Mr. McGuinn, Please know that you with your playing style and the use of the Rickenbacker 12 string has brought to me a huge amount of inspiration and appreciation. I want to personally thank you for your amazing contribution to music and how you helped shape my musical pathway. Regards, Tom Cowan, Digby N.S. Canada.
This is beyond the ability of most mortals. I can't tell you how much I admire your guitar playing. 'So grab yourself an electric guitar and learn how to play' ... oh, I wish! There was a film where a man wanted to rescue someone from prison and he asked 'how long would it be before I can fly a helicopter like you?' He answered 'never'. I simply do not have the ability to play a guitar like Roger Mcguinn. But oh! I wish I did!!! John
When I was 6 years old in 1970 my older sister got married and moved from home. She left some albums and 45 rpm singles behind. One of those albums was The Byrds: Turn Turn Turn. Once I was old enough to buy my own albums, I got most of the rest of The Byrds discography, and have remained a lifelong fan.
OH-flat pick AND three finger picks! So THAT's how you do it! (I immediately can see that if you had all finger picks, with the thumb pick you could not bring out those bottom strings nearly as well, and the pick'd probably get stuck on 'em too.) I've NEVER seen anyone (has anyone else? any folk singers?) play w/both flat- and finger-picks at ONCE before: That is simply SO enabling! Thank you so much for showing that! When I was a kid I attended a summer camp run by John Seeger, Pete's brother, very musical, we sang a lot of folk/protest songs, and all the lessons they gave campers who asked how to play guitar were either flat pick only, or finger picks only. Trying to play Byrdsongs in my Manhattan bedroom as a teen, I had no idea of this, and haven't-'til now. THANK YOU.
I saw Roger live, by himself, back in the mid-80’s. Just him and the Ric 12-string. He put out a sound as full as an orchestra. I dearly wish I had been able to film that. One of the very best displays of guitar playing I’ve ever seen.
The scale at the start sounds otherworldly. The tones remind me of Crosby's Guinnevere. They came from the same place, too bad they didn't work more together.
Every time I go into the guitar shop I pick up a Rickenbacker 12. When the day comes I can play the intro to Mr Tambourine Man like you, I'm going to buy that guitar. Thank you for the instruction and the inspiration. You fill the world with beauty and love.
@Dareis Nogod 12/17/2018 Though it's good that he made the video, it is somewhat disappointing that he wasn't willing/didn't give us at least 4 -5 minutes, at the least.
He has a video that can be bought, goes into much greater depth on style, songs...think it's somewhere near 45 minutes...check Ebay/Amazon..it's worth the $10 or so
Amazing. I was wondering how he sounded like two guitars on 8 miles high. Also, I find it interesting that he changed the face of folk rock with a very carefully practiced technique, and of course the instrument itself. Very innovative.
Yeah, Rog., a LITTLE bit faster, Ha! Thanx for all the great tunes, and thanx be to God, for your obvious humility! See you at the wedding feast my brother! Cheers Gb
thank you for sharing! you made some increible music! I love your dexterity and austerity! In a small world you are huge, in the real world you are Great! Turn turn!
What he fails to mention is that electric Rick has the octave strings under the basses unlike the normal 12 string acoustic with the octaves on the top part. This is why you need the finger picks to roll up the high octave strings.
Do you have any experience with changing the string position on other 12 string electric guitars? I have an inexpensive 12 string electric (definitely not a RIC). Like most other guitars it has the octave strings above the main strings, but it sounds great with some compression and EQ into a clean Fender amp. To use finger picks on upward rolls like Roger would benefit from the octave strings being moved downwards (RIC style). This would probably require cutting a new nut to avoid fret buzz, especially on the thicker strings. Seems to me that Rogers sound is predominantly from the picking/rolls on the bottom strings (GBE or DGBE), and that just changing over the string position on the DG might be possible with minimal impact on the nut/action height? Chords and flat picking the EA with the octave string still above might sound a bit odd.
Danfuerth Gillis I think anyone looking up a rickenbacker video probably have had an experience with one before Also I have an acoustic 12 string that isn’t a Ric and it’s strung the exacts same way. I don’t think he even thinks about the way his guitar was strung. It’s just how the instrument has always been since the day he first got one and probably doesn’t think twice about it
Aaron Guerrieri My comment was for those interested in how the sound of the song is affected by the way the strings are arranged. Brian May also plays his 12 string acoustic with the rick setup. It is what gives “Love of my life” it’s distinct sound vs other setup.
doesn't anyone have the pattern at 1:09 tabbed it looks like or sounds like he is flat picking the open D, M B3, G2, R E2? but it also sounds like or looks like he flat picks G2 and then R E2? What the heck is a banjo roll travis pick?
Depends on what you’re playing. Some songs are played just like a 6 string. Others are infinitely more complex. Add in dueling styles of play as he shows with simultaneously flat picking and banjo style finger picking and it takes a lot of stamina and practice.
It's a common practice to tune a 12 string guitar down one half tone from E to Eb (not Db!). Doing so reduces the pressure on the guitar's neck. And in many cases it allows the instrument to produce a fuller tone especially if the guitar has a chambered body like a Rickenbacker 3xx/12 string does.
It's a common practice to tune a 12 string guitar down one half tone from E to Eb (not Db!). Doing so reduces the pressure on the guitar's neck. And in many cases it allows the instrument to produce a fuller tone especially if the guitar has a chambered body like a Rickenbacker 3xx/12 string does.
It's a common practice to tune a 12 string guitar down one half tone from E to Eb (not Db!). Doing so reduces the pressure on the guitar's neck. And in many cases it allows the instrument to produce a fuller tone especially if the guitar has a chambered body like a Rickenbacker 3xx/12 string does.
