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Thread: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

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    Default Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    I have really been enjoying my mandolin lately, and coming along, albeit slowly. I have watched several YouTube videos that in their titles say it will show how to play a double stop, but after watching them I feel I learned very little if anything from them, they never say now watch this it is a double stop, instead they just play on never really describing what it is. I know I know I am a little think headed sometimes, well maybe a lot, but I just don't see what they are talking about. Can one of you nice people please explain it so even a hard head like me can make sence of it, or point me in the right direction?

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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    A double stop is just a fancy name for playing two notes (or two courses of strings) at the same time.
    Bobby Bill

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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    A double stop is fingering notes on two adjacent courses at the same time. It comes from a violinist "stopping" the string with their finger to play a note. Like playing a partial (two note) chord.

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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    I'll give an example of a common G double-stop.

    3
    5
    x
    x

    Place your middle finger on the 3rd fret of the E string, and the ring finger on the 5th fret A string.

    Strum both at the same time.

    You've played a double stop.

    Chords are made of what's called a triad. (Three notes) These notes make a chord.

    Playing the double stop above, you're playing two of the notes in a G chord, the D and the G. (The three notes in a G chord are G,B,D)

    So to play another G double stop, you could also slide slide up and play,

    7
    10
    x
    x

    you could play index or middle on the 7th fret E string, and ring on the 10th fret A string.

    This gives you the notes G and B.

    Playing tremolo works great with double stops, and strumming double stops instead of single notes can also fit in nicely in some breaks and give you a fuller sound.
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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Place one finger on the A string on the 4th fret, play the A and E strings. A double stop
    Move it to the D string and do the same, D double stop.
    On D string play the 5th fret, A string play 2ond fret, G double stop
    Same on the G and D strings is a C double stop.

    You get the idea they are moveable and very useful.
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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    By the way, you shouldn't feel "thick-headed" for asking a question that seems like it should have a simple answer. I came across this conversation that is not unlike many we have here: http://www.violinist.com/discussion/...e.cfm?ID=27343

    All of the participants know what a double stop is - they just do not all agree.
    Bobby Bill

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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Your link posted was an interesting read, very helpful, thanks so much.

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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Great info!!!

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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Some one used a noted and open string as an example. By definition you are only stopping one string in that case. I don't know what should be the term for that, usually in that case the open string is more or less a drone but not always. For examp,e in the key of A you could play several notes on the A string using the E open with each note would anyone consider this a series of double stops?

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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Playing in a group , you don't really need to play all 3 or 4 chord notes. so just the 3rd
    and maybe 7th will do,
    1 & 5 handled by guitar and bass players..

    harmonizing with the melody line can suggest the chord [MaJ/Min, that 3rd,]
    + the harmonizing note ..


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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    I would consider playing the E and A string open, fretting the A on the 2ond, or 4th with the E string open to be all double stops.
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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Quote Originally Posted by Mandoplumb View Post
    Some one used a noted and open string as an example. By definition you are only stopping one string in that case.
    Depends on one's definition of "stop". Keeping in mind that stringed instrument players are borrowing terminology used by pipe organists. IOW, I wouldn't get too pedantic about a term that didn't originally apply to our instruments to begin with. Going with the original usage, I'd say an open string and a fretted string count as a "double stop". OTOH, I don't care enough to defend my usage, so everyone is welcome to the last word with no counter from me

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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Here is an explanation I put together:


    I have a little more about it here with an example tune in tab.

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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Quite, you're not "thick-headed" - we all learn at different paces & sometimes the most basic of music theory eludes people until much later in the process (esp people like me - not formally trained!). I only learnt what a double stop was when i joined this forum!
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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    I guess it depends how you define stop. You are playing two strings and stopped playing the other two. Grin Grin
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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Quote Originally Posted by pops1 View Post
    I guess it depends how you define stop. You are playing two strings and stopped playing the other two. Grin Grin
    I hate definitions that really don't make sense, Pops1 your statement makes the definition make sense, I withdraw my previous post saying a double stop had to be two noted strings LOL now to ask a question, how does stop relate to pipe organs, I thought the term came from violinist,

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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    While I have seen and heard a couple wonderful pipe organs, I have no clue. I am with mandoplumb thinking it came from the violin world. I know with pipe organs some of the pipes are 30ft. long. There are many stops on an organ to give different sounds one is a
    ---Doublette---2' Super-Octave most commonly found in French organs. I'm not that knowledgeable, google was my source here.
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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    I started playing violin at 10 and played in a orchestra for 6 years and took many classes of music theory. What I was taught was it is a 2 note cord any 2 notes played at the same time
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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Quote Originally Posted by darrylicshon View Post
    I started playing violin at 10 and played in a orchestra for 6 years and took many classes of music theory. What I was taught was it is a 2 note cord any 2 notes played at the same time
    Here we go with definition again. A chord is defined as 3notes, at least that's what I've always heard, so a 2 note chord does not exist.

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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Here I go again. Any two notes of the chord. Does that work better?
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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Hey Pops1,
    When you say any two notes of a chord equal a double stop, are you referring to the two root notes of any chord or any two notes within that chord? Also Mandoplumb, wouldn't a "2 note chord" actually be a double stop, if they work together? And lastly, are there any patterns that simplify where you can find double stops on the fretboard making the memorization easier?
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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Technically, anytime you're sounding more than one note, it's a chord.Two notes can make a chord. In the violin world, a true double stop means you're using fingers on two strings simultaneously to hit two notes. An open string is not considered a double stop, that's just hitting an open string. The form is not necessarily in a barred form, you might use two fingers, one in first position on one string, one in third position on another. There can be triple stops, but they're rare, and hard to bow well without a lot of pressure, so they tend to be more of a sharp attack, instead of a long down or up bow. There are some baroque bows that are meant to be pulled across all four strings in a certain few pieces, but that's rare, and some musicologists debate whether they were really meant to be played that way. So there you go. Two notes, no open strings.

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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Paul, I use a lot of double stops, or at least that is what I call them. A 1 & 5, and 2 & 5, a 3 & 5, a 4 & 6. In other words any two notes that sound good together and give me what I want, major or minor, I call a double stop. I may not be correct, maybe they are partial chords, whatever they are I use a lot of them. I have tunes I can play the entire tune with double stops. It's so nice that I rarely use full chords.
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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Quote Originally Posted by David L View Post
    A double stop is fingering notes on two adjacent courses at the same time. It comes from a violinist "stopping" the string with their finger to play a note. Like playing a partial (two note) chord.
    Does it need to be adjacent?
    I'm coming from electric bass (finger style - no pick) and double stops frequently were not adjacent strings - but I guess on mandolin, since we're using a pick, they need to be adjacent? Or do you ever quickly skip a course or two to let two notes ring on non-adjacent courses and call it a double stop?

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    Default Re: Someone please explain what a double stop is?

    Quote Originally Posted by AndyPanda View Post
    Does it need to be adjacent?
    I'm coming from electric bass (finger style - no pick) and double stops frequently were not adjacent strings - but I guess on mandolin, since we're using a pick, they need to be adjacent? Or do you ever quickly skip a course or two to let two notes ring on non-adjacent courses and call it a double stop?
    No need to skip: There's triple stops, for sure, painting the gray area between double stops and full chords.
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