Mandolin Secrets Podcast

Hayes Griffin and Magnus Zetterlund get together for a candid episode about practice rooms, warm-ups, and a story Hayes has been waiting to tell. Hayes shares how a simple car-cleaning moment left him with a mallet finger injury just weeks before Winfield, and how he turned the recovery into a creative exploration of one-finger playing inspired by Mick Goodrick. They dig into Hayes’s pick slanting journey, economy picking patterns taught by Beppe Gambetta, and Magnus’s double-stop...

Join Magnus Zetterlund with jazz mandolin virtuoso Sims Delaney Potthoff, who studied directly with Jethro Burns and has been performing for over 30 years. Sims shares transformative lessons from Jethro on soloing, guide tone lines, and the power of melody—plus his groundbreaking Sims 251 series of weekly jazz vocabulary videos. Discover how a random mandolin at a party launched a career spanning bluegrass, gypsy swing, and Django-inspired jazz. Learn about building niche music sc...

Magnus Zetterlund talks with Baron Collins-Hill, the mandolin teacher behind the MandoLessons YouTube channel, running strong for nearly 20 years. Baron picked up mandolin after hearing Chris Thile on Nickel Creek's self-titled album, learned through the early Mandolin Cafe forum community, and started posting lessons on borrowed camera equipment before "online mandolin teaching" was really a thing. They talk about Baron's move to Bangkok and the surprisingly lively Irish and bluegrass jam sc...

Join Magnus Zetterlund with UK-based mandolin teacher Mike Giverin (Mando Mike) to explore why learning an instrument transforms lives. Mike shares his journey from seeing Nickel Creek at 14 to building his YouTube channel with 170+ free lessons. Discover his two teaching philosophies—nurturing absolute beginners and fixing technique for musicians switching instruments. Hear the story behind his book "How to Practice the Mandolin with a Broken Hand," dive into right-hand escape motions, and e...

Join Magnus Zetterlund and Hayes Griffin as they discuss gear essentials, touring adventures, and what happens when you remove a pickguard from your mandolin. Hayes shares his inspiring experience at Blue Ridge Guitar Camp with flat-picking heroes and his recent European tour backing Beppe Gambetta in Italy. Discover the community's favorite cleaning products—including the legendary Fast Fret string cleaner—and debate the pickguard question: does it really affect your tone? Plus, ...