The title is a play on words: “Four on Six” refers to the tune’s 4/4 meter played over a six-string guitar, a humorous reference to the guitar itself. The piece is also closely associated with Montgomery’s distinctive harmonic and melodic approach.
It was recorded in 1960 on The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, the album that helped establish Montgomery as one of the major voices in jazz guitar.
Four on Six begins with a distinctive intro based on a sequence of perfect fifths separated by fourths intervals with the guitar line moving together with the bass and piano. The introduction resolves into a short chord movement (Bbmaj7, Gm7, Abm7, Am7, D7#9)
The first melodic section draws heavily from the G Aeolian sound, creating a strong connection between the melody and the underlying harmony (Gm7, C7), actually a short ii V sequence. It then returns to a chordal figure similar to the one heard in the introduction.
The following section shifts into short ii–V progressions , where the same melodic pattern is repeated in four different keys (Cm7 - F7 ; Bbm7 - Eb7 ; Am7 - D7 ; Ebm7 - Ab7).