Your 12 String Guitar Guitar Lesson

Welcome to the first lesson in the Phase II 12-string lesson series! In this series we'll discuss the history of the 12-string, the rudimentary construction of a twelver, different ways to tune it, ways to maximize the sound and resonance that can be produced from the guitar, as well as other issues concerning style of play and technique. Some of you may already have a 12-string that you've been strumming, while others of you are perhaps contemplating acquiring one. Either way, this series is designed to help the brand new fledgling 12-string adventurer on his/her way, as well as the seasoned 12-string aficionado to further develop skills and look in different directions for novel approaches.

Keep in mind that there will be some crossover with topics central to playing a 6-string as well, but after all, they're all guitars and will therefore have certain common characteristics amongst them. Playing the 12-string will almost always put a new spin on techniques that you may have been using on a 6-string and will likely force you to make some adjustments in the manner that you approach the guitar both physically as well as mentally. One good example of this is the fact that your callouses will undoubtedly change, grow, and expand to accommodate the increased load on the fingertips. But let's not get ahead of ourselves before we gain a fundamental understanding of the 12-string guitar. First and foremost, let's look at the history of the 12-string.

12-string History
The 12-string guitar first appeared in America right before the beginning of the 20th century, although the name of the first luthier to accomplish such a feat is unknown at this point. There are two predominant theories about the mysterious designer's identity:

1. The first theory is that an Italian luthier designed the first 12-string. The origins of this theory emanate from the long-standing history of Italian instruments bearing double courses of strings (like the mandolin) and that a curious and experimental Italian luthier took it upon himself to attempt a similar yet, novel design with a guitar.

2. The second and perhaps more predominant theory revolves around the belief that the first 12-string originally came from Mexican music. Instruments like the Tipple and the Charango have their origins in Latin American culture and both feature double course variants on the 6-string theme. Regardless of where the 12-string came from initially, or who designed it, the 12-string has made its way into our hearts and into modern music. It can be found in some of the most familiar and memorable pieces of music including "Stairway to Heaven," "Hotel California," and "Walk Right In" amongst others.

12-string Guitar Construction
Due to the increased pressure and tension of having 12 strings rather than 6, the 12-string guitar incorporates bulkier and heavier construction than that associated with many 6-strings. A good example of this is the use of the truss rod or rods, which are located inside the neck of the instrument and provide stability against the tension of the strings. Once strings are tightened, the neck will naturally tend to bow forward. The truss rod counteracts the force and helps keep the instrument in tune. The ideal or correct position of the rod will vary from instrument to instrument and will vary as well with the player's style.

There are various different types of truss rods, some of them being adjustable while others are not. There are dual-action truss rods which can add relief as well as straighten the neck of the guitar. There are also duel truss rods (not to be confused with the dual action variety) which are more commonly found on basses and yes, you guessed it, some 12-string guitars. Duel rods are laid side-by-side inside the neck and provide twice the strength of the singular variety.

Bracing is another facet of construction that changes from a six to a twelve but only in incremental ways. Bracing patterns are really similar (if not identical), but slightly larger pieces of wood are used in the 12-string bracing, giving it extra strength and support. Larger bridge plates are used as well on the 12-string to accommodate the extra pressure from the increased number of strings.

Body size and fingerboard width are also larger in 12-strings than their 6-string compatriots, but these differences might be more attributable to an increase in resonant space/volume production and an accommodation of the increased number of strings, respectively. In general though, 12-string guitars tend to be bigger and beefier so they can handle the increased number of strings and commensurate increased amount of pressure on the guitar.

