G String Songs

[Granville Turley]

Aftermany, many, many, months of waiting (since February) I received my Schecter Hellraiser Extreme 5 yesterday and know I want to dive into all kinds of 5 string basslines I have been missing out on. I will play just about any genre but I love metal. Bring it on!

A twelve string guitar can add some extra jangle and shimmer to your guitar playing and give you a slightly fuller (but different) sound than a six string guitar. You play them both the same way - but on a twelve string there are 6 pairs of strings tuned either in octaves (different gauge strings) or in the case of the 1st and 2nd string pairs (e and b in standard tuning) unisons. The resulting sound is similar to applying a chorus effect to a six string guitar using electronics. Notes and chords are played the same.

As far as using a twelve string guitar with only six strings - it can be done but makes no sense whatsoever! To learn why - read this 12 to 6 strings on a 12 string guitar - why it's a bad idea

I use a twelve string guitar to play a few songs in my repertoire that just seem to sound better on a twelve string guitar. I like the way it sounds for those songs. I don't find it as comfortable or enjoyable to play as my six string guitars, so it stays in the case most of the time.

If you like the sound of a twelve string guitar, try playing one at a music store or a friend's. See how it feels. Compare different brands - some are easier to play than others but may not sound as good as the ones that are harder to play. Don't buy a twelve string guitar without trying it out.

If you do purchase a twelve string guitar, don't be discouraged if at first it is very tiring on your fretting hand to play. Eventually you will build more strength and it will become easier (though never as easy to play as a six string). Also, in time, you will adjust to the wider string spacing.

I owned many six string guitars and became proficient playing them before I ever acquired a twelve string guitar. If I could only have one, it would definitely be a six string. I feel that it is more versatile in terms of the style of play that it affords and for many other reasons. That is just my opinion, but consider that there is probably a reason why relatively few guitarist even own a twelve string guitar.

For your next guitar - you may want to consider a really good quality six string that is a good fit for your hand size and style of play. Later as you progress in your playing ability and start getting bored playing the same guitar all the time - you can add a twelve string guitar to your arsenal.

I haven't played many 12-strings, but for what it's worth, most of the ones I've played had wider necks (the width of the fingerboard as measured perpendicular to the strings), which is intuitive - there are more strings to space evenly, so a wider neck is needed to retain playability (albeit doubled strings are close to each other).

The fingerboard width of a 12-string is often closer to that of a classical or nylon string guitar. The profile of the 12-string guitar's neck may or may not be larger, though. Just the fingerboard width.

Moreover, it's likely that the design of a 12-string guitar has to take into account the extra tension on the neck and body produced by the extra strings. So the tambre of a 12-string, less any of its strings removed, may be slightly different than that of a typical 6-string guitar. Not too different, but certainly a little. This may or may not matter to you, depending on how often you plan to keep all 12 strings on.

So a 12-string guitar less the 6 dupiclate strings will function as a 6-string guitar, but it will probably feel and sound different, even if it's just a slight difference. I'd rather play 6 strings on a typical 6-string, and get a 12-string if I actually wanted 12 strings. That's just opinion, though.

Basically no. It's a different instrument and you should play it differently. You rarely need all six strings on a six, and you never need all twelve on a twelve. If you consider that even playing three courses (pairs) you are still using six strings, you will see that on a twelve string it is very much the case that less is more.

To discover how to play a twelve properly, as opposed to just bashing out barre chords, you need to listen to players who do it well. The basic text for me is Dick Rosmini's Adventures for 12-string, 6-string, and banjo which is now available in iTunes and is a compendium of styles you should get to know.

I've played guitar for many years--6 string. I got a 12 string tricone brass bodied guitar last Jan of 2020. Incredible ringing sound. It's a beast to play (even after I had guitar tech lower action)but the sound is very special. It's also a beast to tune. 5 months in and I'm still building up my muscles. Light gauge strings but since there are 12 of them, noticeably harder to play. I play finger style in normal E tuning and single notes not too much harder but barre chords tougher. Capo helps. Thinking about one of those Zero Glide nuts to lower and smooth action. I'm finding that 12 string demands a different technique than 6 string because of the slower and more difficult action.

'Thank You' has some acoustic 12 string, really clear at the beginning.

Descending phrase in 'Kashmir' has an electric 12 string.

'Carouselambra' has the only released studio use of the EDS1275 doubleneck - the 12 string chimes in at about 4 minute mark, just before the 'Where was you word?....'. section.

