Playing a 12 string guitar - Is it different than a 6 string?

Playing a 12 string guitar is essentially the same as playing a 6 string guitar.  It's a little tricky getting your fingers used to playing 2 strings at a time rather than just one, but with practice it gets easier.

The tuning is a little different because 8 strings are tuned an octave apart and 4 are tuned in unison. This shouldn't pose a problem if you have a guitar tuner though.

In order to support the weight of additional strings, the neck of a 12 string guitar is usually bigger than the neck of a 6 string guitar.  This may cause some discomfort if you have small hands.  Try to find one that fits your hand so that you can minimize putting excess strain on your wrist when you play.

All the chord shapes are the same and if you get a quality guitar they are great for strumming chords and playing rhythm.  Here is a link where you can see some of the most popular 12 string guitars according to the people who bought/own them...

12 String Acoustic-Electric Guitars

I have an Ovation 12 string guitar which is beautiful, easy to play and sounds great too.  They are very strong, well designed guitars. Mine never goes out of tune as some other brands tend to do. Some 12 string guitar manufacturers recommend loosening the strings when you store your guitar so the neck doesn't begin to bow due to the tension, but I have never had to do that with my Ovation. 

The Ovation company pioneered a unique design back in 1965 after aerospace engineers discovered they could improve the sonic quality of acoustic guitars. After much research and development it was shown that a bowl-shaped body produced greater projection, sustain and frequency than the traditionally designed shape of an acoustic guitar...

"When it debuted in 1966, our groundbreaking instrument drew immediate acclaim for its superior tone and volume. Guitarists love the powerful sound of our round-back guitars."    - http://www.ovationguitars.com/whyovation/the_shape

 If you are looking for a 12 string guitar, the Ovation Celebrity Acoustic-Electric is well priced and has received positive customer reviews...

Ovation CC245 Celebrity 12-String Acoustic-Electric Guitar

I generally prefer playing an all wood 6 string acoustic guitar, so I have both a Taylor and a Martin acoustic-electric guitar, but if you are looking for a good 12 string guitar, I highly recommend checking out the Ovation guitar brand.

Till next time...

Keep practicing!
K.Unruh
Free guitar Lessons

How to Get the Perfect Electric Guitar Sound and Tone

As most guitar players would agree, finding the perfect tone for the electric guitar that they play can seem like a never ending process.

Gibson's Learn and Master Guitar Lesson DVDs and Workshops

Great sounds often come from a mixture of factors such as the purposeful engineering, accidental combination and a moment of inspiration just to name a few. Some of the most famous guitar players such as Brian Seltzer, Eric Clapton and others have a very distinctive sound that you can immediately hear and recognize. That didn't happen overnight though. Most likely it was a sound that they worked on for hours, days, and even years to get just right. It takes a combination of equipment setup and their guitar that really shapes what it is actually going to sound like.

The fact of the matter is that great tones come from great guitars. When you have a high quality guitar you are going to get a good sound more often then you will when you have an inexpensive badly made guitar. Even if you have a less desirable guitar, if you treat it right and "trust" the guitar you are holding then you can relax a little more and settle into the playing rather than letting the guitar lead so to speak. This will produce a better tone as well. You can't necessarily blame bad playing on your guitar, but you can certainly credit a good sound to the guitar you are using.

That brings us to the guitar setup. This can have a significant effect on how a guitar sounds and how well it plays. There are several things that can cause a guitar to sound poor. This includes bad fretting which can upset the guitar's action and cause intonation problems. If you have string nuts that are improperly set up you can cause dull notes and intonation problems as well. To expect the best from your guitar you need to have it set up properly and the best way to do this is to take it to a professional guitar tech that knows exactly what they are doing.

The most significant way to change the sound of your guitar is to change your pickup. There are hundreds of pickups to choose from, with new versions coming out all of the time. It is difficult at first to choose between all of them, but talking to people who have similar taste in music as you do may help. It helps to know what kind of guitar sound you want to have. Then take the time to listen to several pickup manufacturers that offer sound files that you can listen to online. You can hear the pickups there or you can try them out with different guitars at your local guitar store. Either way, have some patience and go through every single one of them if you have to in order to find the perfect sound for you.

Finding the perfect tone and sound for your electric guitar may not happen right away but by spending the time researching and trying out various guitars, you are taking a step in the right direction.

Steve Krenz is the instructor for Learn and Master Guitar. He is a active guitarist playing and records professionally in Music City USA, Nashville, Tennessee. He is a sought-after speaker and guitar lessons teacher conducting guitar-playing and music workshops in churches and venues across the United States and abroad, reaching as far as New Zealand and South America.

Good advice for all of us who want to sound our best when playing electric guitar!

Till next time...

Keep practicing!
Kunruh

AbcLearnGuitar eBook On Sale - 40% Discount!

AbcLearnGuitar Ebook

The AbcLearnGuitar eBook is the perfect resource for beginning guitar players of all ages. This 64+ page manual contains all the essential information you need to get started playing right away and have fun in the process too!

The easy guitar lesson format provides step-by-step instructions so that any aspiring student can be able to understand and master the material quickly. Each lesson concludes by stating the primary objective and outlining what you need to practice for that session in order to hone your skills.

Many guitar video examples are provided along with the lessons to enhance your learning experience. In addition to this, there are several chord charts and guitar tab files which you can print out and study away from your computer too.

The lessons inside the AbcLearnGuitar eBook will teach you how to...

Identify the parts of your guitar 
Identify the name of each string
Tune by ear
Read guitar Tab
Play chords
Play chord progressions
Play simple songs
Play easy blues guitar
Transcribe chords into another key
Play guitar Scales
And much more...

There are two bonus eBooks which also accompany the AbcLearnGuitar eBook...

1. The Guide to Tab Notation - this guide provides details on how to read guitar tab. It is very helpful for understanding the various symbols that are used to express different movements on guitar, such as: slides, bends, hammers, pull-offs, etc. 
2. Learn 2 Read Music Primer - this primer explains the various terms and symbols related to reading music. You will learn about the Treble and Bass Clef, Note Values, Time Signatures, Key Signatures, and much more.

The AbcLearnGuitar eBook is currently on sale and right now you can save 40% off the regular price!  Simply click the link below to learn more about these fantastic beginner guitar resources...

AbcLearnGuitar eBook Plus Bonus 

Begin your musical journey today by becoming the guitar player you've always dreamed to be!

Musically yours,
K.Unruh