The Art of the Twelve String – San Diego Singer/Songwriter Composes Innovative Songs and Beautiful Melodies on a Musical Guitar… “musician challenges herself “… Artistic Inspiration 2010

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The number of notes in a song can be cut in half and sound just as big…
by Bridget Brigitte

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The Art of the Twelve String – San Diego Singer/Songwriter Composes Innovative Songs and Beautiful Melodies on a Musical Guitar… “musician challenges herself “… Artistic Inspiration 2010

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http://www.bridgetmusic.com/

Sometimes challenges are appealing just because they are challenges. Why did the adventurer climb the mountain? Because it was there. When it comes to guitars, challenge is the fiber of having a guitar. Not only does a musician challenge herself to compose ever more innovative songs, but there is the constant lure and reward of developing as a songwriter and musician as one chord leads to another, one diminished seventh turns into a suspended fourth, and one progression dissolves into a single, ultimate note.

It is important to overcome the challenges of pain, to develop callouses so that the guitar is comfortable for hours, instead of minutes. During a visit in Paris, when I was performing in a blues club (there were not a lot of singer/songwriter spots), some friends introduced me to blues legend Luther Alison who had just released Blue Streak. As everyone swapped songs (mostly listening to Luther), it was impossible to not check out his fingers: “This is some serious protection!” I noted. He smiled and continued to walk his fingers up and down the neck creating long buttery melodic lines. His callouses felt like uncooked peas.

Guitarists who are used to nylon, or even steel strings, are accustomed to playing six string guitars. The sight of a twelve string can be at first confusing (what do all those strings do?), then invites curiosity (how is it played?). Twelve strings can be daunting – one knee jerk reaction is to vow to stick with six strings, why bother with more? Until the first try. As elementary as this sounds, twelve strings are six strings times two. Each string is doubled, one octave apart, except for two stings which are the same string simply doubled up. The effect is that the number of notes in a song can be cut in half and sound just as big. In other words, a simple song can be made to sound complicated, or a flat song sound rich. For someone who writes simple spare slow songs, a twelve string can be perfect. It is also the guitar of choice for many other types of performers too. When a twelve string is unfamiliar, it is a magnificent challenge that keeps giving back. There is the opportunity to add harmonic interest by slightly staggering the tuning of strings so that they are almost perfectly tuned, but not quite. Two strings are made larger and thicker if they do not sound exactly the same. Classics like “Blackbird” take on a whole new color.

The logical companion to finding the most beautiful sound from a guitar is finding the most beautiful artwork to go with it. Guitars have been decorated in almost every way possible. One trip to the NAMM (International Music Products Association – new name, old acronym) show in Anaheim reveals guitars in almost every color, shape and size. Skulls and barbed wire aside, some guitars emanate angels.

Using my imagination, I got to thinking about what the most beautiful designs in the world are. Trellis leaves, swirling ivy, Celtic motifs, Indian…henna. When some Indian women marry, they get elaborate artwork temporarily tattooed on their hands and feet by artists who paint with henna (mehendi). Mehendi has been used as a cosmetic for over 5000 years by women and men and in 17th century India, it was used on women regardless of social class or marital status. Subhamoy Das writes: “A bride’s wedding designs usually includes a hidden inscription of the groom’s name on her palm. It’s believed, if the groom fails to find his name within the intricate patterns, the bride will be more dominant in conjugal life. Sometimes the wedding night is not allowed to commence until the groom has found the names. This is also seen as a subterfuge to let the groom touch the bride’s hands in order to find his name, thus initiating a physical relationship.”

I located a Mehendi artist in San Diego, Carmen Wrentmore, who welcomed me into her home. To my delight, she adorned my hands and even painted my head. When asked if she would consider painting a guitar, she seemed surprised, then a little nervous, but finally decided she would accept the challenge. The result was an exquisite design that brought my dreams to life. I continue to thank Carmen because, on the morning that she painted my Taylor, she greeted me with teary eyes; her husband had been deployed on a mission that day. I told her that we could work together another time, but she said “please stay.” Art ended up serving its age-old therapeutic purpose of soothing the artist, and most people who see Carmen’s intricate work are amazed.

Bridget Brigitte is a recording artist who has written original songs on guitar since she was nine. For more about Bridget and links to her songs, please visit http://www.bridgetmusic.com/ This article has been previously published by SongNotes.

Please feel free to reprint or post this article on condition that the link above to bridgetmusic.com appears

More information can be found online at http://www.bridgetmusic.com/

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