THE THUMB (Transcribed by GIBSON BOY)

This time, I am presenting the melody statement and ad-lib transcription of “The Thumb,” a typical 12-bar blues number. “The Thumb” is performed on the album Tequila (V6-8653), released by Verve in 1966. This album features strings in the background and contains several somewhat pop-oriented tracks, but this track uniquely showcases hard bop jazz. The instrumentation, although including congas, is essentially like a piano-less trio (guitar, bass, drums, congas).

One of the characteristics of Wes’s guitar playing is the thick, warm tone, which is precisely the sound plucked by his thumb. Isn’t “The Thumb” a perfectly fitting title for a Wes composition?

Ad-lib Analysis The key of this blues is G. The ad-lib play is performed using octave technique and block chord technique. There is a slight use of Wes’s characteristic tritone substitution (in the 4th bar of solo B, substituting the G7 with a D♭7 and breaking it down into II m7 – V7), but otherwise, it is a straightforward blues with no tricks. Without piano backing, Wes inserts counter chords between ad-lib melodies and humorously incorporates phrases reminiscent of Count Basie’s “Splanky” in the block chords (solo G~). Additionally, as another effect, inserting counter chords (solo C~) enhances the swing feel, and playing the same note as quarter notes for three and a half bars (solo A, bars 9-12) effectively brings out the swing feel. These ideas are highly instructive.

This piece serves as excellent practice for both the octave technique and block chord technique.

GIBSON BOY