What are some good songs to learn on 12 string?

[Ivan]

Just got me a shiny new 12 string acoustic.
So what songs should I learn on it?

I know that Leo Kottke and Led Belly songs are good.
Pink Floyds Wish you were here is a great one...

Not a huge fan of Led Zeppelin so I have no desire to learn any of their songs.

but what else?

[BB]

Lucky Man and From the Beginning by Emerson, Lake and Palmer are always good ones. Give a Little Bit by Super Tramp.....Sister Golden Hair, Ventura Highway, Horse with No Name, and just about every song by America.....Love to CHange the World bu 10 Years After......man, there are a ton of tunes that sound great on a12 string. Good luck!

[cqmurphy]

the intro "Track of My Tears" by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles sounded bad-ass on 12 string and have heard tale of a Ric 12 string being used on the original recording.

[garymaddox]

Eight Miles High by The Byrds

[Joe-Bob]

Melissa by the Allman Bros.

[mrmorrison]

Ozzy Osbourne - Perry Mason
Isaac Albéniz - Asturias
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Scuttle Buttin - SRV

[cloink50]

I like how Pete Townshend songs sound on a 12-string. My favorites these days are "Substitute", "Magic Bus", and "Behind Blue Eyes".

[Mike Bruce]

Cpied from another site. Not edited.

A Hard Day's Night (The Beatles)
Amanda (Boston)
Anytime At All (The Beatles)
Eight Miles High (The Byrds)
Father Christmas (Greg Lake)
Free Falling (Tom Petty)
Give A Little Bit (Supertramp)
Hotel California (The Eagles)
If I Needed Someone (The Beatles)
Jumpin' Jack Flash (The Rolling Stones)
Maggie May (Rod Stewart)
More Than A Feeling (Boston)
Mr. Tambourine Man (The Byrds)
Sister Golden Hair (America)
Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin)
Still, You Turn Me On (ELP)
Suite Madame Blue (Styx)
The Rain Song (Led Zeppelin)
The Song Remains the Same (Led Zeppelin)
Ticket To Ride (The Beatles)
Turn! Turn! Turn! (The Byrds)
Wanted Dead or Alive (Bon Jovi)
Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)
You Wear It Well (Rod Stewart)
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (The Beatles)
(most anything by Leo Kottke)
(most anything by Leadbelly)
(most anything by Gordon Lightfoot)
(most anything by Roger McGuinn)

[Mike Bruce]

And from Wikipedia:

Notable performers

Performers who use acoustic 12-string guitars span a range of genres, from folk (Arlo Guthrie, Gordon Lightfoot) and traditional blues (Lead Belly) to folk rock (Paul Simon, Neil Young), country (Pinmonkey's Michael Reynolds) and rock bands (George Harrison[1] of The Beatles and Pete Townshend of The Who).[2] Some musicians, notably Leo Kottke and John Butler use it as their main instrument.

Taylor Swift also plays a 12 string guitar for the majority of her performances.

English musician James Blackshaw is also noted for his use of 12-string guitars in creating instrumental songs.

Electric Rickenbacker 12-string users include a range of jangle pop guitarists, ranging from Roger McGuinn (The Byrds) to Peter Buck (R.E.M.). The Gibson EDS-1275 electric 12-string was used by blues rock/early heavy metal guitarist Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Guns and Roses guitarist Slash, Alex Lifeson of Rush, Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine, System Of A Down & Scars On Broadway guitarist Daron Malakian. For a longer list, see the List of 12-string guitar players article.

[Big Tony]

For more 12-string blues, check out Blind Willie McTell, and Barbecue Bob.

/ Tony

[FirstBassman]

Originally Posted by Ivan

Just got me a shiny new 12 string acoustic.
So what songs should I learn on it?

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/acoustic-...ns-please.html

[Wally]

Good tips above. I'll add one lick that some don't usually place with a 12-string acoustic, but that is what was used to record the original and 'must know' lick for Roy ORbison's music....the signature lick for 'Pretty Woman'.

[RiverDog]

Hole Hearted by Extreme

[Miopic Chitlin]

I heard Chris Issak do a nice acoustic version of Wicked Game, the guy that usually plays the strat did a good job with a 12 string.

[JPark]

I was gonna say Stairway, but you don't like Led Zeppelin. Oh well.

[J.S. Bach]

Originally Posted by Ivan

Just got me a shiny new 12 string acoustic.
So what songs should I learn on it?

I know that Leo Kottke and Led Belly songs are good.
Pink Floyds Wish you were here is a great one...

