Playback Sessions

Sierra Hull is a true mandolin prodigy who has blossomed into one of the most important voices in modern acoustic music. With six career Grammy nominations under her belt including a staggering four nods for her recent independent release. She is carrying the torch of bluegrass into the future while collaborating with everyone from Béla Fleck to Brad Paisley. In this episode, Sierra shares the deeply emotional, full-circle story of finally designing her own signature Gibson mandolins and how she composed a three-part bluegrass concerto called The Movements. 🚀 Book a Free Skills Assessment with a Sonora mentor. https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/cyrb?d=1 👇 Want to go deeper? Join the Playback Sessions community for tabs, breakdowns, and more. https://www.skool.com/playback-community-9570 ⏱️ Free Tool for looping videos on YouTube and Instagram https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/cyrb/looper?d=1 📍 Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:30 - How Sierra Composed a Bluegrass Concerto ("The Movements") 5:10 - Using the Notes Behind the Nut to Write a Melody 7:05 - Recording the Concerto Live in the Studio 8:55 - Designing Her Signature Gibson Mandolins 13:45 - Inspiring the Next Generation of Female Mandolin Players 15:50 - The Experience of Four Grammy Nominations 17:40 - Getting a Last-Minute Call to Tour with The Flecktones 21:10 - Opening for Brad Paisley in Scandinavia 23:15 - Returning to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival & The Ryman 24:00 - Recording New Covers (Ray Charles & The Grateful Dead) 25:00 - Co-Headlining with The Milk Carton Kids 🎸 Follow Playback Sessions on socials: -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playbacksessions/ -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playbacksessions -YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Playback-Sessions -Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@playbacksessionspodcast -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033GDhrc6VzGdJREjOS52A 📍 Filmed live at DelFest 2026, County Fairgrounds in Cumberland, Maryland 🎥 Host: Spencer Handley Guest: Sierra Hull Editor: Carl Reeverts, Clayton Hopkins, Evan Bowser Camera/Sound: Ben Bingham Executive Producer: Spencer Handley #PlaybackSessions #SpencerHandley #CarterVintageGuitar #SonoraGuitarIntensive #SierraHull #Mandolin #GibsonMandolin #BluegrassMusic #TheFlecktones #BelaFleck #BradPaisley #DelFest #AcousticMusic #GrammyAwards

Joe Robinson, an Australian guitar virtuoso who has redefined modern fingerstyle playing. After winning Australia's Got Talent at 17, he moved to Nashville to forge his own independent path. In this episode, Joe breaks down the intense mechanical discipline required to play at an elite level and why he encourages his students to practice composing counterpoint using Guitar Pro software. 🚀 Book a Free Skills Assessment with Sonora. https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/bbyf?d=1 👇 Want to go deeper? Join the Playback Sessions community for tabs, breakdowns, and more. https://www.skool.com/playback-community-9570 ⏱️ Free Tool for looping videos on YouTube and Instagram https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/bbyf/looper?d=1 📍 Chapters: 1:55 - Using John Petrucci Exercises for Fingerstyle 3:30 - Discovering Jerry Reed and Tommy Emmanuel 5:30 - The Brutal Advice Tommy Emmanuel Gave Joe 9:00 - The Australian Fingerstyle and "Pub Rock" Scene 11:00 - Winning Australia's Got Talent (And Rejecting Sony Music) 20:00 - The Sonic Magic of Pre-War Martin & Gibson Acoustics 26:40 - The "Autodidact" Mindset: Why Joe Reads 80 Books a Year 30:05 - Fingerstyle Vocabulary: Travis Picking & The "Roll" 33:00 - Why Joe Teaches Arrangements Without Thumb Picks or Barre Chords 41:40 - Borrowing the "Rest Stroke" from Gypsy Jazz Players 47:45 - Practicing Standing Up (And Using a Mirror) 53:00 - How to Be a Great Student & Find Mentors 1:07:25 - Composing Counterpoint Using Guitar Pro 🎸 Follow Playback Sessions on socials: -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playbacksessions/ -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playbacksessions -YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Playback-Sessions -Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@playbacksessionspodcast -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033GDhrc6VzGdJREjOS52A 📍 Filmed live at Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville, Tennessee. 🎥 Host: Spencer Handley Guest: Joe Robinson Editor: Carl Reeverts, Clayton Hopkins, Evan Bowser Executive Producer: Spencer Handley #PlaybackSessions #SpencerHandley #CarterVintageGuitar #SonoraGuitarIntensive #JoeRobinson #TommyEmmanuel #FingerstyleGuitar #JohnPetrucci #GypsyJazz #AcousticGuitar #GuitarLesson #TravisPicking #GuitarTechnique

