WORKSHOP Funk HOW TO FUNK LIKE RONNY JORDAN, ‘ONTHE CD Over the past few issues we have been looking to America for great funk Tracks 29309@| guitar playing. This month, we look to London, England, as the jazz grooves wesums | “@®) of Ronny Jordan come under our funk spotlight GT RATING MODERATE ‘Wil improve your: IBYSoN sow breaking on UK radio stations, It was London-based azz guitarist, Ronny Jordan, nal So What ed the original's tempo, featured ‘strong drum loop groove and combined the original's bassline and chords to make a strong guitar part Ronny also created two new melodies to work over the Dorlan progression before tipping his hat to the jazz icon with a more authentic jazz seetion, complete with ‘guitar solo, ‘eo p9 for more info fonallthe GT store “ YOUR GI TUTOR I: the early 90s, there was a major new talent th his reworking of Utimately, the song showed that in Ronny Jordan England had a guitarist who could combine authentic juzz sensibilives with modern R&B arrangements to éreate a new style, With six studio albums under his belt, Ronny (who is now living in New York) is still finding new avenues of allowing the old and new to eo: exist in ever-appealing ways, ‘THE QUIET REVOLUTION Much of Ronny’s style comes from his early days playing guitar in church and listening to countless jazz 76 Guitar Techiques ay 2004 oe records, Ar the same time he was fascinated with the ‘urban rhythms found in funk and hip hop. With such a colourful fusion of styles, it was only @ matter of time before Ronny amalgamated his jazz playing with infectious hip-hop drum breaks. Several years of fine tuning later (inthe early 90s), e signed @ VIEWPOINT RONNY JORDAN ON TODAY'S JAZZ "WHAT MAKES ME SAD about alot of jazz today is old jazz tunes being played where the arrangemenes don't change Sure, some are taking chances with ther solos but noe with arrangements oF form. I is good in one sense in that people want to uphold the are form, but bad in that nothing is developing "You have to move up to another level to make it relevant for today. Thats what ve tried to do with sxandarde lke So What, Mr Walker and Mambo Inn 3¢ swell s songs like Come With Me and Wi@ TRACK RECORD RECOMMENDED LSTENING RONNY HAS RECORDED six albums under his own name — the next one (with George Benson guesting) willbe out this summer He has lo recorded | sith Guru (or the Jaane Yolume One ané volume To albums), Don (on 19928 Unbreakable) and Dj Spinna (on 2003's Here To There), 2 well as recording a funky new version of My Favourite “Things at you can ind on 3 few zz compilations. to Island records and released his debut album, The Antidote, Throughout the 9 tracks, his Gibson ES175 ‘Guitar ‘ones demonstrated that not only did he have strong jazz sensibilities but he could also ereate strong enough melodies without anyone missing vocals. In adaliton, his modem rhythms have been strang enough, to be club savvy enough to fit alongside Incognito or Bobby Brown, For his guitar playing, he has been influenced by a variety of musicians. When I spoke to him a few years ago he picks out three players that moulded his style “1 got into jazz when I was 13, and Wes Montgomery was the guitarist that first inspired me." he said. “Some people think it is George Benson because he had hit recor and a big profile, but people forget about Wes nd Grant Green, Ifit wasnt for those two players, Benson may not have developed the way he did “Thhave spent time with George and he's sad a few times: fit wasnt for those cats I'd be nothing’. They ‘were very influential co bi and having hung out with them, knew what made them tick. WORKSHOP eee oe eee sae Ronny cetoves That real the nuene of Mes, asin Jordan ‘way, acid Jazz or early funky jazz, was put on the map combined by Grant Green who's the architect for acid jazz guitar He really brought lot of funk-type grooves into jazz ‘Where I come into the equation is that 1 use hip hop beats that makes me a litle diferent but really [am coming from that lineage. Overall | got the smoothness ‘of sour from Wes and from Grant, I got the rhythmic attitude, as he had the best fee. Te provided seven examples inthe key of D minor/D major that cover the main elements of Ronny’s style ‘The tempo is at 1O5bpm, which is up’ enough to tap ‘your feet to while giving you enough space to swing 16th notes. Ifyou enjoy this feature, take a trip over to Ronny's website (www-ronnyjordan.com) where you will find a transcription of Ronny You Talk Too Much b yours truly! Have fon. ei authentic jazz with modern R&B to create a new style.” @: SOUND ADVICE ‘GUITARS AND AMP SETTINGS RONNY HAS OFTEN FAVOURED either an E5335 (particularly on A Quiet Revolution) or, more often, an 5-175 for its fll and warm tones: These days Ronny favours a modern Phifer Archtop guitar from New York ‘guitar maker, Woody Phifer For the CD | used my ‘Samick 335 copy gular (serung with a sex of 0! Is) wich ‘the neck piclup selected (a Seymour Duncan Jaz).To {et close tothe warmth of Ronny’ guitar sound. POD Vox AC3O-type emulation proved the most successful with the following settings used: THIS EXAMPLE FEATURES a catchy blues intro before setting Into chord rythm using hybrid picking (pick and fingers) ‘To add variety, a single note line rounds off each four bar phrase. Notice how the two chords (Dm and lb) are made ee ome more interesting by using chord voicings featuring 7ths and 9th extensions. Even when accompanying, Ronny is mindful of providing colour in his playing with these types of approaches. om7 ay 2004 Guitar Telignes 77WORKSHOP EXAMPLE | Be EXAMPLE? LIKE NUMEROUS OTHER jz suitarsts (most notably Wes (EF G ABC) isrounded off nthe fourth bar with chord Montgomery), Ronny uses octaves to Beet up his playing the __voeings in fourths. You ean hear Ronny using these types of rower octave adding warmth and body tothe upper octave. Ialso._chords on tracks like So What which up the sophistication quot encourages you to be more melodie ane les box shape-based without confusing the ondesiing harmon Ifyou ke thie tye of ‘rth your phrasing. Notice how the syncopated D Dorian melody chordal approach, check out jaz plans, McCoy Tyner. Les on . £ re. Dmvadds CmajTadés GSIA F/G om Es STOPS INTHI ‘THIS IS AN appealing way of creating a hook for a song without here is to make sure your timing Is precise and notes don't linger setting in the way of anyone else in the band (80s soul music being on Jonger than they should. Notice that predominantly the third 4 particularly good place to explore). The best approach to use and fourth strings are used to Keep the sound consistent. 18 2a |=105 ome an me AM mo att Dn? Te — 767 ie 31e oo a 78 Guitar Techriques Mav 2004