Tips For Tuning A 12 String Guitar

I recently picked up a 12-string guitar from craigslist.org, and I have no idea how to string it or tune it, nor do I know what string gauges are typically used on this style of guitar. Can you help? Also, is it possible to use a 6-string tuner to tune a 12-string guitar? Chris xxxx@yahoo.com

You’re not alone in your confusion, Chris. Many six-string guitar players aren’t familiar with the proper way to tune a 12-string guitar. In reality, a 12-string is tuned very much like a six-string, except that each of its strings is paired with another string of the same pitch or a pitch one octave higher: On 12-string guitars, the low E, A, D and G string pairs are tuned one octave apart, while the B and high E string pairs are tuned to the same pitch. The accompanying chart shows the string parings and indicates typical string gauges.

I should point out that on almost every 12-string guitar I’ve seen, the E, A, D, and G pairs are strung as depicted on the chart—that is, with the higher, octave strings first in the sequence. (Some Rickenbacker 12 models are tune opposite of this model, with the lower string first in the sequence.)

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As for your question about tuners, the answer is “maybe.” Some cheap (or “inexpensive”) tuners can only recognize standard six-string pitches and will ignore the higher pitch or the octave strings (i.e., the high A, high D and high G strings). If your tuner doesn’t recognize these tones, you should upgrade to a better six-string tuner or, better yet, a chromatic tuner, which will recognize every pitch.

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Best 12 String Guitars 2024: Electric And Acoustic Options

If you are looking for a quality acoustic-electric that won’t destroy your budget, look no further than the latest offering from Seagull Guitars. A couple of years ago, Seagull began to improve and supplement their […]Tuning a 12-string guitar can seem overwhelming at first. But with the information in this guide, you’ll be able to easily tune your 12-string guitar in a number of different tunings.

To tune a 12-string guitar in standard, remember that the strings come in pairs. Tune the first set of strings to normal 6-string tuning (E A D G B E). Then tune the lower four paired strings an octave higher (E A D G). Finally, tune the higher two paired strings the same as normal (B & E).

In this guide, I’ll go through some common tunings for 12-string guitars, different types of tuners you can use, and other helpful tips.

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When you’re ready to learn some songs, check out this list of the Top 12-String Guitar Songs. Guitar TAB is included for each song so you can learn the 12-string guitar parts straight away.

If you understand the difference between a 6 string and 12 string guitar, you will find it easy to tune your 12-string guitar in any tuning.

The main difference between a 6 and 12 string guitar is that a 12 string guitar has an extra set of strings paired together. There are 6 pairs of strings on a 12-string guitar.

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Notice that each pair of strings has a gap before the next pair of strings. You may also notice that the lower four pairs of strings are uneven in thickness. There is a thin string paired with a thick string. This is important to remember when tuning your guitar as the thinner strings are tuned to a higher note.

When you play a 12-string guitar, you don’t think about 12 individual strings. Instead, you think of 6 pairs of strings and you play each pair as if it were a single string on a normal guitar.

Once you learn how to tune a 12-string guitar, you can use any alternate tuning listed for 6-string guitars. Check out this Guide to Alternate Guitar Tunings for a list of open and other alternate tunings. Simply follow the advice in this guide and you can use any of those tunings on your 12-string guitar.

Rickenbacker 330/12 12 String Electric Guitar Fireglo — Andy Babiuk's Fab Gear

The most common tuning for a 12-string guitar is Standard Tuning. This makes your 12-string guitar play the same as a normal guitar in Standard Tuning.

The key point to remember when tuning a 12-string guitar to standard is that each string is part of a pair. You don’t tune 12 individual strings, you tune 6 pairs of strings. Thinking about it this way makes it a lot easier.

This means we tune the lowest string, E, an octave higher than the thicker E string. Then when you play those two strings together, you will hear that they both ring out in harmony. The sound you hear when both are in tune is an octave difference between the notes.

Double Your Pleasure

The uppercase letters are tuned to normal 6-string guitar tuning. The lowercase letters represent notes that are tuned an octave higher than normal.

After you try this once or twice, it will start to make sense and you’ll quickly feel comfortable with tuning your 12-string guitar.

If you’re ready to try to tune your guitar, skip ahead to the section on how to tune a 12-string guitar with a tuner.

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The reason a lot of older 12-string guitar songs are tuned a half-step down is because of the tension standard tuning places on the guitar’s neck.

Having the tension of 12 strings pulling is a great strain on the guitar, so it used to be common to tune 12-string guitars down to take some tension off of the neck.

Tuning a 12-string guitar down a half-step is also a great way to get used to playing it. If you find your fingers hurt when playing a 12-string guitar, try tuning down to give your fingers some relief.

How To Tune A 12 String Guitar? (quick And Easy Guide)

To tune a 12-string guitar a half-step down, tune your guitar as normal, then tune every string down a semitone (or half-step). This means E becomes E-flat (Eb), A becomes A-flat (Ab) and so on.

We still tune the strings as if there are six pairs and the lower four pairs are tuned an octave apart. The only difference between this tuning and standard tuning is each string is a half-step lower.

First, tune your 12-string guitar to standard, following the above steps. Then lower the low-E pair of strings down a whole-step to D. All other strings remain the same.

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As you can see, only the lowest pair of strings change. The pair is still an octave apart, only this time they are tuned to D.

You can tune a 12-string guitar to any open tuning you want. As long as you remember to tune the string in pairs and tune the lower four pairs an octave apart, you can use any open tuning.

Pick the above open tuning you want and tune the pair of strings as needed. Remember that the lower four pairs need to be an octave apart and the higher two pairs are tuned the same.

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If you haven’t tried an open tuning on a 12-string guitar before, I highly recommend it (DADGAD is my favorite). They sound great on 12-strings.

The best way to tune a 12-string guitar is with a chromatic tuner. Most modern guitar tuners should have a chromatic mode.

A chromatic tuner is a guitar tuner that works for any note (Eg: C#, F, Bb, etc). This is great for tuning a 12-string guitar because four of the strings are tuned an octave higher than normal tuning.

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To tune a 12-string guitar with a chromatic tuner, simply pick each string individually and the tuner will tell you what the current note is.

Then all you need to know is what to tune the string up or down to. I highly recommend starting with the strings tuned to normal 6-string tuning.

Once you have those strings tuned correctly, you can tune the paired strings. This will help you make sure you’re tuning the paired strings to the correct pitch.

Alvarez 12 String Tuner

Remember that the lower four paired strings need to be an octave higher. So first, tune them so they are the same as the paired strings, then continue to raise them until they are an octave higher.

There are some guitar tuner apps designed specifically for 12-string guitars. Searching for ‘guitar tuner 12 string’ in the app store will bring up a few different options.

Even if the app you use doesn’t have a 12-string guitar feature, you can use any chromatic guitar tuner app. For example, the below screenshots of iStroboSoft’s tuner app is a chromatic tuner and works perfectly with a 12-string guitar.

The Best Guide On How To Tune A 12 String Guitar

You simply choose the tuning you want to set it to, then hold it over each string and it will automatically tune it to pitch as shown below:

You can create custom tunings for 12-string or any other instruments, so if you want to add

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