12 String Guitar Lessons

[RICHS53]

Hello , I would like to learn to play a 12 string guitar. I am an intermediate player on 6 strings. I know chords and have been playing for a few years. Just love the full sound of the 12 string. Can someone advise how I go about learning to play. Online courses suggestions. Need some direction to accomplish my goals
Thank you in advance. Love the Byrds, Tom Petty and folk music
Take care

[6L6]

Tune to the same concert pitch as your 6 string and play it the same way.

YouTube is your friend for free lessons on any song you want to learn.

[Coler]

Originally Posted by RICHS53

Hello , I would like to learn to play a 12 string guitar. I am an intermediate player on 6 strings. I know chords and have been playing for a few years. Just love the full sound of the 12 string. Can someone advise how I go about learning to play. Online courses suggestions. Need some direction to accomplish my goals
Thank you in advance. Love the Byrds, Tom Petty and folk music
Take care

If you are fairly confident on six strings I would suggest you continue with your efforts there, which have clearly been successful and are all transferable to 12 string.

And in regard to specific 12 string playing given where you are I would choose songs and pieces I want to play, and start working them out including by making us of online lessons. There’s lots of content out there which will take you bar by bar through a nice tab for specific songs/pieces. That’s where I would go.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by RICHS53

Hello , I would like to learn to play a 12 string guitar. I am an intermediate player on 6 strings. I know chords and have been playing for a few years. Just love the full sound of the 12 string. Can someone advise how I go about learning to play.

If you can play 6-string you can play 12-string!
It's physically tougher, that's all: holding down 2 strings with each finger instead of one. But it's quite common to tune a 12-string down a whole step - or even two.
And the sound of the bass strings might take some getting used to, with the higher octave pairs. I.e., fingerstyle on 12-string can sound strange, as the bass patterns naturally blend in with the treble strings.

Seriously though - you don't need special lessons!

[Cecil6243]

Originally Posted by JonPR

If you can play 6-string you can play 12-string!
It's physically tougher, that's all: holding down 2 strings with each finger instead of one. But it's quite common to tune a 12-string down a whole step - or even two.
And the sound of the bass strings might take some getting used to, with the higher octave pairs. I.e., fingerstyle on 12-string can sound strange, as the bass patterns naturally blend in with the treble strings.

Seriously though - you don't need special lessons!

Someone that didn't know anything about guitars once commented, "Wow that must be really tough going from a six string to a 12 string!" when I commented I was using 12 string on loan from a friend. I explained to her that it's just like a 6 string but the strings are paired.

[Silly Moustache]

Originally Posted by RICHS53

Hello , I would like to learn to play a 12 string guitar. I am an intermediate player on 6 strings. I know chords and have been playing for a few years. Just love the full sound of the 12 string. Can someone advise how I go about learning to play. Online courses suggestions. Need some direction to accomplish my goals
Thank you in advance. Love the Byrds, Tom Petty and folk music
Take care

Hi Rich, like some have said it isn't that different from playing a six string - chord shapes are the same ... but :

I have always tuned my 12s to DD-dd (down one tone/step).
Some say this is to reduce tension on the neck, but my reason is to make the sound more full, and also to make it sound more different to your six string.

Also fingering is a little different inasmuch as you fret strings not on that hard part of your fingertips, but slightly either side. You may not even realise this, but it give your fingertips a bit of a rest.

Finally, (I think) the art is to play less than you would on 6 string - you can let one or two courses ring, bring out the tune, rather than strumming everything all the time, which can be too much on a 6 let alone a 12 string.

[Glennwillow]

It's always hard for me to recommend a learning approach for someone else. All I can suggest is the path I took.

First, here is a playlist from my YouTube channel of 12-string songs: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...cGXUrZPOWZs1p0 There are 34 different 12-string songs on this list, including a fair number of Byrds' songs.

My approach in learning to play the 12-string was to find 12-string songs I liked and then learn to play them. As others have already commented, YouTube is a huge resource for information and even how to play many of these songs. Immersing yourself in how to play well-known 12-string songs, I think, is the key.

Some players suggest you can play any song on a 12-string, and you certainly can do that. But there are certain songs that were constructed on a 12-string that bring out the best parts of this instrument. Songs like "Walk Right In", the Byrds' "Turn, Turn, Turn", or Mr. Tambourine Man are just a few examples of songs written on and for the 12-string and you can learn a lot by going after these songs.

I did a tutorial on how Paul Simon played "For Emily ..." on the 12-string here.

I hope this helps.

- Glenn

[jseth]

I'd suggest to just dig in and start playing it! Try it on different types of songs, although the classic 12 string tunes are a lot of fun to play.

12 string guitars are incredibly satisfying to strum! All those strings produce a sound that a good friend of mine once called "God's own chorus effect", and he wasn't wrong!

