In this video lesson, I show you how to play a Minuet in G major (BWV Anh. 116) by Johann Sebastian Bach. It is a delightful tune to play on the mandolin and is a lovely introduction to classical and Baroque music, even for jazz, folk, and bluegrass players like me, Magnus Zetterlund.Â
Our three-pa...
In this video, I show you how to play a mandolin original called Majblomman by me, Magnus Zetterlund. It’s a lively tune that is fun to play. Majblomman (The Mayflower) is a waltz in A-major with three parts. In this lesson, we are focusing on the melody for the A and B parts. Pay attention to the p...
In this mandolin video lesson, I give my best tips and exercises for going from backup to lead, chords to melody. This is an essential skill; we must practice it to be as fluent as we like.Â
I’m demonstrating the exercise with the tune Bill Cheatham, but you can use this concept for any music you p...
In this mandolin video lesson, I show you how to play the chords and backup for a traditional Swedish fiddle tune called Vals efter PĂĄl Karl. This dance tune is a waltz from the region of Ă„lvdalen, Dalarna.
The chords used are A5, D, G, and C. The melody is archaic and raw, and the chords add a dri...
In this video, Hayes Griffin shows you how to play the simple melody to the swing standard “Right or Wrong.”
This tune was written in the 1920s, but made popular by Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys in the 1930s. By the end of the lesson, you will know how to play a single-note melody line with straig...
In this mandolin video lesson, I show you how to play a traditional Swedish fiddle tune called Vals efter Pål Karl. This dance tune is a waltz from the region of Älvdalen, Dalarna. The melody is archaic and raw yet groovy in the A-Dorian mode.
 Our arrangement is a three-part arrangement with a mel...
In this mandolin video lesson, I show you how to play the chords and rhythm track for the gypsy jazz classic ”Djangology” by Django Reinhardt/Stephan Grappelli.
Here you’ll find versatile shapes for diminished chords, Minor 7th chords, Major 6th chords, and Dominant 7th chords in different inversi...
In this video lesson, I show you how to play the harmony to a traditional Swedish fiddle tune called Årepolskan. This dance tune is a triplet polska from the region of Jämtland.
The harmony is quite interesting, following the melody in parallell movements. The intervalls mainly consist of thirds, f...
In this mandolin video lesson, I show you how to play the gypsy jazz classic ”Djangology” by Django Reinhardt/Stephan Grappelli. In this video, we’re focusing on the melody.
The melody is straightforward and outlines the chord change in a clever way.
I will also show you how this line builds you...
In this video lesson, I want to show you an excellent exercise for improving your fretboard freedom and fretboard knowledge.
The concept is simple. You are taking a fiddle tune you already know in the first position, playing it up the neck in the closed position.Â
This exercise is a great vocabula...
In this video, I will show you how to play the old-time fiddle tune "Bill Cheatham" on the mandolin. This fiddle tune is a very common jam tune, and you will find it in bluegrass, old-time, and Irish music sessions.
It appears with some different spelling for the name; ...
In this mandolin lesson, Hayes Griffin shows you how to play the melody to the Bill Monroe tune “Tennessee Blues.”
There are many ways that modern players choose to interpret this tune, but this lesson is focused on learning a version of the tune that “straightens out” th...
