and rhythm of each phrase very clear.

In this lesson we look at Wes Montgomery's drop 2 voicings and five pieces of chord vocabulary from his solos. I assume a little knowledge of drop 2s, so I go over them quickly first. If you already know them, skip ahead to the first example. ▶ 0:00 ▶ 3:11

What is a drop 2 voicing?

A drop 2 is a type of chord voicing, an arrangement of the notes of a chord, based on what we call a closed voicing: all the notes as close together as possible. For G-7 that's G, B♭, D and F. Closed voicings are the easiest on piano because the notes sit right next to each other, but on guitar the way the strings are tuned spreads your hand out, so they're very hard to play. ▶ 0:32

So instead, we take the second-highest note from the top and drop it an octave. That's where the name comes from. If you drop the third-highest note an octave, you have a drop 3. There's also drop 2 and 4, where you drop the second and fourth notes an octave. Drop 2s are very common guitar chords. ▶ 1:10

The foundation: G-7 drop 2s plus one diminished voicing

The G-7 drop 2 voicings only contain G, B♭, D and F. So we mix in a diminished voicing that acts as D7♭9, basically our V dominant sound. Put the two together and you get a melodic scale of chords. This is one of the things Barry Harris is really well known for. ▶ 1:56

You can think of that diminished voicing as F♯ diminished 7, or, the way I like to think about it, a D7♭9 without the root. Then it alternates: diminished, G-7, diminished, G-7. That's the basis for all the chord vocabulary in this lesson. ▶ 2:31

Example 1: the G minor triad and moving up to A-7 (Bumpin' on Sunset)

The first example is from Wes's solo on "Bumpin' on Sunset." ▶ 3:11 ▶ 6:20

• He often leaves out the F. In these chord solos, which he's known for playing in the later parts of his solos, when Wes plays this type of G-7 drop 2 he often skips the F and uses a three-note shape: basically a G minor triad. ▶ 3:30
• He moves the same shape up instead of changing chords. When he wants to use C in the melody, instead of using the D7♭9, he moves the G-7 voicing up to an A-7 voicing. ▶ 3:50
• This is a pattern for notes outside the chord. For notes that aren't G, B♭, D or F (F♯, A, C or E♭), with the A and the C Wes will often use the same voicing moved up: G minor to A minor. You'll see that a lot in these examples. ▶ 4:14

Picking: when he slides into this voicing and plays the eighth notes and 16th notes, I like to use down, down, up, down. Wes uses his thumb, which changes things, but with a pick, practice it slowly with the two downs in a row. ▶ 4:35

Melody and rhythm first: in all of these examples, notice how clear Wes's melody and rhythm are on these chords. They're very exact. If you're struggling with chord soloing, make sure you have a very clear melodic and rhythmic intent. ▶ 5:08

Example 2: an F♯-7 side-step and D7♭9 (Bumpin')

The second example comes from the song "Bumpin'." Bumpin' and Bumpin' on Sunset are two different songs with very similar names. ▶ 6:20

• It starts with G minor and A minor using just the three-note voicings, then G minor and A minor again. ▶ 5:51
• Then the sneaky part: Wes plays an F♯-7 drop 2 to lead into G minor. ▶ 6:00
• Going from A to C this time, he uses the diminished chords. That little enclosure from the D7♭9 into G minor is really common, and the PDF has exercises to practice it, including in reverse. You want to be very comfortable with those foundational movements between the two voicings. ▶ 6:20

So on a given melody note you have options. It's not just one chord voicing: you can use the G minor to A minor move, chromaticism from F♯-7, or the D7♭9. ▶ 6:52

Example 3: hear every note of the slide, and know other string sets

The third example is similar to something Wes plays on "Bumpin'," almost a variation of the last one. Two things to get from it: ▶ 7:22

1. The slide up. You want it to sound like all those notes are hitting, not just one full slide. ▶ 7:35
2. Drop 2s on every string set. Don't only know your drop 2s on strings 1 to 4. Learn them on strings 2 to 5 and 3 to 6 too. One of the G-7 options has an open string, which might not be what you're looking for, so get comfortable with drop 2 voicings across the neck by position and string set. ▶ 7:45

The free PDF breaks this down a bunch of ways: by position, by voicing type and by melody note. ▶ 8:18

Example 4: one melodic cell at a time (West Coast Blues)

The fourth example is part of a chord solo from "West Coast Blues." Again, focus on the melody Wes creates first, then how he harmonizes it with these chords. ▶ 8:30

There's a lot of quick movement here. If it's hard at first, don't just play the whole thing. Break it into its melodic cells, practice each one, then put them together. That's the best way to practice these kinds of phrases, rather than playing the whole line over and over until you get it. ▶ 8:54

Example 5: chromatic and back (Naptown Blues)

The last example comes from Wes on "Naptown Blues," another interesting way he uses chromaticism. It's a little tricky at first. ▶ 9:30

It starts with the G-7 drop 2, moves down chromatically and back, then A minor, chromatic and back, G minor again, then the F♯ diminished (D7♭9), chromatic and back, G minor again, D7♭9, and back to G minor. You could keep going with this. At this point in the solo Wes also does a lot with augmented chords, which is beyond the scope of this lesson. ▶ 9:53

How to practice Wes-style chord vocabulary

• Melody first, then chords. Beyond the PDF exercises, make up simple melodies of your own, say in G minor, then fit chords to them. If you hear the melody first and then fit the chords, it comes out more naturally. ▶ 10:32
• Try your thumb. I find the tone is a lot better that way, but since I mainly play with a pick, I tend to practice these with the pick. ▶ 11:03

All five examples, plus exercises by position, voicing type and melody note, are in the free PDF for this lesson. ▶ 2:43

Frequently asked questions

What is a drop 2 chord?

A voicing built from a closed voicing (all the notes as close together as possible) by dropping the second-highest note an octave. Closed voicings are hard to play on guitar, and drop 2s are among the most common guitar chords.

What's the difference between drop 2, drop 3 and drop 2 and 4?

Which notes of the closed voicing you drop an octave: the second-highest for drop 2, the third-highest for drop 3, and the second and fourth for drop 2 and 4.

How does Wes Montgomery use drop 2 chords in his solos?

In these examples he often plays G-7 as just a three-note G minor triad, moves the same shape up to A-7 when the melody hits A or C, uses a diminished voicing as D7♭9, and adds chromatic side-steps like F♯-7 into G-7.

Why use a diminished chord with a minor 7 chord?

The G-7 drop 2s only contain G, B♭, D and F. A diminished voicing (F♯ diminished 7, or D7♭9 without the root) adds the V dominant sound, and alternating the two gives you a melodic scale of chords, which Barry Harris is well known for.

Should I play Wes's chord solos with my thumb or a pick?

Wes uses his thumb, and the tone is a lot better that way. With a pick, practice the slides slowly with down, down, up, down.

Keep learning

• How Wes Montgomery uses arpeggios: eight of Wes's single-note ideas from his "Misty" solo
• How to learn jazz language on guitar: turn phrases like these into vocabulary you can use
• The secret to bebop jazz guitar: chromatic approach patterns: more on the chromatic side-steps and enclosures Wes uses here

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