Here is a mandolin duo arrangement of the Irish tune called Wren's Nest.
This jig was written by the great fiddler Frankie Gavin of De Dannan.

It's a driving melody in E using the Dorian mode. I also included an octave mandolin accompaniment, but we are focusing on the melody in this video...

Here is a traditional Swedish March called Gärdebylåten.

This is one of the most common fiddle tunes in Scandinavian Folk Music. I like playing it with an American touch adding some bluegrass chop chords.

In this video, I also show you a pro tip for keeping the backbeat rhythm rock...

Here is a swing lick that works well for ending a jazz tune like the pros!

We play the phrase in the key of A, Bb and C major. Then we demonstrate it for the songs Blues For Ike and All Of Me. It’s a must-know line for improvisers, spicing up a simple major scale with some blues...

Here is a traditional Swedish march called Gärdebylåten. This is one of the most common fiddle tunes in Scandinavian Folk Music.

I like playing it with an American touch adding some Western swing and bluegrass element to it.

In this video I also show you how to use the legato style...

In this video, Hayes Griffin shows you how to play another variation of the melody to the Bill Monroe tune “Roanoke.”

In our previous lesson, Hayes taught the melody as fiddlers would typically play it, but here, Hayes shows you some tips and tricks for how to approach this melody to...

In this video, we’ll look deeply at the waltz rhythm. We will play four variations of a solid accompaniment on the mandolin and the octave mandolin.

We are also going into some music theory, and you will come out of this with a better understanding of rhythm, swing, and groove.

To...

Play gypsy jazz rhythm on the octave mandolin. I show you the chords for Blues For Ike by Django Reinhardt in this video. This tune is a 12-bar blues with an interesting twist.

The chord progression is in A and uses the major chord instead of the conventional dominant 7th chord. This tune...

In this video, instructor Hayes Griffin shows you how to play the chords to Bill Monroe’s classic fiddle tune, “Roanoke.” Hayes helps you learn the basics of a good bluegrass “chop” sound, a skill that you will need for any other bluegrass tunes you want to learn in...

In this video lesson, I show you how to play the fiddle tune Margaret’s Waltz. It was written by Pat Shuldam Shaw (1917-1977) in 1959. This is an A-major melody, and it’s a charming composition in the music traditions of England, Scotland, and the Shetlands. The mandolin arrangement...

Play a simple but very efficient solo line for the jazz standard “It Don’t Mean a Thing (if you ain’t got that swing)”. In this video, I give you an improvisation framework using guidelines and target notes to get the pleasant sound of chromatics.

In Mandolin Secrets...

In this video lesson, I show you how to play a Swedish fiddle tune called Halls Lilla Vals. It was written by Jon Erik Hall (1877-1948) from Bergsjö in Hälsingland. The melody starts in D-major, and the second part begins with a B-minor chord. I find it to be an excellent and elegant...

In this video, instructor Hayes Griffin shows you how to play the classic Bill Monroe fiddle tune, “Roanoke.”

This tune is a right of passage for many bluegrass players, mainly because it is played so darn fast! Never fear though - Hayes gives you some quick tips to maximize the...