Tuning
There are a number of ways to tune the 12-string guitar. We'll discuss some of them and incorporating them into practice over the course of this series. But let's start with the standard tuning, shall we? Keep in mind that the string diameters listed are based on utilizing light strings, and each string company may have different dimensions for their strings. The important thing here is to recognize that the strings on a 12-string guitar are grouped in two's and the two highest sets (high E and B) are drone strings, or rather the identical pitch. The four other sets (G, D, A and E) are also the same note but set at an octave apart. Here's how they should be tuned from highest to lowest strings:

1: High E at .012" or .30mm in diameter

2: High E at .012" or .30mm in diameter

3: B at .016" or .41mm in diameter

4: B at .016" or .41mm in diameter

5: G at .025" or. 64mm in diameter

6: G at .01" or .25mm in diameter

7: D at .032" or .81mm in diameter

8: D at.014" or .36 mm in diameter

9: A at.042" or 1.07mm in diameter

10: A at .02" or .51 mm in diameter

11: E at .052" or 1.32mm in diameter

12: E at.03" or .76mm in diameter

Notice how the thicker string of the octave pairs goes in the bottom slot (or more accurately on the high side, towards the high E string). 12-strings usually have specific sized grooves in the nut as well, which give you the proper places to put the strings. So, if they don't seem to fit properly, then you've likely strung the guitar incorrectly. In lieu of the fact that there are twelve strings, it most certainly does take longer to tune and you should always allot more time to make sure that you are in proper tune. 12-strings are notorious for having tuning problems, and this is due in part to the fact that there are more stings to tune. However, it's also due to the increased pressure on the bridge plate and the sensitivity of the instrument. Consequently, less expensive 12-strings may be more prone to tuning issues than their more expensive counterparts. But enough talk...let's play the guitar!

Let's get a feel for the 12-string with some simple chords, shall we? Please make sure that you're in tune and you can either strum these exercises with a flat pick, or simply with your hand if you choose. Here are some chords to get started with:

Em7
E____0_____|
B____3_____|
G____0_____|
D____2_____|
A____2_____|
E____0_____|

D
E_____2____|
B_____3____|
G_____2____|
D_____0____|
A_____x____|
E_____x____|

A
E_____0____|
B_____2____|
G_____2____|
D_____2____|
A_____0____|
E_____x____|

C
E_____0____|
B_____1____|
G_____0____|
D_____2____|
A_____3____|
E_____x____|

Please play the four chords listed above. Get comfortable with the increased thickness of two strings (yes, you should be strumming both of them at the same time) as well as the wider diameter of the neck. It takes many people who are accustomed to six-string guitars a little bit of time getting used to the differences between the two, so give yourself a chance to acclimate to the physical differences between them.

Exercise 1
Play along using the four chords with me. I'm using a "down, down-up, down" strum pattern, but watch the video carefully if you're not clear on how this rhythm should be played. Play along with me as I strum this simple progression. Although you know these chords and may be saying "do we really have to go through this easy stuff again?," keep in mind that you may very well need to redevelop your "feel" for chords on the 12-string since you're dealing with twice as many strings and a broader fingerboard.

Exercise 2
Eyes Wide Shut - Close your eyes and try this exercise again. Play along with me, but no peeking! Pay attention to the difference in the feel of the increased number of strings on your fingertips as well as the change in distances between the strings.

Exercise 3
Play Along - Now we're going to take the chords used above and go off in a slightly different direction with them. We'll still be using the Em7 and D chords but this time we'll be using:

Asus4
E_____0____|
B_____3____|
G_____2____|
D_____2____|
A_____0____|
E_____x____|

Instead of A, and:

Cadd9
E____0_____|
B____3_____|
G____0_____|
D____2_____|
A____3_____|
E____x_____|

instead of C. You'll likely notice in the video that I'm not moving my pinky from the B-string at any point in this exercise. This is what I call "pinning," and I'm simply leaving my finger in place to facilitate the changes and make the progression easier. This can be helpful especially if you're finding yourself struggling to make changes and simply need to focus on getting used to the change from a 6 to a 12-string. Try to pin your pinky like I'm doing " Play along with me.

Exercise 4
Play the exercise again with your eyes closed. Again, pay attention to how different the chords and spacing are from the feel of a 6-string. Try to develop an innate awareness of the feel of the 12-string as this will help you gain better control and technique over time.

Alright, how are you doing with this stuff so far? Are you beginning to develop more of a feel for the increased pressure on the callouses as well as the wider fingerboard? Do your fingers hurt...a little? Keep in mind that you will probably need to increase the pressure on the strings in order to make clean contact with the fretboard. Subsequently, you may also feel some discomfort in your fingertips as your callouses grow and expand to accommodate the new load of pressure. You will likely feel discomfort for a while as your callouses thicken and grow.
Let's try a new set of chords. This time, we'll incorporate some barre chords. Barres can be particularly tough on the 12-string and can take some extra work to get comfortable with. Here are the next chords: F#m, D, A, E.

