# 6 different ways to play double-stops



## dolphinstreet (Sep 11, 2006)

New lesson - 6 ways to play double-stops!


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

Ok, I am a little disappointed in this one boss, we are 6 min in and there has been zero grease and no tastiness....ooh, wait, we hit 6:08

Nice explanation to double stops are. I did not know that is what they were called... I use a lot, now I wont sound like an idiot when I give that shrug and say, you know.... two strings


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

Nice lesson!


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## Mutant_Guitar (Oct 24, 2021)

So it seems you are talking about double stops in a strictly "blues-rock" idiom. But in the broader context a double stop is any 2-note combination played as chord. This concept is presented here in a reductive way or as a blues rock "cliche". Many blues players assume that a double stop is a 4th interval / inverted 5th, but its literally any and all 2-note combinations with particular emphasis on movement. Hope I'm not sounding off snobbish, just thought it might be more useful to learners to understand that it goes further.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

Mutant_Guitar said:


> So it seems you are talking about double stops in a strictly "blues-rock" idiom. But in the broader context a double stop is any 2-note combination played as chord. This concept is presented here in a reductive way or as a blues rock "cliche". Many blues players assume that a double stop is a 4th interval / inverted 5th, but its literally any and all 2-note combinations with particular emphasis on movement. Hope I'm not sounding off snobbish, just thought it might be more useful to learners to understand that it goes further.


Where would Wes Montgomery sit in this double stop spectrum?


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## Mutant_Guitar (Oct 24, 2021)

tomee2 said:


> Where would Wes Montgomery sit in this double stop spectrum?


Wes's playing would be a good place to see it in action with nothing too fancy happening in terms of movement (no real contrary motion or oblique movement). I would say, without a deep analysis, his playing exemplified double-stop mobility in a horizontal/stepwise fashion, using his octaves for one, and his use of principle-tone clusters like (3 and 7) and (6 and 9). He wasn't too out there, but he made it all move and swing which highlights the importance of listening and time-feel.


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## dolphinstreet (Sep 11, 2006)

Mutant_Guitar said:


> So it seems you are talking about double stops in a strictly "blues-rock" idiom. But in the broader context a double stop is any 2-note combination played as chord. This concept is presented here in a reductive way or as a blues rock "cliche". Many blues players assume that a double stop is a 4th interval / inverted 5th, but its literally any and all 2-note combinations with particular emphasis on movement. Hope I'm not sounding off snobbish, just thought it might be more useful to learners to understand that it goes further.


I did my best to present it as a concept for which you can use different techniques regarding the picking hand. I don't think of it as a cliche, nor did I have that intention in my presentation. This is my style of playing, and my lessons will be in the style I play. This lesson is more about picking hand technique than which 2-note combinations is being played.


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## Mutant_Guitar (Oct 24, 2021)

dolphinstreet said:


> I did my best to present it as a concept for which you can use different techniques regarding the picking hand. I don't think of it as a cliche, nor did I have that intention in my presentation. This is my style of playing, and my lessons will be in the style I play. This lesson is more about picking hand technique than which 2-note combinations is being played.


I think you did good work and presented a nice lesson. I don't mean to cast your work in a negative light at all. But I stand firm that reserving usage of double-stops to a 4th/5th inv. "block" is a cliche: an oft-used musical device and something that typifies the 12-bar blues. Your name, Dolphin Street, suggested to me you would be coming at this with jazz inclination so, partly I guess, my own expectations went awry that I was treated to a blues lesson.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Gonna watch later - these little lessons are always good!


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