Donne's Passage - from A Light So Fair: Peaceful Guitar Instrumentals
During the Alison Krauss Windy City tour in 2018, Alison suggested I record an album of peaceful, meditative guitar pieces. I took her suggestion to heart. Order the cd or download here.
Usually in the mornings I spend some time in reading and reflection. For this album I'd pull my guitar out after this peaceful, reflective time. A period of experimentation would lead into an idea for a melody, mostly simple and peaceful, which would then lead into an idea for an arrangement. The melodies are variously inspired by the morning sunlight on our fields in Tennessee, walks in the Yorkshire countryside, a river in Scotland behind Huntly Castle, writers George MacDonald, John Donne, and C.S. Lewis, melodies of Stephen Foster, and ballad books from the 1800s.
By late morning I would be adding another guitar, or shruti (a simple, accordion-like instrument). The idea was to let everything flow into the music from that early morning feeling of peace, focusing on simplicity, tone, and nuance, with the intention that listeners would be able to take away some of that peace for themselves.
Some stellar voices added background vocals. Suzanne Cox, Sierra Hull, Kate Rusby, Damien O'Kane, and my daughter, Erica Block, all added some lovely, ethereal parts to the mix.
For vintage guitar aficionados: most of the recording was made using my 1938 Martin D28, used on the AKUS albums Lonely Runs Both Ways and Paper Airplane.
A Light So Fair will be released Nov 29th digitally. CDs will be shipped on Dec 3rd. You can listen to two whole tracks, "Hope Sings" and "The River Deveron," clips of the others, and preorder at the RonBlock.Com Store
A Light So Fair: Peaceful Guitar Instrumentals
Some of you know I've been working for awhile on an album of peaceful, sparse instrumentals. Usually in the mornings I spend some time in reading and reflection. For this album I'd pull my guitar out after this peaceful, reflective time each morning. A period of experimentation would lead into an idea for a melody, mostly simple and peaceful, which would then lead into an idea for an arrangement.
By late morning I would be adding another guitar, or shruti (a simple, accordion-like instrument). The idea was to let everything flow into the music from that early morning feeling of peace, focusing on simplicity, tone, and nuance, with the intention that listeners would be able to take away some of that peace for themselves.
Some stellar voices added background vocals. Suzanne Cox, Sierra Hull, Kate Rusby, Damien O'Kane, and my daughter, Erica Block, all added some lovely, ethereal parts to the mix.
For vintage guitar aficionados: most of the recording was made using my 1938 Martin D28.
A Light So Fair will be released Nov 29th digitally. CDs will be shipped on Dec 3rd. Listen to clips and preorder here: http://ronblock.com/album/1226294/a-light-so-fair-peaceful-guitar-instrumentals
New Store Item: Rickard Cyclone High Ratio Banjo Tuning Pegs
These tuners are classy through and through, from the feel to the materials to even the box. I put the Gold/Galaith Ivory pegs on my Rich & Taylor (So Long So Wrong banjo) and have been using them on the Alison Krauss tour. The 10:1 gear ratio makes my job easy. I'll be putting them on my 1926 Gibson Granada and my Banjocaster this week. Check the Store page for more details!
Banjophony: Bluegrass-Irish Fusion
My most recent record (or album, as Damien O'Kane would say) Banjophony has been out for nearly a month now and we've been thrilled by the brilliant response to our 'cooperating-banjos' sound! There are exciting bits of news we can't mention yet but, for now, here's what some people have been saying about Banjophony, which is available on Amazon as cd or download and iTunes.
