4. Leadbelly was the undisputed master of the 12 string guitar, which his great bulk dwarfed
The prevailing image of Leadbelly in popular culture is a big man playing a 12-string guitar. As any guitarist will tell you, 12 strings are infinitely harder to play than 6, and Leadbelly’s choice of instrument is a testament to his immense talent. Though he first played a standard classical guitar, Leadbelly’s physical vastness actually made the smaller instrument harder to play and look comically small in front of him. Still, lucky he was gifted enough to adapt to the demands of the bigger 12-string. His prowess earned him the title, ‘King of the 12-String Guitar’ in his own lifetime.
Some music historians have claimed that Leadbelly adopted the 12-string during his time with Blind Lemon Jefferson, but whilst there is no doubt of the latter’s great influence on him, it is unknown exactly when he first started playing the instrument. Another story has it that Leadbelly was impressed by a Mexican guitarist busking with one, and made it his mission to become as accomplished. The instrument was also key to Leadbelly’s signature sound, as the greater number of strings allowed him to incorporate a walking bass line into his songs. Debate still rages over which tuning he used.