Ever since I came across Yoni Schlesinger’s cover of Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms, I’ve been a fan and a loyal subscriber. Originally, he created the cover as a YouTube ad for B&G Guitars, but it seems to have done more to showcase Yoni’s talent and playing than anything else. The numerous comments below the video echo this sentiment, with many viewers returning to watch the full video after first seeing it as a pre-roll ad.
Recently, Yoni released a cover of one of my all-time favorite rock ballads, Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here. While watching, I noticed something clever—Yoni was playing a 6-string acoustic but making it sound like a 12-string.
Achieving That 12-String Sound
As you may know, Wish You Were Here typically features two guitars: a 12-string that plays the iconic theme in the intro and a 6-string that joins in for the opening solo. When David Gilmour performs the song live, he usually plays the 6-string while someone else handles the 12-string.
Years ago, when I first learned the song, I played it as most people would—picking the individual strings. It sounded good, but something was missing. That full, rich sound could only be achieved with a 12-string guitar.
This is where Yoni’s clever technique comes into play. On a 12-string guitar, when you play the G note (the first note of the song), you pluck two strings simultaneously—a low G and a high G. Yoni’s idea? Find that high G elsewhere on your 6-string fretboard and add it to your playing.
It sounds simple in theory, but for those of us who play guitar as a hobby, this idea is a game-changer. Yoni’s approach opens up new possibilities for replicating that 12-string effect without actually needing one.
If you’re interested in learning how Yoni achieves this, here’s his full tutorial on how to play Wish You Were Here on a 6-string and make it sound like a 12-string.
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