How To Play Double Stops on the Violin

Written by Zlata Brouwer
Published: May 1, 2014 at 12:47 PM [UTC]

Sylviane writes...

Hello Zlata,

Have you made a movie/video clip about double stop and chords?

If not, would you put that on your list for next movie?

I am currently playing some songs that require so many double stops, oh my goodness, and seems like I am having trouble producing the double stop sounds when it's on A & E strings. Not sure why, perhaps because the E is positioned low that I don't see where my bow is. So usually when I do the double stop on those 2 strings the first milliseconds I will only hear either A string or E string, then the soonest I hear it I would correct it.

Perhaps you have some useful tips for this double stop action.

Thank you Zlata, have a nice day.

Sylviane

There are three aspects to double stops: you see, you hear and you feel.

Hearing is too late, because the wrong sound did already sound.

Seeing is not always possible and most of the times not good for your violin hold.

Feel how it feels to play double stops. How does it feel to be on both strings? How does your arm position feel?

Imagine that you are playing on one imaginary string that is in between the two strings that are included in your double stop. Imagine this in your feeling, not so much in your ear or eye.