Pick up a 12 string for the first time and your eyes go straight to those paired strings. The neck looks crowded, and naming each note feels harder than it should.
Here’s the part that puts most people at ease. If you can find the notes on a normal six string, you already know this instrument too.
The strings sit in pairs, and that doubling is what gives the guitar its big, ringing sound. Knowing how the pairs line up is the whole trick to reading the fretboard.
This guide lays out each note and explains why the strings are grouped the way they are. Let’s start with the notes themselves.
What Are the 12 String Guitar Notes?
A 12 string guitar is tuned to the same six notes as a standard guitar, with each note simply doubled. From the lowest string to the highest, the notes are:
E E A A D D G G B B E E
So instead of six separate strings, you’ve six pairs (called courses), and each pair shares a note name with the matching string on a normal guitar. If you can name the strings on a six string, you can name them on a 12 string.
How the String Pairs Are Arranged
What makes the 12 string special isn’t just that the notes are doubled, but how each pair is tuned.
- The bottom four pairs (E, A, D, and G) are tuned an octave apart. The thicker string carries the standard note and the thinner string sits one octave higher.
- The top two pairs (B and high E) are tuned in unison, meaning both strings in the pair are the same pitch.
This is why the lower strings produce those rich, jangly overtones while the top strings stay bright and tight. The second string in each octave pair is what gives the 12 string its signature shimmer.
How to Tune a 12 String Guitar
First, get yourself a good tuner or tuner pedal. Tuning is actually quite easy once you know the notes of a regular guitar, because you just double each note: E E A A D D G G B B E E from lowest to highest.
For the four lowest pairs, the second string is tuned a full octave higher than its partner. For the top two pairs, both strings are tuned to the exact same pitch.
Work through the strings one pair at a time and tune slowly, since the extra string tension on a 12 string can pull the neck and the other strings out of tune as you go.
If you want a deeper walkthrough, it’s worth watching a dedicated video that demonstrates the notes and tuning of the 12 string in real time so you can hear what each pair should sound like.
What Makes a 12 String Different From a Regular Guitar?
Related reading - Why use a 12 string guitar?
The obvious difference is that a 12 string has double the number of strings of a regular six string. But the bigger difference is the sound.
Because most of the pairs are tuned in octaves, every note you play rings out as two pitches at once, creating a natural chorus effect that a six string simply can’t produce.
You play it almost exactly like a regular guitar. The same chord shapes and the same fretting hand positions apply, since each course is fretted together as if it were a single string.
The main adjustment is that the neck is wider and the strings sit closer together in pairs, so chords and riffs can feel a little different under your fingers until you get used to them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are 12 string guitar notes the same as a 6 string?
Yes. A 12 string is tuned to the same six notes as a standard guitar, E A D G B E, with each note doubled into a pair.
The note names don’t change at all, which is why a six string player can pick up a 12 string and immediately know what each string is called.
Why are the top two string pairs not in octaves?
The B and high E strings are already thin and high pitched, so tuning a second string an octave above them would put it under extreme tension and make it prone to snapping. Tuning those two pairs in unison instead keeps them stable while still adding fullness and volume to the top end.
Do you tune a 12 string lower than a 6 string?
Standard 12 string tuning uses the same pitches as a six string, so it isn’t tuned lower by default. That said, many players choose to tune a 12 string down a half step or a full step to ease the heavy combined string tension on the neck, which also makes the instrument a little easier to play and fret.
Can you use a regular guitar tuner on a 12 string?
Yes, a standard chromatic tuner or tuner pedal works perfectly. Just tune each string individually rather than strumming the whole pair at once, since a tuner can struggle to read two strings sounding together.
Mute the partner string while you set each note for the most accurate result.
Final Thoughts
The 12 string guitar looks intimidating, but the notes themselves are no mystery. It’s the same E A D G B E layout as a regular guitar, simply doubled into six pairs, with the lower four pairs tuned in octaves and the top two tuned in unison.
Once you understand that arrangement, tuning becomes straightforward and the instrument’s lush, ringing tone starts to make sense. Grab a reliable tuner, take it one pair at a time, and you’ll have your 12 string sounding full and bright in no time.
