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    • Free Banjo Videos Section - Scroll Down
    • Banjo Week 1
    • Banjo Week 2
    • Banjo Week 3
    • Banjo Week 4
    • Banjo Lesson: "Foggy Mountain Special" from Earl Scruggs Tribute
    • Banjo Lesson: Man of Constant Sorrow from O Brother Soundtrack
    • Banjo Lesson: Bending Strings in Bluegrass
    • Developing New Licks and Ideas Banjo Workshop
  • STORE
  • GUITAR WORKSHOP
    • Session I
    • Session II
    • SESSION III
    • SESSION IV
  • TOUR

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
    • BIO
    • HISTORY
    • AWARDS
  • MUSIC CREDITS
  • MUSIC
    • Videos
    • NEWS
  • CONTACT
  • BANJO WORKSHOPS
    • Free Banjo Videos Section - Scroll Down
    • Banjo Week 1
    • Banjo Week 2
    • Banjo Week 3
    • Banjo Week 4
    • Banjo Lesson: "Foggy Mountain Special" from Earl Scruggs Tribute
    • Banjo Lesson: Man of Constant Sorrow from O Brother Soundtrack
    • Banjo Lesson: Bending Strings in Bluegrass
    • Developing New Licks and Ideas Banjo Workshop
  • STORE
  • GUITAR WORKSHOP
    • Session I
    • Session II
    • SESSION III
    • SESSION IV
  • TOUR

Greetings! Just a note that all physical orders - the Abiding Dependence book, any cds - made after Sunday, Dec 18th will be packed and shipped Jan 6th and 7th.  Digital orders - the banjo and guitar workshops, downloads of music - will continue throughout the holidays. Have a Merry Christmas and best wishes for a Happy New Year!

New & Featured

Banjophonics: CD
  • Banjophonics: CD

Banjophonics: CD

In cart Not available Out of stock
$17.00

Banjophonics (Damien O'Kane & Ron Block) PRCD56

Release Date 1st July 2022

Banjo brothers-in-arms return with second album of fizzing Irish-U.S.fusion

Four years on from their debut album, Coleraine’s Damien O’Kane and California’s Ron Block will revive their spectacular partnership in a second release celebrating the unbelievable scope - in

Banjophonics (Damien O'Kane & Ron Block) PRCD56

Release Date 1st July 2022

Banjo brothers-in-arms return with second album of fizzing Irish-U.S.fusion

Four years on from their debut album, Coleraine’s Damien O’Kane and California’s Ron Block will revive their spectacular partnership in a second release celebrating the unbelievable scope - in their brilliant hands - of the humble banjo.

A perfect, exuberant antidote to these troubled times Banjophonics is an out-and-out riposte to low spirits, guaranteed to put a smile on your face whilst toasting the importance of family and friends.

Now the bumper 13-track Banjophonics of originals and covers builds on a growing connectivity the musicians have found, fusing their styles and putting the Irish tenor banjo and five-string bluegrass banjo centre stage. It’s a joyous, life-affirming joust, barely pausing for breath – fast, frenetic fireworks punctuated by more reflective melodies. And it’s not totally a tunes album; it offers two songs where O’Kane and Block showcase their contrasting, fine voices and also add backing vocals to each other’s track.

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NEW! Ron's Book: Abiding Dependence: Living Moment by Moment in the Love of God (Moody Publishers)
  • NEW! Ron's Book: Abiding Dependence: Living Moment by Moment in the Love of God (Moody Publishers)
  • NEW! Ron's Book: Abiding Dependence: Living Moment by Moment in the Love of God (Moody Publishers)

NEW! Ron's Book: Abiding Dependence: Living Moment by Moment in the Love of God (Moody Publishers)

In cart Not available Out of stock
$15.99

Release Date: October 4th, 2022.

NEW BOOK: Abiding Dependence: Living Moment by Moment in the Love of God.

