Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange
Musical Practice and Performance Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [double-stops]

For questions related to double stops, the technique of playing multiple pitches simultaneously on a string instrument.

19 questions
15
votes
8 answers

Violin - Can double stops be played when the strings are not next to each other?

Suppose I wanted to play a double stop on the violin. The double stop played the G string and the A string simultaneously. Is this possible? Can you play a double stop on two non-adjacent strings?
xilpex
  • 2,142
  • 20
  • 48
9
votes
2 answers

Can a cellist play minor sixths in thumb position?

I know that playing minor or major sixths on a cello within the normal range of the instrument is a very reasonable request. Adler shows several as possibilities (The Study of Orchestration, p. 79) It seems that it wouldn't be much harder to play…
nuggethead
  • 2,867
  • 5
  • 24
9
votes
2 answers

How to notate a double stop for snare drum music

I'm just writing some stuff out by hand, and wondered how to indicate a single note where both hands play in unison, called a double stop. Or perhaps how to indicate a few bars will use double stops. It looks like it is indicated by two 'note…
Stevelk
  • 91
  • 2
8
votes
1 answer

Triple stops in Bruch's violin concerto

I've been finding it hard to find a good fingering that lets me play this sequence in Bruch's violin concerto. Moreover, I'm finding it hard to actually hit all three strings simultaeneously on a downbow, although I suppose this could be fixed by…
Featherball
  • 858
  • 1
  • 9
  • 19
8
votes
2 answers

Are these double stops playable on violin?

I have written a piece with a string section. Initially I had in mind more than 1 violin but I'd like to know how hard it would be for a single player.
Chris Richardson
  • 81
  • 3
7
votes
2 answers

Why are double stops rarely written for double basses, compared to other strings?

I've been doing some orchestral transcription work in my spare time, and one of the things I've noticed is that while double stops are relatively common in violin, viola, and cello parts (along with triple and occasional quadruple stops), they are…
Michael Seifert
  • 2,900
  • 15
  • 32
6
votes
1 answer

Violin - Sheet music notation for playing the same note at the same time

On the violin you can play a double stop where you are playing 4th finger on the D string (A note) while playing the open A string. This means that you are playing the A note on both strings. How would you write this on sheet music?
xilpex
  • 2,142
  • 20
  • 48
5
votes
3 answers

Notating a double stop with a semitone interval

I am arranging a piece of music, and I am having trouble figuring out how to notate a double stop with the notes G and G#. The key is G, and it's for mallet percussion. The notes are repeated once. The software I'm using (MuseScore) does it as in…
Skylar
  • 152
  • 5
4
votes
3 answers

Fingering of cello double stops

Could someone provide me with the fingering for this sequence of double-stops (it's bass clef)? I put together a quick shot on "When I'm 64" for my daughter, but since I can't play cello, I can't really tell what the right fingering would be. Or…
DrSvanHay
  • 967
  • 7
  • 13
4
votes
2 answers

When to start learning double stops on violin?

I am an adult beginner on the violin and would just like to say I've absolutely loved it so far. I started at the very beginning of this year and found a teacher who I'm extremely happy with. Around three months into playing they had me start on…
qfwfq
  • 141
  • 4
3
votes
2 answers

What are these octave like shapes used in popular indie rock?

I've got 2 octave(?) related questions. One about starting on the A string and one about starting on the E string. Regarding the A string: there's a specific part of a Strokes song called "Reptilia". What are the octavey things that are being…
Chris S
  • 31
  • 1
3
votes
1 answer

Is it possible to play this difficult trill on violin?

There is a line in my violin music where there are two voices: The higher voice is a trill G-Ab on the E string The lower voice is a continuously held Db on the A string held throughout the trill How would I play the trill while holding the Db? Is…
D.R.
  • 413
  • 3
  • 18
2
votes
1 answer

Piano - What is the notation for two notes played simultaneously, where both notes are different lengths?

I was improvising on my piano, when I played a two notes simultaneously where one of the notes in it was longer than the other. I liked it, and wanted to implement it in the sheet music I write; The problem is, I don't know the notation for it. …
xilpex
  • 2,142
  • 20
  • 48
2
votes
2 answers

Violin - Slurring double stops

I was reading some violin sheet music when I came across something that looked like a slurred double stop. Here is an image: The problem is that both double stops use the same fingers, but on opposite strings. Assuming first position, the first…
xilpex
  • 2,142
  • 20
  • 48
2
votes
1 answer

Cello double stop

Just want to make sure this is possible. As you can tell, it's styled after Pachelbel's "Canon," but it's in G. I'm sure it would have to be somewhat detached, and, wherever possible, an open string is used.
J T
  • 21
  • 3
1
2