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  #1  
Old 04-08-2022, 05:42 AM
Tricky Fish Tricky Fish is offline
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Default 12 string guitar - fingerstyle technique?

I’ve been watched a few 12 string guitar videos on youtube lately, such as this one:



I haven’t heard much Fingertsyle playing on 12 string guitar and, as someone with classical / flamenco technique, I am very curious about this.

Can anyone comment on the technique used for fingerstyle on 12 string? Can classical technique adapt easily?

Any recommendations for players using 12 string as their core instrument with fingerstyle / classical technique?
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Old 04-08-2022, 06:42 AM
GBS GBS is offline
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One name over all others:

Leo Kottke

Several YouTube clips of him playing "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire" on a 12 string. Not that he is a classical player, more in the folk/blues stream, but also much, much more than those labels imply.
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Old 04-08-2022, 08:33 AM
ericj ericj is offline
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Default 12 string guitar - fingerstyle technique

You might also look at Roger McGuinn. Sometimes on a Rickenbacker 12 string, sometimes on his own Martin 7 string, but frequently on a Martin 12 string.

He uses hybrid picking (regular pick) with two fingers using metal finger picks.

I've always been a big fan and use the same technique . . . sometimes with finger picks and sometimes with just nail-less fingers.

A lot of 12 string finger style out there. The guy you picked in the video is pretty outstanding and has more stuff out there.

I'm getting older now so I'm using a 12 fret 12 string down a full step. I just traded to a Taylor 362ce that has the V class bracing (from a non-V Class 562ce). I can't comment on the value of V Class on six strings but it makes a huge difference in intonation and clarity on a 12 string and I've owned a dozen 12 strings in my fifty years (yikes!!!!) of playing.

Elixir strings (first exposed on my first Taylor). Sound good. Don't break. Last a very long time.

As others have pointed out, the G7th 12 string capo is amazing.

Good luck in exploring.
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Old 04-08-2022, 08:38 AM
mcduffnw mcduffnw is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tricky Fish View Post
I’ve been watched a few 12 string guitar videos on youtube lately, such as this one:



I haven’t heard much Fingertsyle playing on 12 string guitar and, as someone with classical / flamenco technique, I am very curious about this.

Can anyone comment on the technique used for fingerstyle on 12 string? Can classical technique adapt easily?

Any recommendations for players using 12 string as their core instrument with fingerstyle / classical technique?


Try listening to Ralph Towner of the group Oregon, and his solo work also. He played about as close to classical technique on 12 string as anyone I can remember.

I think classical playing technique could be a wee bit hard to transfer over to 12 string playing due to how tight the string spacing is on a 12 string. It would be hard to work as quickly and quietly on a 12'er as compared to a classical guitar.


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Old 04-08-2022, 09:21 AM
donlyn donlyn is offline
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12 string guitar - fingerstyle technique?

I Fingerpick all my instruments, using my fingernails as picks. I tune my 12 stringe guitars down a semi-tone to D#, and from there I tune the 355 to DADGAD intervals (C# on the E's and G# on the B's). Makes wonderful sounds. And the dronage can sound like Uilleann pipes. I play my 458 in standard tuning down a semi-tone (to D#). I'll try any song on a 12 string and come up with some interesting arrangements like "Walk Don't Run" on a 12.

Don
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Old 04-08-2022, 10:25 AM
Mark L Mark L is offline
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My “secret” of 12 string fingerstyle (pima) is to play it every day. Your technique will definitely cross over and you will improve steadily until it becomes natural.

If I don’t play every day my technique recedes, but I can recapture it in a couple of weeks.

Also, you need to consider your repertoire. Many things work well on a 12, many don’t. There’s a lot going on there harmonically.

Also, something small but perhaps significant - I and others often prefer to reverse the courses on the G string due to more commonly picking an upstroke on it with the fingers than a downstroke with the thumb. On my guitars I’ve been ok without modifying the nut and/or bridge for this, but you might want to consider having a good tech give you a setup if you do this on a permanent basis.