“I’ve known Ron for decades, and I’ve never had a conversation with him that wasn’t punctuated with laughter, thoughtfulness, and honesty....Ron’s faith is integrated into every corner of his life, from his family to the books he loves to the

Release Date: October 4th, 2022.

NEW BOOK: Abiding Dependence: Living Moment by Moment in the Love of God.

“I’ve known Ron for decades, and I’ve never had a conversation with him that wasn’t punctuated with laughter, thoughtfulness, and honesty....Ron’s faith is integrated into every corner of his life, from his family to the books he loves to the way he plays guitar solos. Abiding Dependence reads like one of those great after-show conversations with Ron, which go from banjo practice to scripture, from George MacDonald to fatherhood, from Narnia to The Lord of the Rings—and where I walk away resting in the truth that Jesus loves me.” -- Andrew Peterson, singer, songwriter, author of The God of the Garden and The Wingfeather Saga

From Moody Publishers: Our humanity is meant to be powered by the Breath of God.

You want to grow more deeply in your faith—to know in your bones the love the Father has for you. You want to know that even when life doesn’t seem to be going as it should, God is with you. You need courage for today. Strength and hope for tomorrow. Musician and artist Ron Block desires the same—for you and for himself.

To become who we’re meant to be requires a deeper experience of God Himself. Abiding Dependence shares forty days of meditations—a deep plunge into the beauty and richness of the Gospels. Block takes the reader through contemplations of Jesus as Son of God, Son of Man, Tempted Son of Man, Compassionate High Priest, Man of Courage, Reconciler, and more. The reader learns to live and breathe in the atmosphere of God’s abiding love.

Christians often try to add flesh-fueled effort to buttress their works and walk with God. Can you relate? This gives rise to all sorts of mistaken ideas about God and our relationship with him. Block helps us live and rest in Jesus. Seeing and knowing His love awakens our trust. Faith lights hope. And we all need a stirring of hope—one that does not disappoint. Block stirs in Christians a hope not just for a future someday but for this day, this hour, this very moment. Join Block on a soul strengthening forty days of Abiding Dependence!

RON BLOCK has been banjoist, guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter for Alison Krauss & Union Station since 1991. He’s received 14 Grammy Awards for his work with Alison Krauss, Vince Gill, and the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, and received a Dove Award for his song “A Living Prayer.” He has also written on spiritual and musical topics for the Rabbit Room website since its inception in 2007 (rabbitroom.com). He married Sandra in 1988 and they live in rural Tennessee. They have two grown children, Ethan and Erica.

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Banjophony by Damien O'Kane & Ron Block

Banjophony

Damien O'Kane & Ron Block

Banjophony (CD only)

In cart Not available Out of stock

Banjophony (Damien O'Kane and Ron Block) PRCD48 Release 20th July 2018 With Sierra Hull, Stuart Duncan, Sam Bush, Barry Bales

This spectacular debut duo album from Coleraine’s Damien O’Kane and California’s Ron Block - is probably nothing like you could imagine. This record is about the marrying of two different banjo traditions and the union of

Banjophony (Damien O'Kane and Ron Block) PRCD48 Release 20th July 2018 With Sierra Hull, Stuart Duncan, Sam Bush, Barry Bales

This spectacular debut duo album from Coleraine’s Damien O’Kane and California’s Ron Block - is probably nothing like you could imagine. This record is about the marrying of two different banjo traditions and the union of two cultures - bluegrass and Irish.

