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can someone post some good 12 strings songs to listen to?


johnkline

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Posted

I've only just heard of Leo Kottke, but never listened to anything, can someone recommend songs, or any good 12 string songs for that matter.

 

thanks,

 

john

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Posted

Almost anything by Leadbelly.

 

As for more mainstream stuff.

 

Life By the Drop - Stevie Ray Vaughan

As Tears Go By - Rolling Stones

Wish You Were Here - Pink Floyd

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Posted

Get Leo's "6 and 12 String Guitars" or the box set and you'll understand the fuss. Also, anything by Chris Proctor. Leadbelly (Heddy Ledbetter) was the undisputed King of the 12 String, but Pete Seeger, Furry Lewis, some Arlo, and of course the classic "Walk Right In" by the Roof Top Singers are great 12 string songs. And I agree, SRV's "Life by the Drop" is a good'n too. Even, gasp, some Glenn Cambell....

 

As far as songs to PLAY on a 12 string, here is an interesting thread

 

http://p082.ezboard.com/ftheunofficialmartinguitarforumfrm150.showMessage?topicID=6.topic

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Posted

Wedding Song, by Noel Stookey (Paul, of Peter, Paul and Mary), is not your everyday 12 string faire but it was a good melody.

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I actually bought the 12 string because I can play "Life by the drop", just wanted to hear myself doing it on a 12. I can also play "Dead or Alive" and "Wish you were here".

So now I need some more songs to listen to, thanks for the suggestions!

 

John

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Posted

 

Originally posted by johnkline

I actually bought the 12 string because I can play "Life by the drop", just wanted to hear myself doing it on a 12. I can also play "Dead or Alive" and "Wish you were here".

So now I need some more songs to listen to, thanks for the suggestions!


John

 

 

John, do you happen to have tab for "Life by the Drop" or do you play it by ear? I've always wanted to learn it, but haven't taken the time to figure it out.

 

IMHO almost any song that has the melody played on the middle strings sounds pretty good on the 12. Even old flat pick classics like Under the Double Eagle and Wildwood Flower are good 12 string songs. Old blues - Blind Boy Fuller, Furry Lewis, Leadbelly, songs all sound great on the twelve. EC uses the 12 on several Unplugged songs, open tunings are incredible (mine right now is in open G down two steps, I guess that would be open F) and slide is a ball on the 12. Try "House of the Rising Sun", "Alices Resturant", "Walk Right In". Most of John Fahey's songs (Leo covered several of them), and of course, every Leo song in the book. IMHO "Crow River Waltz" and "Vaseline Machine Gun" just sound wrong on a 6 - they were written for the 12.

 

http://www.scn.rain.com/alweb/leo.htm

 

Ah, the 12 string. The Grand Piano of the guitar world

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Posted

"Statesboro Blues" by Blind Willie McTell (much better than the Allman Bros. version)

 

"I Like To Sleep Late In The Morning", as done by David Bromberg

 

About every other tune by Gordon Lightfoot and quite a bit of John Denver's repertoire.

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