Other than that, I think you've got all the rest.

I am not sure if I put this in the right forum but you can move it if you want.

I want to learn a song from DT but because all of their songs include sick bass lines I can't find the ones that are "easy" and played on a 4-string.

Can please anybody help me?

Thanks in advance.

I've got a PDF of his Progressive bass concepts book.

It's got some transcribed parts in there for 'metropolis' and 'scarred'. The accompanying TAB is for a 6 string, but the parts can be played on a 4.

Erotomania and Voices can be done on 4-string if you're clever about it. Might be some stretching involved but can be done. Also fairly simple, just long!

Apart from the tapping solo, Metropolis Pt. 1 is relatively 'easy', again, it's just a long song so lots to remember. I think also some of the stuff from Scenes From A Memory are doable; 'Home' (in drop D), Strange De-ja vu(sp?) and Throught her Eyes can all be accomplished on a 4 banger.

I think I'm gonna bang the album on right now!

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Don't want to boast, but I got it down in an afternoon. To be fair, the solo took a few sessions to get down as I'd never attempted tapping before then.

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Ad. Should point out I learnt it 8 years ago when I was playing at a high level everyday and practised nearly all day, everyday! If I tried it now it'd take a week.

[quote name='Truckstop' timestamp='1389656172' post='2336748']

Don't want to boast, but I got it down in an afternoon. To be fair, the solo took a few sessions to get down as I'd never attempted tapping before then.

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Ad. Should point out I learnt it 8 years ago when I was playing at a high level everyday and practised nearly all day, everyday! If I tried it now it'd take a week.

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That's incredibly good going man, I gave up on it haha! The tapping solo was actually the easy part for me and I never use that technique.

Oh, I've always been a nut for 12-strings. I'm into the classic Rickenbacker 12-string stuff a la the Byrds. My band actually does several Byrds songs, including "Feel A Whole Lot Better" and "Here Without You" (in fact, there's an MP3 of "Here Without You" on our web site with me playing doubled Rick 12-strings!)

We also do a couple of other 12-string songs - one is a pretty obscure one called "I'd Rather You Leave Me" by The Choir. The Choir was Eric Carmen's (later of the Raspberries) band during the mid 60's. And we do "King Midas In Reverse" by the Hollies, with me on 12-string as well.

And speaking of Rickenbacker 12-strings, a friend of mine is looking for one cheap. He doesn't mind if it's beat up or needs work - he wants a 21-fret, hollow body Rick 12. He's a fantastic player and a total Rickenbacker devotee, so it would be going to a VERY good home - but he just doesn't have much money. However, three times before he's found one for under a grand. If anybody knows of such a deal, let me know!

Early REM makes good use of them. The Beatles, Tom Petty, Steve Earle, the guitar player with Mary Chapin Carpenter, man I could go on forever here. Lots of folks. You can use a high strung guitar doubled with your regular guitar tracks to simulate a twelve string as well. When you're 12 string poor like me. : )

Yeah, but my friend is not at all into the solid bodies, he definitely wants a hollow body. My solid body (a '65 420-12) is perfect for me, but my friend is a great big guy and my little guitar feels like a toy to him, he'd probably destroy it in about 2 minutes. He has a couple of 330-6 strings, hollow body, and they're awesome.

Oh, acoustic 12s are great! I like that one that sounds like it's coming out of a bad radio on Pink Floyd's "Wish you were here". Seems like Styx had a good acoustic 12 song...Crystal Ball, wasn't it? REO...Time for me to fly...ELP...From the Beginning...

12 Strings ARE great. I agree with Lee Flier, 3-4 tunes on a gig are about right. Volume is no more of a problem with a 12 string than it is with a lightly strung 6 string. I mic mine & don't have any worse feedback problems either. Seems like there is an aweful lot of 12 string stuff out there. It may be only a short shot here & there but it's there. I play an old Ventura "Bruno" that my oldest son dug out of a dumpster. It's ugly as sin, what with the mods that had been made. The original saddle & bridge is gone & there's an ugly fabbed hunk of wood there now with a saddle on it. It has a tailpiece instead of the string retainer type of bridge. I played around with the truss rod until I got the neck where I wanted it & adjusted the saddle position & darn thing sounds good. The intonation is as close as anything I've seen in any store so I guess I got that pretty close. It has it's own tone, you don't need a mandolin when you've got this in the mix.

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