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12-string songs


Broktun

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Posted

If you like 60s, 70s, 80s rock try these:

 

"Wish You Were Here" - Pink Floyd

"Hey You" - Pink Floyd

"Wanted Dead or Alive" - Bon Jovi

"Stairway to Heaven" - Led Zeppelin

"Hotel California" - the Eagles

"Eight Miles High" - the Byrds

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Most Leo Kottke tunes

 

Anything by the Byrds

 

"Look Through Any Window" by the Hollies

 

"Sounds of Silence" by Simon & Garfunkel

 

"The Innocent Age" by Dan Fogelberg

 

"I've Just Seen a Face" by the Beatles

 

"Norwegian Wood" by the Beatles

 

"You Can't Do That" by the Beatles

 

"If I Needed Someone" by the Beatles

 

"Time For Me To Fly" by REO Speedwagon

 

Most importantly, use your imagination....try ANY song on a 12 string and give it your own twist. 12 strings are beautiful instruments, and I'm amazed at how few people play them.

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Do you flat pick, finger pick or strum? Do you play in the first position or up the neck a lot. What kind of music do you play (blues, folk, 60's R&R, "American Primative")?

 

Some generalities (and each has an exception) - songs with the melody on the bass tend to sound really good on the 12 - the Roof Top Singers "Walk Right In", EC's "Alberta", etc. A lot of old blues (obviously Leadbelly) but I like things like Blind Boy Fuller's "Keep on Truckin' ". A lot of old folkie stuff (Seeger, Gutherie, Joni Mitchelle) sounds good on the 12.

 

I tend to think that showy leads up the neck on the first two courses (pairs) don't come off real well (altho slide does). I like the melody on the 3rd and 4th course where the high octave can ring out - a flat pick standard like "Under the Double Eagle" takes on a whole new sound on the 12.

 

Open tunings absolutely rock on the 12 - a tuning like open C with all those octaves is really incredible (and a real bitch to tune). Unfortunately when I get mine in C (two half steps down) I play my small selection of songs over and over because its a bit of a hassle to get in and out of tune (unless you're Leo ).

 

Which brings up the last group - anything by Leo Kottke. "Crow River Waltz" (open G) and "Louise" (dropped D) sound boring on the 6 and rich on the 12, 'Vaseline Machine Gun" and " Busted Bicycle" simply were written for the 12.

 

That should challenge you for a life time. Have fun

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I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better The Byrds

Bells of Rhymney The Byrds

Ticket to Ride The Beatles

Walk Right In Rooftop Singers

Needles and Pins The Searchers

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Guitarcapo, do you happen to know what kind of guitar SRV was playing on "Life by the Drop"? And if its been tabbed anywhere - thats a cool song and I was just thinking about it the other day.

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I just got a 12-String a couple months ago, having wanted one for years..

 

Some other ideas:

 

Over the Hills & Far Away - Led Zep

 

Crystal Ball - Styx (Don't laugh)

 

Alot of old Genesis stuff ("Entangled" immediately comes to mind.)

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