  1. Miller's Gin/Potato Anxiety
  2. Crafty Collette
  3. Battersea Skillet Liquor
  4. No Harm Done
  5. Banjophony
  6. Ode to Aunty Frances
  7. Trip to Portugal/Guiseppe's
  8. Brown Eyes
  9. The Midleton Thief/The Lobster
  10. Phoebe's/The Banjo Strikes Back
  11. Lucky Rogues/Frantic Inspiration
  12. Leiper's Fork
  13. Brian Boru's Reel
  14. Danish Horde/S.McGee Buys the Farm
  15. Waiting for Erin
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0:00/???
  1. 1
    01 Miller's Gin _ Potato Anxiety 5:14
    0:00/5:14
  2. 2
    02 Crafty Colette 4:39
    0:00/4:39
  3. 3
    03 Battersea Skillet Liquor 4:17
    0:00/4:17
  4. 4
    04 No Harm Done 4:28
    0:00/4:28
  5. 5
    05 Banjophony 5:26
    0:00/5:26
  6. 6
    06 Ode to Aunty Frances 4:52
    0:00/4:52
  7. 7
    07 Trip to Portugal_Giuseppe's 4:14
    0:00/4:14
  8. 8
    08 Brown Eyes 5:08
    0:00/5:08
  9. 9
    09 The Midleton Thief_The Lobster 4:54
    0:00/4:54
  10. 10
    10 Phoebe's_The Banjo Strikes Back 5:18
    0:00/5:18
  11. 11
    11 Lucky Rogues_Frantic Inspiration 4:05
    0:00/4:05
  12. 12
    12 Leiper's Fork 4:23
    0:00/4:23
  13. 13
    13 Brian Boru's Reel 4:21
    0:00/4:21
  14. 14
    14 Danish Horde_S. McGee Buys the Farm 5:48
    0:00/5:48
  15. 15
    15 Waiting for Erin 4:06
    0:00/4:06

Banjo and Guitar Online Workshops

Developing New Licks and Ideas Banjo Workshop
  • Developing New Licks and Ideas Banjo Workshop

Developing New Licks and Ideas Banjo Workshop

In cart Not available Out of stock
$42.50

Developing New Licks and Ideas is a bird's-eye-view of one of the ways I develop new ways of playing.

Hour 1: Learn "Gonna Have Myself a Ball" solo by Earl Scruggs. We use specific licks to explore the fingerboard.

Hour 2: Learn my solo from "On the Outside Looking In" from Paper Airplane by Alison Krauss and Union Station. Use specific licks to

Developing New Licks and Ideas is a bird's-eye-view of one of the ways I develop new ways of playing.

Hour 1: Learn "Gonna Have Myself a Ball" solo by Earl Scruggs. We use specific licks to explore the fingerboard.

Hour 2: Learn my solo from "On the Outside Looking In" from Paper Airplane by Alison Krauss and Union Station. Use specific licks to explore the fingerboard and make up variations.

Intermediate/advanced. When you order you'll get a download link for two pdf files - one with the tabs and one with instructions on accessing the Dropbox and videos.

Comments by students on Developing New Licks and Ideas:

"Fantastic session Ron! Thanks for doing it. Great stuff."

"Thanks Ron! The BEST!"

"This was a great session. Thanks!"

"Awesome!!"

"Thanks, very informative!"

"Truly amazing and eye opening for me!"

"Thank you. Awesome stuff!"

"Excellent, thank you!!"

"So good! Glad you invited us!"

"Thanks very much! Enjoyed it!"

"Thank you for sharing your thinking in such detail."

"Thanks Ron! Excellent perspectives."

"Looking forward to your next workshop!"

"Thank you Mr. Block! Great stuff!!! Looking forward to next time!"

The live workshop is over, but the first six parts are up. I'll be editing more video soon.

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NEW! Banjo Lesson: Bending Strings in a Bluegrass Context
  • NEW! Banjo Lesson: Bending Strings in a Bluegrass Context

NEW! Banjo Lesson: Bending Strings in a Bluegrass Context

In cart Not available Out of stock
$15.00

Ron gives a 20-minute lesson on bending banjo strings in a bluegrass context. You'll learn what makes bending sound best, how to learn to do bends accurately, several different ways of practicing timing, a lick, variation, and pentatonic scales.

Notes are included, and tab is included for bends, pentatonic scales, and "Wild Bill Jones," which Ron

Ron gives a 20-minute lesson on bending banjo strings in a bluegrass context. You'll learn what makes bending sound best, how to learn to do bends accurately, several different ways of practicing timing, a lick, variation, and pentatonic scales.