Not a huge fan of Led Zeppelin so I have no desire to learn any of their songs.

but what else?

Not even "Over the Hills and Far Away"?

[castpolymer]

The Church's " Under the Milky Way " is a sweet song for a 12 string.

[TelZilla]

Originally Posted by cloink50

I like how Pete Townshend songs sound on a 12-string. My favorites these days are "Substitute", "Magic Bus", and "Behind Blue Eyes".

First thing that came to my mind was the solos on "I Can't Explain"

[Jef]

California Blue by Roy Orbison

[gaddis]

One song I always like to play on a 12-string is Rod Stewart's You Wear It Well.

[B Valley]

The first thing I had to play on mine was "Under the Double Eagle". "Uptempo" and "Mona Ray" are a couple great Leo Kottke tunes to know.

[JamonHamon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If2_O...e=channel_page

[J.S. Bach]

Salsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel i think has a 12 string.

[mrmorrison]

Try performing the solo from Living Colour's Cult of Personality. If you're able to pull that off, you'll be in high demand from just about every band out there.

[tonewoods]

[BESALLEN]

Sundown - Gordon Lightfoot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOOs-MqDOI0

[Janitor Julius]

Hendrix did a version of "hear my train a comin" on a 12 string acoustic that appears on his "blues" cd. This one is a definite classic. If you find it tabbed out (there's also a video on youtube) and you can pull it off, it's pretty much instant street cred! Good luck!

[tuuur]

Originally Posted by Janitor Julius

Hendrix did a version of "hear my train a comin" on a 12 string acoustic that appears on his "blues" cd. This one is a definite classic. If you find it tabbed out (there's also a video on youtube) and you can pull it off, it's pretty much instant street cred! Good luck!

[DocG]

Classical Gas (Mason Williams). A multipurpose tune - you can use it to annoy some people, impress others, or just to develop some useful fingerpicking chops.

Check out Lonnie Johnson, a monster player of old. He pretty much invented lead guitar, and has some great tunes. Especially those famous duets with Eddie Lang. I think he plays 12-string on those.

Before he got all blandified, Glen Campbell was known as a great 12-string player. His early stuff from the 60s is worth hearing, and inspired me to flatpick bluegrass tunes on the 12.

Then there's the legendary Dick Rosmini. Look for the non-overproduced sides, which influenced a lot of players.

And +1 to the suggestion of Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown". Or anything else by him.

[FirstBassman]

Originally Posted by Ivan

Just got me a shiny new 12 string acoustic.
So what songs should I learn on it?

Well, I said this on the Gear Page thread so I'll repeat it.

"What songs should you learn on it?"


All of them!

There is almost no song that doesn't sound good on a 12-string.

Try some, not just the obvious choices.

[Bensen]

My fav 12string player is John Butler, here are two great songs:

[studebaker hawk]

"Bus Stop" by the Hollies has a cool 12 string lead.

Anything with finger picking or strums sounds good on a 12. Leads are harder to get to sound good.

[woodman]

Fred Neil was the first guy to catch my ear with a 12-string. not a virtuoso by any means, but he knew how to make it drive his songs. anybody remember Fred? he's sort of lost in the dustbin of music history now, but he was truly a force in his day. he had a whole lot of great songs (including Everybody's Talkin, The Dolphins, Sugaree etc.) that were written on a 12-string.

[FirstBassman]

Originally Posted by woodman

Fred Neil was the first guy to catch my ear with a 12-string.

he knew how to make it drive his songs.

anybody remember Fred?

Remember Fred? Absolutely!
Neil is one of my idols.

To us blues/folkies the 12-string holy trinity is:

Leadbelly
Bob Gibson
Freddie Neil


And Neil wrote what became one of the greatest songs of all time ... cut # 6 on the album pictured at left ("The Other Side of This Life").


And here is another great Freddie song:





And it's not just his songwriting, singing and playing that make him so important. Fred was the MC of many Open Mics in the Village back in the day.

Many, many great artists worshipped at the feet of Neil, including John Sebastian, Paul Kantner and David Crosby.

[gaddis]

Originally Posted by studebaker hawk

"Bus Stop" by the Hollies has a cool 12 string lead.....

As does the Beatles' "I've Just Seen a Face".

[JPark]

Xanadu, by Rush. It's crazy, with the volume swells, appreggio chords... although it is more of an advanced player's song...

[FirstBassman]

Originally Posted by FirstBassman

Remember Fred? Absolutely!
Neil is one of my idols.

Woody, no response . . .?