Mountain Grass Unit has rapidly evolved from touring in a Volkswagen to playing the country's biggest festivals. In this episode, Drury Anderson, Luke Black, Josiah Nelson, and Sam Wilson share wild stories from the road, including backing Kesha at the Bonnaroo Super Jam and getting a surprise Grand Ole Opry invite from Del McCoury. They also dive into bluegrass mechanics, explaining the aggressive rhythm of "Mash" bluegrass, and revealing why they ditched click tracks for their new Vance Powell-produced album to capture a purely organic sound. 🚀 Book a Free Skills Assessment with a Sonora mentor. https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/hsb3?d=1 👇 Want to go deeper? Join the Playback Sessions community for tabs, breakdowns, and more. https://www.skool.com/playback-community-9570 ⏱️ Free Tool for looping videos on YouTube and Instagram https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/hsb3/looper?d=1 📍 Chapters: 0:00 - Intro & The Rise of Mountain Grass Unit (From VWs to Sprinters) 5:16 - Becoming Kesha's Backing Band at Bonnaroo 8:10 - Getting Invited to the Grand Ole Opry at DelFest 11:00 - Breaking Down Luke's Viral Telluride Solo 14:40 - Tony Rice Licks, Mixolydian Runs, and Billy Strings Vamping 28:46 - How the Upright Bass Supports the Guitar Solo 29:45 - What is "Mash" Bluegrass? (Mash vs. Traditional) 33:15 - How Music Theory Helps Bluegrass Jams 41:40 - Fiddle vs. Guitar: The Mastery of Josiah Nelson 47:20 - Recording the New Album with Vance Powell 49:00 - Why They Ditched the Click Track in the Studio 50:20 - Sam’s Accounting Degree and Running the Band's LinkedIn Page 🎸 Follow Playback Sessions on socials: -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playbacksessions/ -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playbacksessions -YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Playback-Sessions -Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@playbacksessionspodcast -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033GDhrc6VzGdJREjOS52A 📍 Filmed live at Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville, Tennessee. 🎥 Host: Spencer Handley Guest: Mountain Grass Unit Editor: Carl Reeverts, Clayton Hopkins, Evan Bowser Executive Producer: Spencer Handley #PlaybackSessions #SpencerHandley #CarterVintageGuitar #SonoraGuitarIntensive #MountainGrassUnit #DruryAnderson #LukeBlack #JosiahNelson #SamWilson #Bluegrass #Flatpicking #MashBluegrass #TellurideBluegrass #DelFest #Bonnaroo #Kesha #GuitarLesson #GrandOleOpry

Brett Papa, one of the most successful guitar educators on the internets sits down to detail the grueling, blue-collar hustle that launched his channel. He reveals how he survived on 4 hours of sleep while working at Divided by 13 to film videos at 2 AM, how Marty Schwartz mentored him in the "wild west" days of YouTube, and the business philosophy that changed his life. 🚀 Book a Free Skills Assessment with a Sonora Mentor. https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/4x4a?d=1 👇 Want to go deeper? Join the Playback Sessions community for tabs, breakdowns, and more. https://www.skool.com/playback-community-9570 ⏱️ Free Tool for looping videos on YouTube and Instagram https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/4x4a/looper?d=1 📍 Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction & The Magic of Guitar 1:40 - Working at Divided by 13 & The Start of YouTube 3:30 - Mentorship from Marty Schwartz 6:45 - Helping Tim Pierce Start His YouTube Channel 10:30 - How Guthrie Govan Introduced Brett to the CAGED System 19:00 - The Art of Interviewing and Producing Session Legends 22:30 - Discovering the Hidden Nuance of Pro Players 28:00 - The 10-to-1 Ratio of Creating Value 33:00 - The Hustle: 3 Jobs and 4 Hours of Sleep 38:30 - Taking Initiative and Controlling Your Destiny 46:00 - The Humility of Dann Huff 1:03:50 - Demystifying the CAGED System & Chord Shapes 1:12:00 - Connecting Pentatonic Scales to CAGED Chords 🎸 Follow Playback Sessions on socials: -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playbacksessions/ -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playbacksessions -YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Playback-Sessions -Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@playbacksessionspodcast -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033GDhrc6VzGdJREjOS52A 📍 Filmed live at Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville, Tennessee. 🎥 Host: Spencer Handley Guest: Brett Papa Editor: Carl Reeverts, Clayton Hopkins, Evan Bowser Executive Producer: Spencer Handley #PlaybackSessions #SpencerHandley #CarterVintageGuitar #SonoraGuitarIntensive #BrettPapa #GuitarLesson #CAGEDSystem #TimPierce #TomBukovac #GuthrieGovan #MusicBusiness #GuitarTheory #YouTubeCreator #DannHuff

