How do you tune a 12 string acoustic guitar?

Answer 1

The twelve-string guitar is based on the six-string guitar. The basis for the tuning of the strings are therefore (lowest to highest pitch) E A D G B E.

The twelve-string guitar has each of these strings doubled. Lutenists are used to calling doubled strings "courses", so a course would be a pair of strings placed close enough together that they can be fingered with one finger and played together. This is convenient terminology, especially when the two strings are not tuned in the same octave, so I'll use it here!

The first two or three courses are generally tuned in unison, i.e., in the same octave. The D and A strings are almost always tuned in octaves, with the higher string on the physically upper side, so a thumb stroke will hit them before the lower string.

From there out, 12-string players have many variations.

The most 'common' tuning of the 12-string guitar is with the bottom three courses in octaves and the top three courses in unisons.

The first usual variation is for the third course, the Gs, to be tuned in octaves. This makes the four lower courses octaves, and the top two unisons.

One variation, used by Ledbelly, has the G course in octaves and the lowest string, E, in two octaves, using a 'top' E string along with a normal bottom E string. (The octave-tuned upper E string would be on the order of the D string lower string's thickness.)

Beyond that, it is quite common to 'detune' the 12-string guitar. One of the most common variants is the "Drop D tuning", i.e., D A D G B E. The next variation on "Drop D" is to drop both top and bottom courses to D: D A D G B D. In this case, the top string is often left open, as if it is a drone, while the inner four strings are used for fingering chords.

Other approaches tune the entire guitar to chords: DADGAD (a common dobro tuning), E B E G# B E and E A E A C# E being the most common. The former makes the guitar sound a normally-fingered first-position E major chord, the second, a normally-fingered A chord. Obviously, these kinds of variations require different fingerings for chords to work. ========================= The above is incorrect. Twelve-string Guitars are usually tuned EADGBE, with the top two strings (B and high E) having a double of the same pitch, and the bottom four strings (EADG) having strings that are high octaves. I have never seen a 12-string that doesn't have an octave string for the G, which is the key to the "jangle" of 12-strings. In fact, two variants of the 12-string acoustic are the Roger McGuinn Martin signature, which is a 7-string guitar where the extra string is the G octave. I also recently saw an Alvarez 9-string guitar which has the G octave, B doubled, and E doubled strings added to the standard six EADGBE strings. There is also "Nashville tuning", which is a 6-string guitar that only has high octaves for EADG and normal B and high E strings. In other words, the 12-string guitar without the "normal" strings. This type of tuning is useful for adding that high shimmer to the acoustic sound without the exertion of having to play 12 strings, and also to avoid muddying up the low end by too many acoustic strings sounding. Notably, one of the most popular and famous 12-string models, the Rickenbacker 12-string electrics, have their strings backwards -- with the low strings first, so that when strumming down, the lower strings sound first and respond more to the pick attack -- a key element to the distinct sound of Rickenbacker 12-strings.

Answer 2

like a 6 but you play 2 strings at a time, their designed to give chords a louder sound as you'd tune EEAADDGGBBEE (standard in groups)

if you want to know what a 12 string sounds like put your finger over the fifth fret second string (B) and hit the B string and than the high E with no finger over it. You'll hear this ring. Think that but every string would do that.

or the lazy way , tune two strings anywhere on the guitar to the same tuning, say Db (D flat or C# depending on your tuner) as it will work for the high strings without risk of breaking anything than hit both.

Answer 3

Stringing a 12-string guitar is no more difficult that stringing a 6 string instrument, however; it is significantly more time consuming and there are some things to be aware of.

Simply put, a 12-string guitar is strung and tuned the same way as a 6-string, but as you have probably realized, where there would be one string on a 6-string guitar, there are two on a 12-string guitar. The E, A, D, and G pairs are all tuned an octave apart and the B and e pair are tuned to a unison. When you get a set of 12-string acoustic strings (or if you already have), you will notice that the E, A, D, and G pairs consist of two strings of different gauges and the B and e pairs are the same gauge. The smaller (thinner) of the two gauges from the E, A, D, and G pairs are strung closest to the side of the fretboard you wrap your thumb around when playing. The standard gauges are placed below them. The exceptions to this are, of course, the B and e pairs which both have the same gauge of string within each pair.

A point to keep in mind when stringing and tuning a 12-string guitar is that when tuning the octave G string (the higher pitched of the two G-strings), it is very prone to breakage. It is important that you do your best not to go above the necessary pitch. Even a slight increase above G(5) may cause the string to break. Be sure to use a chromatic tuner when tuning the 12-string to avoid going beyond G(5) and breaking the string.

12-string tuning: E(4)E(3) - A(4)A(3) - D(5)D(4) - G(5)G(4) - B(4)B(4) - e(5)e(5)

Answer 4

The same as a regular one. The only difference is that the strings are in double courses (two strings for every note) which gives it a louder, more mandolin-like sound.

Answer 5

12 string guitars are tuned in octaves, so they are tuned as:

E e A a D d G g B b E e