Triple Courses: A Primer
Recently, a non-guitarist friend stated that they didn't understand triple courses, and asked me to explain them. I gladly obliged, and then realized that this might make for a helpful and informative blog post. A course is either one string or two or more adjacent strings that are closely spaced relative to the other strings, and typically played as a single string. The strings in each multiple-string course are typically tuned in unison or an octave. Not so with most of my instruments. A 6-string guitar is a 6-course instrument. A violin is a 4-course instrument, as is a mandolin because its eight strings are grouped as four double-courses. A 12-string guitar is a 6-course instrument, as the strings are placed very close together so that you can finger two strings with one finger, creating a double course; double because of two strings played together. A triple course is three strings placed very closely together such that you can play...
