How to play the 12 string guitar

Because the 12 string guitar is not played like a six-string.

The rich sound of the 12 string guitar has inspired and fascinated generations of musicians.
Yet this instrument possesses an asset few are really aware of, which gives it remarkable not to- say spectacular capabilities. Of its six supplementary strings, four are tuned an octave above their fellow bass-strings (the other two extra treble strings are double-ups).

If we consider the octave-above strings as strings in their own right, we find ourselves with a palette of ten strings each with its own tuning and consequently a much broader range of possibilities. This is where the twelve string reveals all its potential.

Apart from the evident musical scope this opens up, seeing the twelve string guitar in this manner may well convince those who have found playing it so tiring that they just tidied it away someplace, to get it out again!

Playing a twelve string like a six string is exhausting, particularly for the left hand. But if we accept the special logic of the instrument, it becomes easier to handle, naturally.



Most of the information on this website has been drawn from the work that Michel has done over the years, explaining – for the first time – how a 12 string guitar works, and developing a method for learning how to play the 12 string guitar as it was intended.

Michel Gentils demonstrates his method for playing the 12 string guitar. See more at https://www.12string-guitar.com/