The Ron Block Banjo Workshop app is up and running! It has plenty of lessons up for your banjo journey, and more will be continually added.

1. Get the Ron Block Banjo Workshop on the App Store here to browse or purchase a plan:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/ron-block-banjo-workshop/id6447165172

2. Laptop: Go to the web app link below to browse or purchase a plan.

Web app: https://ron-block-banjo-workshop.passion.io/learn/products

New & Featured

Banjophonics: CD

$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.

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

Out of stock

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.

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.

Miller's Gin/Potato Anxiety
Crafty Collette
Battersea Skillet Liquor
No Harm Done
Banjophony
Ode to Aunty Frances
Trip to Portugal/Guiseppe's
Brown Eyes
The Midleton Thief/The Lobster
Phoebe's/The Banjo Strikes Back
Lucky Rogues/Frantic Inspiration
Leiper's Fork
Brian Boru's Reel
Danish Horde/S.McGee Buys the Farm
Waiting for Erin

1

01 Miller's Gin _ Potato Anxiety 5:14

0:00/5:14
2

02 Crafty Colette 4:39

0:00/4:39
3

03 Battersea Skillet Liquor 4:17

0:00/4:17
4

04 No Harm Done 4:28

0:00/4:28
5

05 Banjophony 5:26

0:00/5:26
6

06 Ode to Aunty Frances 4:52

0:00/4:52
7

07 Trip to Portugal_Giuseppe's 4:14

0:00/4:14
8

08 Brown Eyes 5:08

0:00/5:08
9

09 The Midleton Thief_The Lobster 4:54

0:00/4:54
10

10 Phoebe's_The Banjo Strikes Back 5:18

0:00/5:18
11

11 Lucky Rogues_Frantic Inspiration 4:05

0:00/4:05
12

12 Leiper's Fork 4:23

0:00/4:23
13

13 Brian Boru's Reel 4:21

0:00/4:21
14

14 Danish Horde_S. McGee Buys the Farm 5:48

0:00/5:48
15

15 Waiting for Erin 4:06

0:00/4:06

Banjo and Guitar Online Workshops

NEW! Ron Block Online Guitar Workshop

$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.

Albums

A Light So Fair: Peaceful Guitar Instrumentals - WAV DOWNLOAD

Ron Block

A Light So Fair is an album of 14 peace-filled, sparse, acoustic guitar instrumentals.

The melodies are variously inspired by the morning sunlight on the 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

A Light So Fair is an album of 14 peace-filled, sparse, acoustic guitar instrumentals.

The melodies are variously inspired by the morning sunlight on the 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.

The focus is 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 add background vocals. Suzanne Cox, Sierra Hull, Kate Rusby, Damien O'Kane, and Erica Block all bring some lovely, ethereal vocal parts to the mix.

1

Hope Sings 2:33

0:00/2:33
2

A Light So Fair 2:40

0:00/2:40
3

All Through The Night 1:38

0:00/1:38
4

Welcome, Dear Dawn 3:01

0:00/3:01
5

Donne's Passage 2:55

0:00/2:55
6

The Distant Isle 2:19

0:00/2:19
7

The White Stag 2:35

0:00/2:35
8

The River Deveron 2:18

0:00/2:18
9

Take My Life and Let It Be 2:35

0:00/2:35
10

Bear My Harp Hither 2:58

0:00/2:58
11

The Good Morrow 2:41

0:00/2:41
12

The Twilit Vale/A Quiet Longing 4:23

0:00/4:23
13

O'er Furrow and Field 3:23

0:00/3:23
14

With Joys Reunited 3:12

0:00/3:12

New & Featured

Banjophonics: CD

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

Banjophony

Damien O'Kane & Ron Block

Banjophony (CD only)

Banjo and Guitar Online Workshops

NEW! Ron Block Online Guitar Workshop

Albums

A Light So Fair: Peaceful Guitar Instrumentals - WAV DOWNLOAD

Ron Block