John Osborne, the lead guitarist and one-half of the Grammy-winning country duo Brothers Osborne. Known for his blistering Telecaster chops and soulful musicianship, In this episode, John sits down to discuss the journey to the top of the country charts was anything but a straight line. 🚀 Book a Free Skills Assessment with Sonora. https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/bbyf?d=1 👇 Want to go deeper? Join the Playback Sessions community for tabs, breakdowns, and more. https://www.skool.com/playback-community-9570 ⏱️ Free Tool for looping videos on YouTube and Instagram https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/bbyf/looper?d=1 📍 Chapters: 0:57 - Live Acoustic Performance 3:20 - Building the "Frankenstein" 1968 Telecaster 5:55 - Learning to Play the B-Bender 9:25 - B-Bender Music Theory & Pedal Steel Emulation 14:38 - Playing Upright Bass & Quitting Classical Music 19:56 - The Origin of Brothers Osborne 27:54 - Burnout, Tinnitus, and Hitting Rock Bottom on Tour 34:06 - Doing a Heroic Dose of Psilocybin Mushrooms for Anxiety 44:04 - Producing Records & Playing in the Key of C 48:54 - The CAGED System: The "Idiot's Guide to Music" 53:10 - Bill Kirchen’s Kazoo Trick (Singing Your Solos) 56:39 - Arranging Guitar Parts Like a Painter 1:01:41 - Outro & Live Acoustic Performance 🎸 Follow Playback Sessions on socials: -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playbacksessions/ -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playbacksessions -YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Playback-Sessions -Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@playbacksessionspodcast -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033GDhrc6VzGdJREjOS52A 📍 Filmed live at Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville, Tennessee. 🎥 Host: Spencer Handley Guest: John Osborne Editor: Carl Reeverts, Clayton Hopkins, Evan Bowser Executive Producer: Spencer Handley #PlaybackSessions #SpencerHandley #CarterVintageGuitar #SonoraGuitarIntensive #JohnOsborne #BrothersOsborne #Telecaster #BBender #CAGEDSystem #GuitarLesson #MentalHealth #Psychedelics #CountryGuitar #Bluegrass #MusicTheory

Grammy-nominated Memphis blues band Southern Avenue’s Tierinii and Ori discuss the gritty origins of the band, from growing up in a strict religious household to learning blues guitar in Israel and eventually moving to Memphis to chase the American Dream. They also reveal the story behind writing music for Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, their approach to creating a concept album, and why they’re proud to be a blue-collar band that “came from nothing.” 🚀 Book a Free Skills Assessment with a Sonora mentor. https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/xqe4?d=1 👇 Want to go deeper? Join the Playback Sessions community for tabs, breakdowns, and more. https://www.skool.com/playback-community-9570 ⏱️ Free Tool for looping videos on YouTube and Instagram https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/xqe4/looper?d=1 📍 Chapters: 0:00 - Introduction at DelFest 1:25 - Ori's Mentor: A James Brown Guitarist in Tel Aviv 3:30 - Tierinii’s Upbringing: Getting in Trouble with the Church 6:25 - Why Tierinii Pursued Secular Music Over Gospel 8:55 - Writing Music for the Secret Hollywood Movie "Sinners" 12:35 - Moving to Memphis to Chase the American Dream 17:10 - What the City of Memphis Means to the Band 20:50 - Recording the Concept Album "Family" 22:35 - Touring with Willie Nelson & Bob Dylan 25:40 - Finding Their True Sound (Ignoring the "Cool Kids") 28:20 - "We Came From Nothing": The Blue-Collar Hustle 29:10 - Ori on the Responsibility of Playing the Blues as an Israeli 31:55 - Navigating Politics and Internet Trolls on Tour 35:45 - The Importance of Writing a Concept Album 🎸 Follow Playback Sessions on socials: -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playbacksessions/ -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playbacksessions -YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Playback-Sessions -Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@playbacksessionspodcast -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033GDhrc6VzGdJREjOS52A 📍 Filmed live at DelFest 2026, County Fairgrounds in Cumberland, Maryland 🎥 Host: Spencer Handley Guest: Ronnie McCoury Editor: Carl Reeverts, Clayton Hopkins, Evan Bowser Camera/Sound: Ben Bingham Executive Producer: Spencer Handley #PlaybackSessions #SpencerHandley #CarterVintageGuitar #SonoraGuitarIntensive #SouthernAvenue #MemphisBlues #BluesMusic #TieriniiJackson #OriNaftaly #SinnersMovie #GospelMusic #Songwriting #BluesGuitar #AmericanaMusic #DelFest

