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March 2011
Posts: 16
Location: Alpine, CA | Greetings OFCers:
I'm a newbie, not only to this club, but to guitar. I've only been playing for a couple of weeks. As you can see by my sig, I've got a 6-string and a 12-string guitar.
What I'd like to discuss is whether or not to use thumb- and fingerpicks on the 12-string (as I've heard that playing fingerstyle without picks on a 12 doesn't really work very well. I know, I know, you probably think I should wait on fingerstyle until I'm at the intermediate level or some such. I feel, on the other hand, that if I start learning fingerstyle while I'm learning how to play, the learning curve won't be as steep as relearning how to play fingerstyle as an intermediate player. BTW, I'm playing fingerstyle without picks on the Adamas 6-string.
I really would prefer not to use picks at all as I would rather not scratch the top of my guitars. That may sound stupid, but they're worth some money and I'd like them to hold their value (at least).
Sorry for the rather wordy post.
Opinions please. Thank you. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 10777
Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Nothing wrong with a wordy post, if it gets your point across.
I still can't really play finger-style so if you can start-out that way, go for it |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | IF you are hitting the notes clearly and you are comfortable using your fingers on a 12-string then go for it.
Whatever works best for you is usually the best way to do it. |
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Joined:
August 2003
Posts: 2246
Location: Yucaipa, California | Welcome……
…check out this video: Leo Kottke
He's just using his thumb nail and fingernails……
…this guy is no slouch either: 12-string Fingerpickin |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| There's no absolute right and wrong (unless you're classically trained). There are as many techniques as there are guitarists. Sure, there are some things you should do that make it easier play, but I know a lot of very fine guitarists who learned on their own, and their technique would make some instructors cry. But it works for them. Since you're just starting out, you can develop your own technique that works for you. Just as Stephen said, if you're hitting the notes cleanly then that's really all that matters. |
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December 2004
Posts: 4394
Location: East Tennessee | The only rule is, there are no rules. |
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January 2009
Posts: 4536
Location: Flahdaw | To me, finger picking 12 strings is like finger picking Nashville tuned guitars...allright on original tunes and pretty cool on alternate tunings, but regular songs can sound a little weird unless they were originally played on 12 strings. The up pick with your index and middle fingers of the 3rd and 4th strings, with the high octave the 1st string hit, kinda throws things off for me. |
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Joined:
December 2010
Posts: 19
Location: Denver | I play "bare fingered" most of the time on my twelve string. I don't think you lose any quality as long as you keep fresh strings on her but then it is still all in one's taste and what sound you are going for... I like a softer and mellower sound on a twelve. There is no reason you can't learn both. Go for it. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Darkbar.....dp2macrae
something else to consider if you really want to fingerpick a 12 string would be to string it Rickenbacker style. |
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Joined:
January 2009
Posts: 4536
Location: Flahdaw | Originally posted by stephent28:
Darkbar.....dp2macrae
something else to consider if you really want to fingerpick a 12 string would be to string it Rickenbacker style. What is that...octave strings in reverse? |
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November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Yeppers. Needs a new nut, of course. |
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Joined:
April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | and it is what gives Rickenbacker 12's their distinctive sound.....that shimmering chimey effect. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4081
Location: Utah | DP2, you have a couple of fairly OK guitars for a beginner!
I'm not much of a fingerstyle player, but I have always used just my fingers for fingerstyle on a 12 string. As for using a pick, do learn to use one. Start slow and gently, don't strum wildly. There's no reason to put pick tracks on a guitar unless you're playing very energetic songs.
If you're not taking lessons it would probably be worth taking some at least to get a good grounding in some basic techniques. |
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Joined:
March 2011
Posts: 16
Location: Alpine, CA | Thanks, FlySig for the gear compliment. To paraphrase stephent28's sig: I've spent most of my money on guitar gear. The rest I've just wasted.
I bought a set of thumb- and fingerpicks today to try out. As far as lessons go, I might take one once a month or so, but I really can't afford to take lessons much more often than that. At least then I could get an instructor to look at what I'm doing so far and make necessary corrections.
Thanks to all who've replied (so far). |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | I've never been able to get the feel of fingerpicks. Half pick and half tourniquet, if you ask me.
What works for me is nails on my fingers and a bumblebee on my thumb. |
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November 2005
Posts: 1126
Location: Omaha, NE | But then, I don't play a 12 string, so its not like I know.
But having played with a bunch of 12-stringers over the years, please spend at least as much time learning how to carefully tune the thing as you do learning how to play it. Of course, no one actually knows what an in-tune 12 string sounds like, but we can still dream, right? |
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Joined:
November 2006
Posts: 3969
| Q. How long does it take to tune a 12-string guitar?
A. Nobody knows...
Q. What's the easiest way to tune a 12-string guitar?
A. Find the string that's out of tune, then tune the other 11 strings to it (John Denver). |
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Joined:
August 2002
Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | You've got a couple of really outstanding guitars to start on, dp2. Since you're asking for opinions, here's mine: learn your finger picking on your six string and learn flatpicking/strumming on your 12. You need to learn both techniques, and the general skills are interchangeable. If you want to "learn" how to use finger/thumb picks, I imagine it would be easier on the 1597.
The answer to your original question is somewhat dependent upon a question back to you ... what kind of music/songs do you want to learn how to play? Different styles of music requires different tools to make it sound "right". |
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Joined:
September 2005
Posts: 3619
Location: GATLINBURG TENNESSEE :) | Q. What's the easiest way to tune a 12-string guitar?...
Buy an Adamas 12 string and it will stay in tune.
(: |
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December 2005
Posts: 1234
Location: Tidal Mudflats of Virginia | +1 |
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March 2008
Posts: 354
Location: nashville | Stephen just gave me a great reaseon to buy another 12 string. |
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April 2004
Posts: 13303
Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | always happy to help James! |
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12-string: To pick or not to pick?