Lastly, not all not and bridge spacing is the same on all 12 strings. Both make a difference coming from classical technique imo.

Try it, you’ll like it!
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Old 04-08-2022, 11:05 AM
koko61 koko61 is offline
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Listen to this album by Leo Kottke, precursor of this style and essential album:

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Old 04-08-2022, 11:08 AM
Glennwillow Glennwillow is offline
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I play my 12-string using a thumb pick and my bare fingernails, the same way I finger pick a 6-string. (I don't use a classical playing style.)

I have never had a problem with fitting either left or right hand fingers on a 12-string. However, my fingers and fingertips are fairly narrow so I was born lucky for this task.

I think this is a good illustration of the way I play a Travis picking pattern on a 12-string:



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Old 04-08-2022, 12:41 PM
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I play with finger picks and thumb pick and have several originals on the 12 string. I tend to find picking patterns that work with the melody and composition I'm working on. I usually involves 2 to 3 patterns which I develop as I listen to what's happening and how I want it to work out. I also try to change up patterns to keep the listener involved as I work with instrumentals only. (original).
I've included an original in standard tuning, "A Waltz for November" but also play in DADGD and CGCGCD tuning on the 12.

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Old 04-08-2022, 01:02 PM
Aimelie Aimelie is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by donlyn View Post
12 string guitar - fingerstyle technique?

I Fingerpick all my instruments, using my fingernails as picks. I tune my 12 stringe guitars down a semi-tone to D#, and from there I tune the 355 to DADGAD intervals (C# on the E's and G# on the B's). Makes wonderful sounds. And the dronage can sound like Uilleann pipes. I play my 458 in standard tuning down a semi-tone (to D#). I'll try any song on a 12 string and come up with some interesting arrangements like "Walk Don't Run" on a 12.

Don
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I would so love to hear (and see) this.
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Old 04-08-2022, 01:44 PM
ewalling ewalling is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ericj View Post
He uses hybrid picking (regular pick) with two fingers using metal finger picks.
This is how I do it, except that I use three Dunlop metal fingerpicks and a Fred Kelly thumbpick. Without the picks, I too often only catch one of the two strings; however, the added resilience and force of the picks make sure that both strings get hit.
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Old 04-08-2022, 02:06 PM
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Chris Proctor has done some excellent instruction on fingerstyle for 12 string. Not sure, but check Homespun. He seems rather sophisticated, so should be right up a classical player's alley.
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Old 04-08-2022, 06:01 PM
Benjo Benjo is offline
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One thing I've found in the fitting hand is to have the fingers come down straight on and not at an angle when fretting the thicker bass/thinner octave string. That minimizes the buzz of not fully fretting the octave strings, we can get away w fretting at an angle w the tips of our fingers on 6 strings but not on 12 strings.

Another thing is that you can minimize the amount of Barre chords is if you think of the higher octave strings in the bass as the treble. So instead of having to do a Barre chord to fret the 1st string 1st fret for an F chord, use your thumb to play the 3rd fret of the 4th string. This was a nice realization when playing various songs from tab and music since I didn't have to kill my left hand w fulle Barre chords. I've used this app such to do pretty extensive refingerings of some of the music I play to make it easier.

Probably the most helpful suggestion I can give however is to tune down. I suggest a full step using 13-53 guage. Easier to play like that and 12 strings sound better IMO with thicker strings at a lower tension.

A silk and steel string set might be more familiar feeling for strings than phosphor bronze.

Last edited by Benjo; 04-08-2022 at 06:58 PM.
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Old 04-08-2022, 06:49 PM
Jimi2 Jimi2 is offline
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I play finger style with my nails on six string guitars, but on my twelve my thumbnail gets hung up on the octave bass strings and doesn’t activate this lower of the pairs. my solution is to use a pick only on my thumb, not on my other fingers. This way I can strike through the octave strings and activate the bass strings as wel.
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Old 04-08-2022, 07:06 PM
DCCougar DCCougar is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GBS View Post
One name over all others:

Leo Kottke.
Of course, it's impossible to play like him, as far as I know.

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