The paired courses, especially the lower register, have a lot of power, more so than just one string... check out playing songs and adding a bass line to them...

More than anything, just PLAY! Have a blast with it. The more you play it, the more familiar it will become. These days, I can't handle playing my 12 string for more than a song or two, but there have been times in the past where I've started a set with a 12 string tune and ended up playing the entire set on 12 string! Sometimes, it just feels so right, you know?

Here's one tip for you: when you turn the guitar, damp/mute ALL the other strings while tuning one at a time. If you let everything ring out, it's very difficult to get the thing in tune! Especially using a modern tuner... I have known a few folks who can tune them by just listening to everything at once, but that approach has never worked for me, other than minor tweaks here and there.

[12FanMan]

Well...this goes against the flow, but I find my 6 harder to play than my 12 because the 12 has a wider foundation at the press point, but then again..I started with a 12 50 years ago..and only recently got a new one.

The main thing I can't do is barre chords on a 12...but then I never got into that with a 6 either. I can play/pick that 12 for hours, usually playing old hymns and old songs...and mostly just the melodies. Sometimes, I play out the evening and, at midnight, play the national anthem and go to bed.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by RICHS53

Hello , I would like to learn to play a 12 string guitar. I am an intermediate player on 6 strings. I know chords and have been playing for a few years. Just love the full sound of the 12 string. Can someone advise how I go about learning to play. Online courses suggestions. Need some direction to accomplish my goals
Thank you in advance. Love the Byrds, Tom Petty and folk music
Take care

Hi Richs53
I have a really great 12 stringing buddy (we've made music together more than 40 years).

He has a Taylor 12 and he strings with .010-.047 and keeps the action low (nearly as low as my 6 strings).

His tone is fat and full - and with his 'live through a PA' rig it fills the room with a great fat/full tone.

He doesn't alter his technique much over his 6 string playing. He does predominately strum (because he leads worship with it often) and with a pick…I'll ask him about his effects 'chain' (which is not what you're asking).

He doesn't moderate his style that much. He can lead with either his 6 or 12, and is equally skilled and plays similarly on both. His action is low and lean.

Hope this adds to the discussion…

[DCCougar]

Originally Posted by JonPR

If you can play 6-string you can play 12-string!

Exactly!

Originally Posted by JonPR

It's physically tougher, that's all: holding down 2 strings with each finger instead of one.

Oh, I think fretting a 12-string is easier on the fingertips than a 6-string -- it seems that holding down 2 strings spreads the "pain," plus 12-strings usually come from the factory with .010-.047 gauge strings rather than .012-.053.

[Cecil6243]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

It's always hard for me to recommend a learning approach for someone else. All I can suggest is the path I took.

First, here is a playlist from my YouTube channel of 12-string songs: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...cGXUrZPOWZs1p0 There are 34 different 12-string songs on this list, including a fair number of Byrds' songs.

My approach in learning to play the 12-string was to find 12-string songs I liked and then learn to play them. As others have already commented, YouTube is a huge resource for information and even how to play many of these songs. Immersing yourself in how to play well-known 12-string songs, I think, is the key.

Some players suggest you can play any song on a 12-string, and you certainly can do that. But there are certain songs that were constructed on a 12-string that bring out the best parts of this instrument. Songs like "Walk Right In", the Byrds' "Turn, Turn, Turn", or Mr. Tambourine Man are just a few examples of songs written on and for the 12-string and you can learn a lot by going after these songs.

I did a tutorial on how Paul Simon played "For Emily ..." on the 12-string here.

I hope this helps.

- Glenn

Wow Glenn I forgot what a beautiful song For Emily is and heck yeah that 12 string really brings it out! Thanks for sharing!

[Glennwillow]

Originally Posted by Cecil6243

Wow Glenn I forgot what a beautiful song For Emily is and heck yeah that 12 string really brings it out! Thanks for sharing!

Thank you Cecil!

I appreciate your kind words! I hope you find that tutorial helpful! For reference, here is my performance of For Emily...



- Glenn

[RICHS53]

Thank you everyone for your knowledge and encouragement. I will dig in and learn a few tunes and learn from that. Playing Tangerine by Led Zeppelin. A little bit of strumming, arpeggio at a moderate pace.
Glen love the songs and lesson.
A agree with Cecil what a beautiful song and lesson for Emily.

I will post of clip of Tangerine.

when I learn the whole song.

Be safe healthy and happy

Your friend,
Rich.

[Cecil6243]

Originally Posted by Glennwillow

Thank you Cecil!

I appreciate your kind words! I hope you find that tutorial helpful! For reference, here is my performance of For Emily...



- Glenn

Thanks Glenn!