F#m
E____2____|
B____2____|
G____2____|
D____4____|
A____4____|
E____2____|
 

E
E_____0____|
B_____0____|
G_____1____|
D_____2____|
A_____2____|
E_____0____|

Exercise 5
Play along using the progression F#m, D, A and E. Make sure that you're making good contact with the fretboard and avoiding any buzzing or muting of the strings. Watch the video to learn the appropriate strumming pattern. Are you getting a good feel for what it takes to fret a barre chord on the 12-string? It takes a little more effort doesn't it? Repeat this exercise over and over until you start to get a good smooth transition between the barre chord and the open chords, and then back into the barre. This is an important element of playing the 12-string that you'll likely need to work on.

Exercise 6
Yes, you knew it was coming...Now play the exercise again with your eyes closed! Really pay attention to the distances your fretting hand needs to travel in order to make a smooth transition between the barre and the open chords as well as between the open chords themselves.

Now let's step it up, shall we? Playing the A-shaped barre chords (or what I like to call Type 2 barres) can be challenging on the 6-string but even more so on the 12. You'll need to have a well-developed ring finger/slanting A finger to be able to fret these chords cleanly and without muting. This next progression will incorporate some A-shaped barres with open chords and will, over time, help you to build more finger strength on the 12-string. Here are the next chords: C, G, Bb and F.

C (3rd fret)
E_____3____|
B_____5____|
G_____5____|
D_____5____|
A_____3____|
E_____x____|

G (3rd fret)
E_____3____|
B_____3____|
G_____4____|
D_____5____|
A_____5____|
E_____3____|

Bb
E_____1____|
B_____3____|
G_____3____|
D_____3____|
A_____1____|
E_____X____|

F
E____1_____|
B____1_____|
G____2_____|
D____3_____|
A____3_____|
E____1_____|

Familiarize yourselves with these chords and try to get as comfortable as possible with playing the barres. As I stated before, there's no doubt that you will need to develop some additional finger strength to fret some of these cleanly.

Exercise 7
Some strum patterns use alternating forms from chord to chord and we'll be incorporating this type of strum into the exercise. Play the above chords using the strum: down down-up-down down up-down down-up-down where the underlined down indicates the first strum on the second and fourth chord. So, the first and third chords get: down down-up-down and the second and fourth chords get down up-down down-up-down. Watch me in the video for more on this if you're confused about the pattern.

Play Along - Join in with me as I play the progression. Again, avoid muting the strings or fret buzz. I know, without a doubt in my mind that some of you will have some buzzage! Keep in mind that you can get away with not playing the high E-string on the A-shaped barre chords. Many people simply mute that string (many people do it automatically anyway), so if you're finding that you're just not able to play that string, don't let it impede your progress in the exercise. Also, if you're hearing strings being muted or some buzzing occurring, and you can't pin down where it's coming from, pluck each string individually until you identify where the problem is coming from. You should be able to apply more pressure on the string(s) in question and produce a clearer sounding chord.

Exercise 8
Close your eyes on this one, my friends! Simply do what you've been doing in the last few exercises. Pay attention to the feel of each chord and the amount of distance that you need to move in order to hit the next chord cleanly. You can watch your hands at first to make sure you're chording on the right frets. Then, when you feel you're ready, shut 'em!

Word - As we begin upon our journey into the novel and exciting world of the 12-string you'll likely notice that we're focusing on exercises that build strength in the hands, especially the chord hand. This is an extremely important step in lieu of the fact that the next lessons will build upon these initial exercises and the work that you're doing now. So, please make sure that you're doing these exercises thoroughly and getting them down! I hear many questions about how long one should spend on each lesson and although the answer to this is ultimately up to you, keep in mind that the more comfortable you are with these exercises, the more comfortable you will be with the upcoming and increasingly more difficult ones.

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