How does your technique/style tend to differ when playing a 12 string?

[wcap]

This is probably a pretty naive question, but here is a question for 12-string guitar players.

How does your playing technique, or style, tend to differ when playing 12-string gutars as compared to 6 strings? Do you tend to use your 12-string guitars for different playing styles? For different purposes? For different musical genres?

I realize that anything can be played on pretty much any guitar, but some guitars really lend themselves to some playing styles better than others.



I'm a fingerstyle player (and long-time banjo player), and play a bit of classical, and I'm branching into flatpicking a bit. When I have picked up a 12-string guitar and have played some of my fingerstyle things the sound has been magical - but it has also seemed clear that a direct transfer of a fingerstyle arrangement from a 6 string to a 12 string might not be making the best use of the 12-string, and it might not be the best way of playing that arrangement. I've been tempted by 12-string guitars several times, but I find myself wondering whether I really know what I would do with it if I had one?

(Don't tell my wife I posted this- I just bought a Goodall, which is enough guitar to keep me busy for a long time to come, and my wife just said this morning "no more guitars in this calendar year!" But, as they say, inquiring minds want to know!)

[M.D.Smith]

Originally Posted by wcap

This is probably a pretty naive question, but here is a question for 12-string guitar players.

How does your playing technique, or style, tend to differ when playing 12-string gutars as compared to 6 strings? Do you tend to use your 12-string guitars for different playing styles? For different purposes? For different musical genres?

I realize that anything can be played on pretty much any guitar, but some guitars really lend themselves to some playing styles better than others.



I'm a fingerstyle player (and long-time banjo player), and play a bit of classical, and I'm branching into flatpicking a bit. When I have picked up a 12-string guitar and have played some of my fingerstyle things the sound has been magical - but it has also seemed clear that a direct transfer of a fingerstyle arrangement from a 6 string to a 12 string might not be making the best use of the 12-string, and it might not be the best way of playing that arrangement. I've been tempted by 12-string guitars several times, but I find myself wondering whether I really know what I would do with it if I had one?

(Don't tell my wife I posted this- I just bought a Goodall, which is enough guitar to keep me busy for a long time to come, and my wife just said this morning "no more guitars in this calendar year!" But, as they say, inquiring minds want to know!)

I can tell you this from actual day to day experience playing both on Sunday for church.

I tend to use my 12 string guitar for mostly strumming chords.
I can get a fuller, smoother strum from my 12 than a six.
Some songs, though strumming, sound better on my six.

I occasionally finger pick on my 12, but mostly on my 6.
It's very cool to have the opportunity to have both and play the same song(s) different ways and techniques and then make a choice.

Hope this helps.

[unclrob]

I'm in the boat that say's you can playanything in any style on either 6 or 12,that said my slide playing really s**k's on 12 string.

[Michael T]

I had my nut & saddle carved to bring the octave sting's top level with the standard course on my Larrivee 12, plays just like my 6 string with no pick hole (especially when fingerstyle). I have to admidt I probably play the 12 on songs better suited for the 6 more than I should but it is just so darn pretty and full I prefer it over the 6 when solo. It likely gets a little muddy with 2 or 3 others playng. A good 12 string is almost magical.

[taylorcc]

Intermediate level couch-picker here.

My six string fingerpicking doesn't translate well to 12s - too much going on sonically. When I have a 12 out for play it's for the usual 12 string songs by The Seekers, The Rooftop Singers etc. strummed with a flatpick with bass runs for fill.

[donh]

Three things spring to mind:

The innate tempo of a 12-strings is slower/heavier than a 6. There is more going on and you have to let it blossom.

The fact that you have octave strings makes any runs feel different and you need to adjust to it. Dropping from the b-string course to the g-string course feels like and up instead of a down. It's fun, it's different, and it leads you in new (or at least different) directions.

There's just more energy in a 12! More strings = more energy potential. the rate of energy release is more metered and the amount of energy that can be released is far greater.

Make of it what you will!

[buddiesorg]

I really have to focus on keeping my right hand technique clean on a 12-string ... and basically have a longer stroke to play both strings ... but it's worth it. I love playing my 12-strings ... but then, I love playing my 6-strings, too.

[OMorsmaller]

Different animals altogether,,,,,,I think the 12 should not be played up to pitch. It sounds too twangy,,,,,needs to be tuned 1 to 2 steps lower.

Also, your technique should change to take advantage of the octaves,,,,,,it's many years since I've played/performed on the 12, but one of the techniques I used, was to only hit one string, either the octave or the bass string (3rd thru 6th pair). You simply can't ALWAYS hit both the octave and the root string without it sounding overly bright and twangy. Therefore the upstroke is important to be able to avoid hitting the octave. It's hard to do, but that's one of the tricks that make famous 12 string players famous on the 12 string.

This applies to solo playing of the 12, but it's important in other settings to, though I suppose you can get by with sounding "twangy" in other applications.