Mandolin Secrets Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Join Magnus Zetterlund and Hayes Griffin as they wrap up 2025 and dive into the real work happening in practice rooms across the mandolin community. In this candid conversation, Magnus and Hayes get technical about pick slanting and escape motions—the breakthrough technique that's transforming their playing after decades of double-escaping. They also tackle practical questions from the community about practice routines, gear choices, and how to stay motivated on your musical journey.

Whether you're a beginner finding your way or an experienced player refining your technique, this episode offers honest insights into the practice process and what it takes to keep growing as a musician.

Topics Covered:

Pick Slanting & Single Escape Technique

• Magnus shares his breakthrough moment with pick slanting after 30 years of playing
• Understanding supination vs. pronation and rest strokes vs. escape strokes
• Why this isn't just about speed—it's about efficient, powerful single-note picking
• Practical demonstrations of two-note and four-note per string patterns
• How to build vocabulary from mechanical exercises

Practice Priorities

• Hayes on the importance of tracking your practice (and his 20-month tracking gap)
• Magnus's focus on right-hand technique and melodic adjustments
• Community members share their goals: learning scales, memorizing the fretboard, and diving into Nordic folk tunes

Gear Talk: Cases & Gig Bags

• Finding the right fit for different instruments and situations
• Hard cases vs. soft cases: when to use each
• Magnus's search for the perfect electric octave mandolin case (spoiler: Strandberg guitar bags might be the answer)
• Community recommendations including Colorado Case Company, Blue Heron, TKL, and Northfield cases

Looking Ahead to 2026

• Magnus's new Octave Mandolin Course now available
• Plans for a Nordic Folk Guitar course coming in spring 2026
• Hayes's upcoming European tour in May (details TBA)
• New Guitar Club content and guided courses on the horizon

Community Insights

• How joining Mandolin Secrets Academy increases practice frequency and commitment
• The power of putting "skin in the game" for your musical development

Mentioned in This Episode:

• Mandolin Secrets Academy (mandolinsecrets.com)
• Previous podcast episodes at mandolinsecrets.com/podcast
• Hayes's tour with Beppe Gambetta
• Magnus's collaboration with Johan Eriksson Rapp

Connect With Us: Watch the video version of this episode exclusively inside Mandolin Secrets Academy, or find all previous episodes at mandolinsecrets.com/podcast

Here are the weblinks mentioned in the show.

Visit our website for more episodes:

https://mandolinsecrets.com/podcast

Beppe Gambetta website:

https://beppegambetta.com/

In this month’s episode, Magnus Zetterlund and Hayes Griffin are discussing:

• What are the best practice advice or helpful tips you have learned?
• Did you attend any good concerts this summer?
• Magnus biggest take aways from the workshops at Grenna Bluegrass Festival with Tristan Scroggins
• Magnus’s new video lesson for pinky power.
• Hayes’ new video for Northfield Signal Electric Guitar.
• Hayes’ new Bulas two-point mandolin.

Here are the weblinks mentioned in the show.

Visit our website for more episodes:

https://mandolinsecrets.com/podcast

Bulas Instruments

https://bulas.pl/en-us

Northield Mandolins

https://www.northfieldinstruments.com/

In this podcast episode, Hayes Griffin and Magnus Zetterlund are discussing:

• What music-related items are on your holiday wish list this year?
• Does your mood affect your music playing or practice?
• Are you joining the Mandolin Player’s Holiday Challenge?
• Magnus’s new three-part arrangement of We Wish You A Merry Christmas
• Hayes’s guitar arrangements of We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Here are the weblinks mentioned in the show:

Visit our website for more episodes:
https://mandolinsecrets.com/podcast

Welcome to the MANDOLIN PLAYER'S HOLIDAY CHALLENGE (Your FREE 5-Day Video Course)
https://www.mandolinsecrets.com/holiday

In this podcast episode, Hayes Griffin and Magnus Zetterlund are discussing:

The 5th anniversary of Mandolin Secrets Academy. How to use the powerful back-chaining technique while memorizing music. Playing baroque music on the mandolin while highlighting Magnus’s new classical mandolin lesson “The prelude from Bach’s 1st Cello Suite”.

We asked our community:

• Do you mostly play by tabs, notation, or by ear?
• Do you mostly play by tabs, notation, by ear, or by eye and ear?
• Do you attend music camps? If so, which ones?
• This week marks our 5th anniversary for our membership! Can you mention one thing that Mandolin Secrets Academy has done for you?

Here are the weblinks mentioned in the show.

Visit our website for more episodes:
https://mandolinsecrets.com/podcast

In this podcast episode, Hayes Griffin and Magnus Zetterlund discuss the interesting subject of contest playing. Why do it? How to apply? What to focus on? It's not only a general discussion; they also look deeper at Hayes's successful adventure when he placed 2nd at Walnut Valley Festival, National Flat-Picking Championships, Winfield, KS, in September 2024. 

We are highlighting:

• The good reasons to attend a contest
• What makes a good contest repertoire
• How to craft a winning arrangement
• Hayes's new Collings guitar

Here are the weblinks mentioned in the show.

Walnut Valley Festival, National Flat-Picking Championships, Winfield, KS:
https://www.wvfest.com/

Visit our website for more episodes:
https://mandolinsecrets.com/podcast

Magnus interviews mandolin player Patricia Cleary from Seattle in this month's episode. She's a member of Mandolin Secrets Academy and talks about her way of keeping focus and showing up for the mandolin daily with Magnus's guidance.

It's inspiring to listen to her interesting view on the mandolin as a great depressant and anti-anxiety. 

"You can't be angry or sad playing the mandolin; it evokes so much joy!"

Visit our website for more episodes:
https://mandolinsecrets.com/podcast

If you want personal guidance from Magnus, you can follow this link to book an intro call:
https://www.mandolinsecrets.com/apply

This month’s episode was recorded in a car, and Magnus and Hayes are having a discussion about: 

• Hayes’s visit to Sweden
• the Grenna Bluegrass Festival
• Leading workshops for players at different levels
• Playing good bluegrass breaks
• The art of slow and steady progress making
• + Much more

Here are the weblinks mentioned in the show.

Visit our website for more episodes:
https://mandolinsecrets.com/podcast

Grenna Bluegrass Festival
https://www.grennabluegrass.se/

In this month’s episode, Magnus interviews one of Europe’s top bluegrass musicians, Ondra Kozák, from the Czech Republic. He plays mandolin, guitar, fiddle/violin, dobro, bass, etc. 

The episode is full of good tips from a professional music maker, and there is an exciting discussion about:

- Being a multi-instrumentalist
- The bluegrass scene in the Czech Republic
- Being a professional musician 
- + Much more

Here are the weblinks mentioned in the show:

The website of Ondra Kozák
https://ondrakozak.com/

Visit our website for more episodes:
https://mandolinsecrets.com/podcast

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

• What is the best low-cost or "budget" instrument you've played?
• What is your favorite instrument shop and why?
• Do you perform any mandolin maintenance/repair yourself or take it to a luthier?
• Magnus's new lesson for the fiddle tune Red Haired Boy with some Adam Steffey Hero Licks.

Here are the weblinks mentioned in the show.

Visit our website for more episodes:
https://mandolinsecrets.com/podcast

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

• How do you visualize scales on the mandolin and guitar? Boxes, finger patterns, etc. 
• Anyone have a favorite app they use for practice?
• Magnus’s new lesson release for I’ve found a new baby
• Hayes’ guitar tube amps and the digital alternatives.
• Magnus’s shares a story when he became the national TV guitarist. 

Visit our website for more episodes:
https://mandolinsecrets.com/podcast