June

From "PP&PV: Twelve" by Anthony Phillips.

An incredibly difficult 12-string piece. There is no score/tab for this one either.

Tuning is DD-GG-CC-DD-GG-EA (descending order) - Tune everything down except the E (upper string of the first pair).

It took me a few weeks to play it half-decently and at this point I didn't want to spend more time practising so I recorded it also without having to spend much time in front of the camera.

Ant is playing notes on the finger-picking section that I can't find on the fretboard so don't expect total accuracy on that part!
Moreover my guitar wasn't very collaborative this time, the high action made some tricky passages really hard to play with the fluidity you can find on the record.

All in all, hope you enjoy this amazing track from guitar master Ant Phillips.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• ant
• phillips
• 12-string
• acoustic
• guitar
• twelve
• months
• big stretches

[sfbcreative]

Oh..and one other thing...you're absolutely brilliant to have learned this by ear!! Congratulations!!!

[hyperboreal]

@sfbcreative

Hey Scott, I thought you had already seen this clip. It took me more time than usual to learn it and to play it decently. It's so damn difficult! Specially with those "moving chord shapes" while arpeggiating. Would like to make a better recording of this one some day... Btw I didn't know you used the same tuning in your album, it's such an unusual one. Best wishes to you bud.

[sfbcreative]

@hyperboreal

Yeah I saw it on Ant's site and tried it out out. I actually composed 3 songs using it. Only now do I realize I had the top pair (A/E) of strings tuned 'upside down'!!!

Have you 'tabbed' any portion of 'June' at all? Especially those 'moving chord shapes' I still want to learn this song too...and now it seems like I might be able to make some progress on it by watching your video!!!

[hyperboreal]

@sfbcreative

He does that so he can play around with that single A string while fingerpicking without playing the interval. Although you can also hear him do that with the flat pick (as in "September" and others). Tricky stuff.

I haven't tabbed any of the Ant pieces but if you get stuck at some specific part let me know. I also would like to know how that middle part is played!

[OnlyInBoston]

I can hear something way out of tune. Possibly the lower D and more. Your skill on the song was great but the tuning just made it off. Other than that....fantastic job! I think I found that new inspiration I was looking for.

[hyperboreal]

@OnlyInBoston

yeah, you're right, by the time I recorded this piece that guitar couldn't stay in tune well and I had been doing a few takes before resulting some "out-of-tuning-ness". I should be more aware of that when I record anyway! thanks for commenting.

[sfbcreative]

@hyperboreal

Although I've been told there were no overdubs on any of the songs on 'Twelve' I recently heard mention that many of Ant's pieces were double and triple tracked...which may explain some of the baffling overtones!!!

[sfbcreative]

When did you learn this?!?!?!? This is the song we talked about back in 08!!! I guess I missed it when you posted it!!!! I use this tuning on 3 different songs on my album 'Sparkle'!!!

[violeirosurbanos]

Fantastic! A musical gem...

Saludos desde Brazil!

[Jig1123]

Incredible. I have to start looking into Anthony Phillips; I had no idea he was such a composer. Especially the part around 3.5 minutes in - so complex! Very well played, sir.