Notes are included, and tab is included for bends, pentatonic scales, and "Wild Bill Jones," which Ron plays at regular speed at the end. You'll download four pdfs, including the password and instructions to find video.

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NEW! Ron Block Online Guitar Workshop
  • NEW! Ron Block Online Guitar Workshop

NEW! Ron Block Online Guitar Workshop

Includes a download of Hogan's House of Music - Download only
In cart Not available Out of stock
$159.00

This four-session workshop is up on RonBlock.com, along with two bonus lessons . I've shared the elements of guitar playing that have made my lead guitar solos and rhythm a mainstay of Alison Krauss & Union Station for 29 years. Intermediate to advanced.

Topics: Roots and Influences - Bill Napier, Larry Sparks, and Clarence White to piano, Bill

This four-session workshop is up on RonBlock.com, along with two bonus lessons . I've shared the elements of guitar playing that have made my lead guitar solos and rhythm a mainstay of Alison Krauss & Union Station for 29 years. Intermediate to advanced.

Topics: Roots and Influences - Bill Napier, Larry Sparks, and Clarence White to piano, Bill Monroe, and electric guitar players. We'll move on into some of my solos in a bonus lesson but at the front end we'll look into some of the players that helped create my style.

The Psychology of Playing Well (this is incredibly important)

Right and Left Hand Technique

Tone - Timing - Taste

Rhythm Playing

How I Learned and Continue to Learn the Neck

Make Solos More Moving with Expression

Make Solos More Engaging with Intervals ("doublestops")

Playing the Melody: The Many Ways to Vary a Solo.

Crosspicking

Plus many other topics!

With these freebies and more: Downloads Hogan's House of Music instrumental record (I took quite a few guitar breaks on it); a pdf of my Traditional Guitar Workbook with my personal tabs of George Shuffler, Larry Sparks, Bill Napier, Don Reno, Clarence White, and Junior Blankenship. These freebies alone are worth about $47.

When signing up, you'll get a download link for Hogan's House of Music, and a short time later you'll get an email with a Dropbox link and information for the rest of it - the email isn't automated and I do them myself.

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Ron Block Online Banjo Workshop
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  • Ron Block Online Banjo Workshop

Ron Block Online Banjo Workshop

Includes a download of Hogan's House of Music - Download only
In cart Not available Out of stock
$159.00 Save 15.09%!
$135.00

“Ron Block has not only become a world class banjo player in terms of technical proficiency, he has also accomplished what is often seen as the pinnacle of musical achievement, the development of a recognizable personal style. Since 1991, the sound of his driving open string rolls and emotive bends have been an integral part of the sound of Alison

“Ron Block has not only become a world class banjo player in terms of technical proficiency, he has also accomplished what is often seen as the pinnacle of musical achievement, the development of a recognizable personal style. Since 1991, the sound of his driving open string rolls and emotive bends have been an integral part of the sound of Alison Krauss and Union Station, a band that is both a mainstay of the bluegrass world and has done as much as any other group to put the sound of bluegrass in front of new audiences around the world.” (Banjo Newsletter, October 2016)

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.

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 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.

Man of Constant Sorrow.

Learning from recordings.

How to practice effectively.

EXTRAS: By signing up for the workshop you'll receive free downloads 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: 29 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.

After ordering you'll receive a download for Hogan's House of Music, and a short time later you'll get an email with a Dropbox link and information for the rest of it - the email isn't automated and I do them myself.

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."

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Online Banjo Lesson: "Man Of Constant Sorrow" from the O Brother Soundtrack
  • Online Banjo Lesson: "Man Of Constant Sorrow" from the O Brother Soundtrack

Online Banjo Lesson: "Man Of Constant Sorrow" from the O Brother Soundtrack

In cart Not available Out of stock
$15.00

Ron teaches and explains his Man of Constant Sorrow solo from the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack. Tab included. Once you buy, you'll receive the tablature via email and a password to access the video. If you've bought the four-session banjo course, this video is included.

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