In this video lesson, I show you how to play a traditional Swedish fiddle tune called Årepolskan. This dance tune is a triplet polska from the region of Jämtland.

The melody is interesting, wandering from G-major to E-minor in a typical way for this tradition. It is a soulful and elegant fiddle tune.

Our arrangement is a three-part arrangement with a melody and harmony part on the mandolin and the chords part on the octave mandolin. I play the tune with my friend Lena Jonsson, a fantastic fiddle player from Sweden. 

In Mandolin Secrets Academy you’ll find:

• Sheet music/tabs (PDF)
• Backing and play-a-long tracks (MP3)
• How-to-play-instructions

Click Here To Watch Video

In this video, Magnus Zetterlund and Karl Tiren play the Minuet in G major (BWV Anh. 114) by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is a delightful tune to play on the mandolin and is a lovely introduction to classical and Baroque music. Our mandolin arrangement includes a melody part and a harmony part that can be played on both mandolin and octave mandolin. Thanks to Academy member Jane Gregory for her contribution

This piece was originally included in the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach (1725), which JS Bach presented to his second wife. The piece has long been attributed to JS Bach, due to its inclusion in the Notebook, but was actually written for the harpsichord by a contemporary of Bach's, Christian Petzold.

In Mandolin Secrets Academy you’ll find:

• Sheet music/tabs (PDF)
• Backing and play-a-long tracks (MP3)
• How-to-play-instructions

Click Here To Watch Video

The beginning of January is an exciting time of year. It’s a time for fresh starts, new beginnings, and a chance to look forward to what can be accomplished in the year ahead.

We want to embrace the opportunity and set some exciting mandolin goals.

In this video lesson, I will share tips for making your own SMARTER goals to set you up for a successful 2023. It’s like a workshop, helping you get concrete ideas for new projects and plans for improving your mandolin playing this year.

Worksheets, support and audio tracks for this lesson you’ll find in Mandolin Secrets Academy.

Click the link to watch the video

Happy New Year, my mandolin friend!
The first video out in 2023 is a golden memory from the previous summer. 

We are playing a traditional Scandinavian dance tune on the mandolin, octave mandolin and fiddle. This is the Silkesvalsen (the Silk Waltz), a traditional dance tune from Älvdalen, Sweden.

We recorded a spontaneous jam session in Falun, Sweden early July 2022. The band is Magnus Zetterlund (Sweden) octave mandolin, Hayes Griffin (Ohio, US) mandolin, and Ondra Kozak (Czech republic) fiddle.

Click Here To Watch Video

 In Mandolin Secrets Academy you’ll find:

• Sheet music/tabs (PDF)
• Play-a-long tracks (MP3)
• How-to-play-instructions

Today there was an article published about Magnus Zetterlund and Mandolin Secrets on the Subkit website. Follow the link below to read it.

Click the link to go to the post

https://gosolo.subkit.com/mandolin-secrets/

In this week’s episode, Magnus and Hayes are discussing: 

• What got you to pick up the mandolin the first time? 
• Is music a social activity for you? Or do you just play by/for yourself? 

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https://mandolinsecrets.com/podcast 

Get my top tips for how to use a looper in your practice room.

Click Here To Watch Video

In this video, I want to show you some tips for boosting creativity using a loop pedal. It’s a fun and simple way to bring new ideas into your playing.

I will explain how you can use it for scale practicing, soloing, composing, and making harmonies.

I don’t use my loop pedal on stage in a performance setting, but I use it regularly in my studio and practice room. It’s the ultimate jamming companion that never gets tired of your playing.

This lesson is an introduction to using a looper, and if you want more of this content, I would be happy to make a series going deeper into the different aspects of this topic.

The tech and gear used in my setup are TC Electronic Ditto Looper X2, Shure SM57 Microphone, and AER Compact XL amplifier, Petri Hakala F5 mandolin.

In Mandolin Secrets Academy you’ll find:

• Sheet music/tabs for the riff ideas
• Play-a-long tracks...

In this video lesson, I show you how to play the harmony for Minuet in G major (BWV Anh. 114) by Johann Sebastian Bach. Our arrangement includes a harmony part that can be played on both the mandolin and the octave mandolin. I will show you both ways in this video. It is a delightful duo arrangement to play and a lovely introduction to classical and Baroque music.

This piece was originally included in the Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach (1725), which JS Bach presented to his second wife. The piece has long been attributed to JS Bach, due to its inclusion in the Notebook, but was actually written for the harpsichord by a contemporary of Bach's, Christian Petzold.

In Mandolin Secrets Academy you’ll find:

• Sheet music/tabs (PDF)
• Play-a-long tracks (MP3)
• How-to-play-instructions

Click Here To Watch Video

In this video, we play a traditional Nordic dance tune on the mandolin guitar and fiddle. This is Polska after Juringius, Sweden.

We recorded a spontaneous jam session in Falun, Sweden early July 2022. The band is Magnus Zetterlund (Sweden) mandolin, Hayes Griffin (Ohio, US) guitar, and Ondra Kozak (Czech republic) fiddle.

If I could do ONE thing for the rest of my life, it would be this; playing Swedish fiddle tunes with musicians like Hayes and Ondra in my studio. I enjoy this 100 %!  

In Mandolin Secrets Academy you’ll find:

• Sheet music/tabs (PDF)
• Play-a-long tracks (MP3)
• How-to-play-instructions 

Click Here To Watch Video

In this mandolin lesson, Hayes Griffin shows you how to play the chords to the Bill Monroe tune “Tennessee Blues.”

There are many ways that modern players choose to interpret this tune, but here Hayes uses the unique “crooked time” signature of the original Bill Monroe version to show you how to play some standard bluegrass chop chords.  

In Mandolin Secrets Academy you’ll find:

• Sheet music/tabs
• Play-a-long track
• How-to-play-instructions

Click Here To Watch Video