Any tips on fingerpicking a 12-string?

[DarkHorseJ27]

I like the 12-string sound, but I'm mostly a fingerpicker and I have a hard time fingerpicking one. Besides lots of practice, are there any helpful tips?

[Terry Allan Hall]

1st off: bare fingers or finger picks?

[gull12]

It's really not that different from picking a sixer. It just takes a little practice to hit the strings the way you want to. Start out with bare fingers, and start slowly, using simple songs. Then, as you become more at ease with the process, you may want to experiment with thumb and finger picks. It's only my belief, but I feel a twelve sounds better with bare fingers. It takes time; don't rush the process. The fun is in the learning and accomplishing. There are books and DVDs available that can help you. Also get a few Peter, Paul and Mary CDs and try to emulate what they are doing. When you get the hang of it, it's gobs of fun. Good luck, my friend!

[Opa John]

There was a time when they said it couldn't be done, but Zal Yanovsky (sp?) proved 'em wrong. R.I.P. Zal.

[DarkHorseJ27]

1st off: bare fingers or finger picks?

 

 

Bare fingers.

[Fendouglas]

I learned to play guitar by fingerpicking a 12er - but always with picks

[garthman]

I like the 12-string sound, but I'm mostly a fingerpicker and I have a hard time fingerpicking one. Besides lots of practice, are there any helpful tips?

 

 

Yes - I'm also primarily a fingerpicker and I found it difficult to fingerpick my 12 string guitar when I bought it a year or so ago.

 

When I pick my 6 string guitars I tend to keep my fingers pependicular to the strings but I discovered that it worked better on a 12 string if I held my fingers at an angle. This way the fingertips brush across the pairs of strings and I think you get a better sound.

 

Actually this is the technique that was used during the baroque period when the guitar of that time was strung with twin courses. Here is a vid showing the method (note that the player uses her little finger as a prop - that was common practice at the time too).

 

 

[YOUTUBE]BfVZRevRKv8[/YOUTUBE]

[Terry Allan Hall]

Bare fingers.

 

 

OK, just start slowly w/ simple patterns (P-I-M, P-M-I. that sort of thing) until you get it precise, then add a little speed.

 

Here's a few links to simple banjo rolls, which work great on 12-string, too:

 

 

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[Freeman Keller]

Bare fingers.

 

 

Along with lots of practice, there are people who think that the 12 string is enough different that you need to rethink a lot of your playing techniques - which songs work on them, which strings to play and how to pick the strings.

 

Kottke uesed picks in his early days, but went to bare fingers when he developed tendonits. Many 12 string players use a thumb pick, I've never been able to adapt to one so I just use flesh and nails. If you look at Kottke's hand, he extends his thumb way out and kind of cups the rest of his hand - I think that applies more power to the thumb since he isn't using a pick. I anchor my pinkie (bad technique, I know) but that keeps my hand better positioned over the strings.

 

You can play the same songs on a 12 that you do on a sixer, but the octaves do change the dynamics a lot. Standard alternating bass things take on a whole new sound - you no longer have the "boom boom" bass but you'll get that nice ringing octave on top. And the normal melody on the top two courses might sound a little muffled by the octave on the G string. A good 12 string player will often move the melody to the 3rd and even 4th courses to get that octave.

 

Attack the pair of strings ("course") as if it was one string, but remember that if you pick down you will get more of the octave, if you pick up you will get more of the primary. Again, Kottke uses that very effectively - listen to something like Crow River Waltz - the melody is largely on the 3rd course, the first couple of times thru he picks up (I would assume with his index finger) and it is more bassy, then he picks down (thumb on the third strings) and gets the octave chime.

 

I've got a dvd of Chris Proctor showing how he can pick the individual string of the course - in my opinion that is a pretty advanced technique that I wouldn't even try - but I do find that the old rules of thumb on the 3 bass courses, index on two and three, and middle on one kind of go out the window - any finger gets to play any old string it wants.

 

Since this is Mr Setup talking, I'll also add that a good setup really makes playing a 12 string easier. Mine are pretty low at both ends (have your setup tech pay attention to getting the bottoms of the course level at the nut) and you can actually tolerate being on the border of buzzing. Obviously lighter gauge strings and/or down tuning simpley make fretting the monster easier. And 12 bangers tend to intonate terribly - if you play up the neck have your tech work on saddle compensation.

[Terry Allan Hall]

Along with lots of practice, there are people who think that the 12 string is enough different that you need to rethink a lot of your playing techniques - which songs work on them, which strings to play and how to pick the strings. Kottke uesed picks in his early days, but went to bare fingers when he developed tendonits. Many 12 string players use a thumb pick, I've never been able to adapt to one so I just use flesh and nails. If you look at Kottke's hand, he extends his thumb way out and kind of cups the rest of his hand - I think that applies more power to the thumb since he isn't using a pick. I anchor my pinkie (bad technique, I know) but that keeps my hand better positioned over the strings. You can play the same songs on a 12 that you do on a sixer, but the octaves do change the dynamics a lot. Standard alternating bass things take on a whole new sound - you no longer have the "boom boom" bass but you'll get that nice ringing octave on top. And the normal melody on the top two courses might sound a little muffled by the octave on the G string. A good 12 string player will often move the melody to the 3rd and even 4th courses to get that octave. Attack the pair of strings ("course") as if it was one string, but remember that if you pick down you will get more of the octave, if you pick up you will get more of the primary. Again, Kottke uses that very effectively - listen to something like Crow River Waltz - the melody is largely on the 3rd course, the first couple of times thru he picks up (I would assume with his index finger) and it is more bassy, then he picks down (thumb on the third strings) and gets the octave chime. I've got a dvd of Chris Proctor showing how he can pick the individual string of the course - in my opinion that is a pretty advanced technique that I wouldn't even try - but I do find that the old rules of thumb on the 3 bass courses, index on two and three, and middle on one kind of go out the window - any finger gets to play any old string it wants. Since this is Mr Setup talking, I'll also add that a good setup really makes playing a 12 string easier . Mine are pretty low at both ends (have your setup tech pay attention to getting the bottoms of the course level at the nut) and you can actually tolerate being on the border of buzzing . Obviously lighter gauge strings and/or down tuning simpley make fretting the monster easier. And 12 bangers tend to intonate terribly - if you play up the neck have your tech work on saddle compensation .

Brother Freeman is on the spot on these issues...the most important thing for me, when we're talking about fingerpicking a 12-string, was discovering Fred Kelly's Slick Pick (orange Med Delrin)...before, I always had to be so-o-o-o-o-o careful not to hit the bass strings too hard, causing a nasty tone, but these are just the right weight/stiffness for a 12-string, and work just as well for 6-string, banjo, dobro, etc.

Add a couple Dunlop .015s and away we go!

[kujozilla]

Just do this.

 

 

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