Learn Double Stops in 3 Easy Steps
What are double stops?
Double stops refer to playing two notes at one time. Any more than two notes is considered a chord.
How do I know when to play a double stop?
In music notation, double stops are notated as two notes on top of one another, as seen here.
The two main issues that arise when learning to play double stops on the violin are maintaining good sound quality and both strings sounding at all times.
Sound quality
When first learning to play double stops, many players think that since they are playing two strings, they need to press down with the bow twice as hard, when the opposite is true. When playing double stops, players need to be even softer and lighter with their bow hand than when playing a single string.
Evenness of sound
This issue stems from proper elbow placement and maintaining an even plane of motion with the bow hand. When playing double stops, the elbow should be balanced between the two string levels. For example, when playing a double stop on the E and A strings, the elbow should be halfway between those two string levels. Additionally, the hand must be moving in an even plane of motion so as to not oscillate (or go back and forth) between the strings, and instead have both sounding at all times.
Follow these three steps to learn how to play double stops.
Practice playing double stops on open strings.
This is very useful for getting used to the elbow levels, maintaining an even plane of motion in your hand, and testing your sound quality. It is also good practice for learning how to tune your instrument in fifths.
Practice playing a scalar passage on the top string.
This step introduces the left hand in addition to the double stops. Place the fingers directly on the tips to ensure they are not covering the other string.
Practice playing a scalar passage on the bottom string.
This will be harder than the step above because it’s more likely that your fingers will touch the upper string. Players may need to slightly angle the fingers back so as to ensure the upper string rings out clearly.
Watch the video below for a demonstration of each of these steps.
Additional Resources
Melodious Double Stops by Josephine Trott is my favorite book for beginning double stop practice!