In this episode, Bluegrass royalty Ronnie McCoury sits down at DelFest to discuss the realities of carrying on a massive family legacy, how his dad taught him to play with a "loose wrist," the challenges of replacing a 33-year band member and the tragic collapse of a highly-funded Bill Monroe biopic 🚀 Book a Free Skills Assessment with Sonora Mentor: https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/tpqb?d=1 👇 Want to go deeper? Join the Playback Sessions community for tabs, breakdowns, and more. https://www.skool.com/playback-community-9570 ⏱️ Free Tool for looping videos on YouTube and Instagram https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/tpqb/looper?d=1 📍 Chapters: 0:00 - DelFest Highlights & Curating the Lineup 6:00 - Growing Up McCoury: Learning Mandolin from Del 10:30 - The Jump to Nashville in 1985 12:00 - Del's Mandolin Advice: "Loose as a Dish Rag" 14:15 - Teaching the Next Generation: Heaven McCoury 16:15 - Why The Travelin' McCourys Were Really Formed 21:55 - The Lost Bill Monroe Movie Tapes 25:00 - How to Replace a 33-Year Band Member 27:35 - The Future of the McCoury Legacy 🎸 Follow Playback Sessions on socials: -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playbacksessions/ -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playbacksessions -YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Playback-Sessions -Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@playbacksessionspodcast -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033GDhrc6VzGdJREjOS52A 📍 Filmed live at DelFest 2026, County Fairgrounds in Cumberland, Maryland 🎥 Host: Spencer Handley Guest: Ronnie McCoury Editor: Carl Reeverts, Clayton Hopkins, Evan Bowser Camera/Sound: Ben Bingham Executive Producer: Spencer Handley #RonnieMcCoury #DelMcCoury #DelFest #BillMonroe #EarlScruggs #Bluegrass #BluegrassMandolin #McCouryFamily #JasonCarter #RalphStanley #PlaybackSessions #SpencerHandley #DelFest2026 #BluegrassLegacy #MusicHistory #Mandolin #MusicPodcast #BluegrassFamily #GrandOleOpry #Delfest #Cartervintageguitars #Sonoraguitarintensive

In this episode, Peter Rowan joins us at DelFest to break down the origins of classic songs like "Panama Red" and "The Walls of Time," the harsh wisdom of Bill Monroe, and how ancient philosophy shapes his songwriting and life on the road. 🚀 Book a Free Skills Assessment with Sonora. https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/6dns?d=1 👇 Want to go deeper? Join the Playback Sessions community for tabs, breakdowns, and more. https://www.skool.com/playback-community-9570 ⏱️ Free Tool for looping videos on YouTube and Instagram https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/6dns/looper?d=1 📍 Chapters: 0:00 - Joining Bill Monroe & The Grand Ole Opry 1:32 - Touring with the Sam Grisman Project 7:00 - Reggae, Flamencon & World Music Influences 11:58 - The True Story of Writing "Panama Red" 13:40 - Pitching Songs to Jerry Garcia & New Riders 15:57 - Bill Monroe's Warning: "Don't Go Too Far on the Limb" 18:39 - Finding His Voice in Old & In the Way 25:40 - Studying Epic Ballads & Transcendentalism 31:45 - Ethnobotany, Sacred Literature & Counter-Culture Lore 42:00 - The Philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism in Daily Life 58:58 - Writing "The Walls of Time" with Bill Monroe 🎸 Follow Playback Sessions on socials: -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playbacksessions/ -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playbacksessions -YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Playback-Sessions -Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@playbacksessionspodcast -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033GDhrc6VzGdJREjOS52A 📍 Filmed live at DelFest 2026, County Fairgrounds in Cumberland, Maryland 🎥 Host: Spencer Handley Guest: Peter Rowan Editor: Carl Reeverts, Clayton Hopkins, Evan Bowser Camera/Sound: Ben Bingham Executive Producer: Spencer Handley #PlaybackSessions #SpencerHandley #CarterVintageGuitar #SonoraGuitarIntensive #CharlieStarr #BlackberrySmoke #DaveCobb #SouthernRock #MarshallTuckerBand #ToyCaldwell #GuitarLesson #SongwritingTips #DelFest #BluegrassMusic #MusicLegend

Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke sits down to discuss the band's 25th anniversary and their latest transitional chapter. Charlie shares the story behind his spontaneous, bucket-list performance with Del McCoury and dives deep into his work with the Toy Factory Project, a supergroup honoring the Marshall Tucker Band. 🚀 Book a Free Skills Assessment with Sonora. https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/93w8?d=1 👇 Want to go deeper? Join the Playback Sessions community for tabs, breakdowns, and more. https://www.skool.com/playback-community-9570 ⏱️ Free Tool for looping videos on YouTube and Instagram https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/93w8/looper?d=1 📍 Chapters: 0:01:46 - The Bathroom Break That Led to a Bucket List Stage Moment 0:02:34 - Musical Lineage: A Bluegrass Dad and a Rock & Roll Mom 0:05:51 - The Formation of The Toy Factory Project Supergroup 0:08:40 - Deconstructing Toy Caldwell's "Cornbread Jazz" Chords 0:12:06 - Honoring the Brit Turner Era With Volume 1 0:13:06 - Blackberry Smoke's Next Chapter After 25 Years 0:17:27 - Why Iconic Bands Hated the "Southern Rock" Label 0:18:58 - Tom Waits' "Rain Dogs" Strategy to Break Muscle Memory 0:20:17 - Exploring Jazz Influences: Kenny Burrell, Coltrane, & Sun Ra 0:24:09 - Dave Cobb's Studio Advice: "Perfection is Boring" 🎸 Follow Playback Sessions on socials: -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playbacksessions/ -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playbacksessions -YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Playback-Sessions -Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@playbacksessionspodcast -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033GDhrc6VzGdJREjOS52A 🎥Filmed live at DelFest 2026, County Fairgrounds in Cumberland, Maryland 🎙️ Host: Spencer Handley Guest: Charlie Starr Editor: Carl Reeverts, Clayton Hopkins, Evan Bowser Executive Producer: Spencer Handley #PlaybackSessions #SpencerHandley #CarterVintageGuitar #SonoraGuitarIntensive #CharlieStarr #BlackberrySmoke #DaveCobb #SouthernRock #MarshallTuckerBand #ToyCaldwell #GuitarLesson #SongwritingTips #DelFest #BluegrassMusic

Cecil Alexander, elite jazz guitarist and Berklee faculty joins Playback Sessions for a 5-level jazz guitar masterclass built for blues and rock players. From pentatonic foundations to third substitutions, plus a close look at his custom Alexander Polyov guitar and the reverse-angle picking style nobody else uses. 🚀 Book a Free Skills Assessment with Sonora. https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/b53r?d=1 👇 Want to go deeper? Join the Playback Sessions community for tabs, breakdowns, and more. https://www.skool.com/playback-community-9570 ⏱️ Free Tool for looping videos on YouTube and Instagram https://www.learnwithsonora.com/yt/b53r/looper?d=1 📍 Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:05 - Cecil's Custom Neck Guitar 6:00 - How Grant Green Unlocked Jazz for Cecil 10:42 - Level 1: Escaping Pentatonic Boxes 17:03 - Level 2: The Arpeggio Roadmap 28:40 - The "Avoid Note" Rule (Why the Root Clashes) 33:47 - Level 3: Pivot Arpeggios & Triplet Variations 44:27 - Level 4: Chromaticism, Enclosures & Bebop Scales 51:18 - The George Benson Picking Technique 1:08:15 - Level 5: Altered Scales & Substitutions 1:16:53 - How to "Side-Slip" Outside the Changes 🎸 Follow Playback Sessions on socials: -Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/playbacksessions/ -Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/playbacksessions -YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Playback-Sessions -Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@playbacksessionspodcast -Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033GDhrc6VzGdJREjOS52A 📍 Filmed live at Carter Vintage Guitars in Nashville, Tennessee. 🎥 Host: Spencer Handley Guest: Cecil Alexander Editor: Carl Reeverts, Clayton Hopkins, Evan Bowser Executive Producer: Spencer Handley #PlaybackSessions #SpencerHandley #SonoraGuitarIntensive #CecilAlexander #JazzGuitar #5Levels #JazzGuitarLesson #BebopGuitar #GrantGreen #JazzTheory #GuitarImprovisation #JazzForBluesPlayers #DonnaLee #McCoyTyner #Coltrane #SideSlipping #ChordSubstitutions #CarterVintage #JazzGuitarRoadmap #Berklee #GuitarMasterclass