'Fuses together Irish and American bluegrass traditions with impressive ambition' - FOLK ALBUMS OF THE MONTH, The Guardian, July 2018
'Individually Damien O’Kane & Ron Block are masters of their instruments. In Banjophony, they’ve taken a collective approach to create an album of incredibly captivating music' - Folk Radio
'They have invented the title Banjophony to describe their sound. I would have called it simply gob-smacking' - 5*Review Spiral Earth
'Banjophony goes deep into the American-Irish cultural connectivity in a soulful, intricate way' - Irish Music Magazine Official
'The banjo has too often been the subject of jokes but this transatlantic duo has produced a truly magnificent album - Shire Folk Magazine (Sep/Oct 2018)
'If you weren't up for swinging your pants to a banjo tune or two, you are now...Ron and Damien are flying the flag for making the banjo more cool and even sexier' - Louderthanwar
'Banjo playing is the new rock n' roll and you better believe it after listening to this wondrous album' - 4* Review http://getreadytorock.me.uk/blog/2018/07/quick-plays-chinawhite-calm-for-the-restless-damien-okane-ron-block/
“I challenge banjo non-believers not to be moved by this transatlantic banjo union” - Lynette Fay BBC Radio Ulster
'Absolutely delightful – a superb piece of music by two big banjo players. Working in harmony and tandem – a superb sound. Just so sweet' - BBC Radio Merseyside
'Phenomenal! I was utterly blown away by these guys. Exquisite musicianship. My gig of the year' - Ralph McTell (after a live show).
"Beautiful and wild...there are no boundaries here" - Jerry Douglas
"Banjophony is the soundtrack of summer" - Kate Rusby
Thanks for all the banjo love!
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"The content is all geared to us unlocking our own creativity while keeping the 'fun factor' high."
Greetings, fellow banjo pickers!
Have you had moments where you've wanted your playing to move along more quickly? Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to go to the next level?
I've struggled with all those things. At nearly every level, I've plateaued and thought, "Is this it? Am I stuck here?" Since the age of thirteen I've been obsessed with learning how to play the banjo well, because going to the next level is always such a thrill.
As a result I've had to develop some tried-and-true ways of doing things through experimentation and study. I've used these ideas for my 26 years with Alison Krauss & Union Station, for the O Brother soundtrack, and for everything else I've ever played on - and I'd love to share them with you in four sessions containing SIX hours of teaching and demonstration.
Just got this in an email: “I’ve just got to say, this workshop has been so much more than I expected….The effort you’ve put into this and the ground you’ve covered like a fog will keep me busy for years….Again, thanks so much. I call that a bargain, the best I ever had!” David W.
TOPICS: Just a few of the things I've covered:
Releasing tension (the thing that puts a lid on our dexterity).
How I work on timing and feel.
Dynamics.
Tone.
Backup.
The trick to learning the neck well.
String bending, vibrato, and working it all into rolls.
Single-string playing.
Slow playing.
Clinch Mountain Backstep.
Mollie Catherine Carter.
Learning from recordings.
How to practice effectively.
BONUS TEACHING VIDEOS: Clinch Mountain Backstep (breaks 1 and 2 from Hogan's House of Music), Man of Constant Sorrow (from O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack), Foggy Mountain Special (break 2 from Earl Scruggs tribute record), Will You Be Loving Another Man by Earl Scruggs
Oh, I almost forgot the extras. By signing up for the workshop you'll receive a free download of my banjo-oriented bluegrass record Hogan's House of Music and a pdf of my long out-of-print The Traditional Banjo Workbook.
I look forward to seeing you there.
LESSONS WITH A PRO: 26 Years With Alison Krauss & Union Station, banjoist on the O Brother Soundtrack’s “Man of Constant Sorrow,” and on sessions with Dolly Parton, Kate Rusby, Dan Tyminski, Vince Gill, Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, and many more.
LEVEL: Broadly Intermediate - lots of material for not-so-beginners all through early advanced players.
SUBJECTS: Playing without tension, improving timing and feel, dynamics, tone, string bending, vibrato, scales, single-string playing, transcribing, and more.
BONUS MATERIALS: Each participant will receive a free download of Ron’s banjo-oriented bluegrass cd Hogan’s House of Music, and a free download of the long out-of-print Traditional Bluegrass Banjo Workbook – a total of $45 in free extras.
WORKSHOP REVIEWS: "As a guy who's been participating in this clinic I promise you the value you'll receive is worth FAR more than the price. I've done banjo camps, clinics, and lessons with the best in the business. The wisdom Ron imparts is second to none. You WILL be a better player, and you'll enjoy every second. You'll have a hard time putting your banjo down after the first session, and you'll be thinking about it all day at work after the second. And it only gets better from there."
"Great class. Ron knows how to communicate; he 'teaches ideas' and is well prepared. No wasted time. The overall class experience is like having a one on one lesson with good friend."
