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 that is common ...

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 get more of a M...

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 fully understand...

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 demonstr...

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 the future.

In Mandolin Secrets ...

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 includes double ...

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 Academy you’ll find:

• Sheet m
...

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 composition. Th...

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 efficiency of your ...

In this video, I show you how to play the HARMONY for Minous Vals by me, Magnus Zetterlund. The harmony is using thirds, sixths, and parallel movements but also some counterpoint ideas. 

 In Mandolin Secrets Academy you’ll find:

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

Cl...

In this video, I’m showing you how to play a single note melody of the jazz-blues, Jethro’s Jungle. This is a original of me, Magnus Zetterlund, in the key of D-major, and we are using some typical jazz and swing mandolin phrases.

In Mandolin Secrets Academy you’ll find:

• Sheet music/tabs
• Play-a
...

In this video, I’m showing you how to play the jazz-blues in the key of D-major. We are using three-string chord shapes that work very well for this style of playing rhythm.

You will play the Freddie Green four-to-the-bar style and the Charleston rhythm. 

In Mandolin Secrets Academy you’ll find: