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...
Today we are playing a pentatonic lick in box number 3. This closed position pattern is one of the essential shapes for playing up the fretboard. This little etude makes you do extreme position shifts so that Box no 3 becomes effortless in your playing. I’m demonstrating the lick in C-major and F sh...
In this video, I will show you how to play the melody for sailor’s hornpipe on mandolin. This melody is an iconic fiddle tune that dates back to the 18th century.
This traditional music is presented in Celtic, Bluegrass, and Scandinavian music. However, my duo arrangement has a little ragtime flavo...
In this mandolin lesson, Hayes Griffin shows you how to play a chromatic lick that you can use to end your favorite jazz tunes or spice up your improvised solos.
We are playing a descending arpeggio line that resolves very nicely. Hayes also explains a one-chord trick that lets you use this lick fo...
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 tun...
Get my top tips for how to use a looper in your practice room.
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, ...
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 pl...
In this video lesson, I show you how to 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.
Thanks to Academy member Jane Gregory for her contribution and wonderful playing.
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