Adam Steffey Bluegrass Mandolin Solo and Licks - Tutorial

[@MandolinSecrets]

What is your relationship to the music of Adam Steffey? Would you find it interesting with more solo tutorials like this? Please share your thoughts!

[@MattKidMusic]

These are very useful, not only to learn but to see how mandolinists like Adam approach there solos. Adam is one of my favourite players

[@deanbarnwell2062]

Hey thanks Magnus for the tutorials. More solo tutorials would be great. Adam is one of my heroes too.

[@mandopay]

Adam Steffey, Jethro Burns, your hitting all the big ones.

[@MandolinSecrets]

Thanks Matt! Yeah, I actually wish I could see Adam Steffey himself explain a solo like this. I hope I can attend a workshop one day.

[@MandolinSecrets]

Thanks Dean! That´s my guess, there´s got to be hundreds of people here at youtube enjoying Adam as much as I do. :-)

[@Peter-sk5vg]

You have a lovely manner of teaching. Very clear, informative and totally accurate

[@robertshorthill6836]

Magnus, one of my all time picking heros, whether guitar or mandolin is the great Norman Blake. A couple months ago I ran across him and wife Nancy, from an old concert performance doing their version of Old Hollow Poplar. It really knocked me out, so I slowed it down and picked it out after several tries. A great tune in key of G. Cheers, Bob

[@marjorievandyke8243]

I love how you mix it up between the Nordic folk, jazz and bluegrass. I too really admire Adam Steffey, but have always been a little intimated by his playing. You breakdown really well and make it accessible. Thanks for the great tutorial Magnus!

[@MandolinSecrets]

Thanks! Yes, once you break it down you realize that even the master players solos and licks are accessible for us deadly people. :-)

[@Coukle]

Brilliant tutorial Magnus, love the folk music tutorials too. Keep them coming! :D

[@MandolinSecrets]

Thank you Jacob Matthess! Glad to hear you like the variety, that´s how I want to make the tutorials. One a week is my goal! :-)

[@GrandpaR0G]

Another great tutorial Magnus! Quite a challenge this one but well worth persevering! I actually found the last four bars easiest to "capture", and I had to write it all out before I could start to play it through. I managed to play the first four bars together but then had to take a different approach with the rest! I learned the last bar, and then added bars one at a time in reverse order. Finally got to play it all the way through from "pick up" to end. How Adam managed to put it all together in the first plays amazes me. I would certainly appreciate more tutorials of solos to songs like this one. Thanks for a great resource Magnus.

[@MandolinSecrets]

Thanks Roger! I actually heard of classical guitarist that memorizes there music like that, from end to beginning. It´s a good idea! I have more solos coming up!

[@slq3263]

Thank you for your tutorials

[@MandolinSecrets]

Thanks Sarah!

[@sergioribnikov]

Great solo and awesome tutorial. Keep it up Magnus :)

[@MandolinSecrets]

Thanks Sergio! Are you familiar with Adam Steffey´s playing before?

[@burtvillefarms]

super job. Steffey is a great Hero to have. Maybe the best if you are a Mandolin player.

[@MandolinSecrets]

Thanks Royce!

[@jerome6193]

Do you have a video focused on position shifting? Do you know of any exercises for a better understanding of how to change between different positions or what the different positions are? I do not know what I am doing when it comes to playing outside of the first position... Curious to know if you have any tips!

[@MandolinSecrets]

Hi Jerome! No videos focused on that topic, but it´s a good one. I put it to my list of ideas! There´s definately two closed positions you should master. I come back to it!

[@krdjis]

Your videos are awesome, Magnus! What kind of sound card are you using to record your mandolin?

[@MandolinSecrets]

Thanks Jeshua! I do have a MOTU Travellite Sound card. However for this video I record direct to my camera through my mixing soundboard, no sound card involved. :-) Do you also record audio and video?

[@krdjis]

Yeah I do. :) Working on it, at least. So you go to your camera and then upload the video from there? As in no interfacing with PC?

[@MandolinSecrets]

Cool! Well, I transfer my recorded video(and audio) from the camera to my computer. And then edit and upload it from there. I´m gonna make a little tutorial on how to make better mandolin videos, as I think it can help people for sharing their material in social media. Keep an eye on my channel, that might interest you!

[@krdjis]

That would be wonderful! Thank you! (And I think I'll take that approach where I record with a camera first and then upload and edit on the computer. I appreciate the help!)

[@MandolinSecrets]

That´s the way to do it! Unless I record with a smartphone, then I upload directly. I would love to share my knowledge of this. There´s lot of info at KZbin, but not that much from a musicians point of view. Have a good day!

[@Dobroz99]

Magnus is he typically using a specific mode to add the “tension” notes or they all accidentals? Thanks. Hope you keep mixing in Bluegrass songs.

[@MandolinSecrets]

Well, I find him using the tension between 6th fret and the open string a lot, the b2 intervall. I believe it´s more of an mandolin idiomatic thing then a specific mode or anything. A least I try to copy that Steffey-thing, it´s cool! :-)

[@paahto_c]

@@MandolinSecrets Even though sliding to the major 3rd from a half-step below can be found all over bluegrass and old-time music, I have to say that I always did notice it so pronounced in a particular way with Steffey. I think it's because he does it in keys that make use of the open string as a major 3 (e.g. C and F) and creates a more direct accent in the movement as opposed to a sliding movement that would be created between two frets. It's kind of fluid or liquidy sounding. What do you think? On another point, I'm particularly interested in the idea that he plays over the E chord. I would have never thought of using a maj7 (D#) and especially not a b6 (C), let alone in conjunction with each other. Is there a specific theoretical idea behind this (regardless of whether Steffey knows about it)? To my limited knowledge, it seems like the b6, if viewed as a #5, creates a kind of augmented lead line over the chord (hence the tension). But where that D# fits in, however, is beyond me! Excellent videos by the way.

[@ChrisStewart2]

Yes that is a nice solo -thanks Magnus Too fast for me to play any time soon if ever but it is helpful to learn the language and then maybe I can incorporate it into something slower that I can manage. I found the song here on KZbin if anyone wants to hear it : kzbin.info/www/bejne/aaPCnWN7erCondE&app=desktop I never heard him before actually or Mr. Steffey (I guess I live under a rock) but I like them both. Thanks

[@MandolinSecrets]

Thanks Chris! Yes, you got the right approach. It’s not about nailing this solo, there’s so much more to benefit.