12 replies to this topic

[WernHalen]

Hey,

This seems to be my nemesis... I have not gotten a good excersise to get double-stops down pat, especially in a improvisation environment. Getting it down in a rehearsed section is easy and I know how to do it, but as soon as I try it in a piece where I have to improvise on a fresh piece of music, where I sometimes have only heard the progression once, is far too difficult for me. I can do it, but it all sounds very mechnical, predictable and not too musical for my ears. Kirk does it brilliantly.

Does anybody have any clues on how to practice double stops to get to a point where you dont have to think about it anymore?

WernHalen

[allthumbs]

The fastest and easiest way is to buy Kirk's Plane Talk materials and go to the plain talk forum. He has a lesson there on double stops based on it's principles.
The other way is to learn the double stops for each string set for each of the chords in the caged system.

[WernHalen]

AT,

I understand Double stops and i have PT, but I just can not use the double stops as easily as I can improvise using single melody lines... i will definitely check out the double stops excersise taht Kirk has on the PT forum. I went browsing around there yesterday very briefly, but did not find it. i will have a look again today.

thank you...

[Kirk Lorange]

You need to see the whole chord, WernHalen, and use adjacent tones or tones two strings apart. I know ... easier said than done.

The PT lesson allthumbs refers to is the Tritone Shuffle, a specific look at a jazzy blues piece, all played as double stops, but the principle I describe applies to any old progression. Here's the link to the thread:

Tritone Shuffle

Cheers, ask over there if you have any questions.

[WernHalen]

Kirk,

I know and understand the principle of how the double stops work. i think it is more a mechanics thing where I just cant get the double stops to sound musical...

I will have a look at the lesson. Thanks.

[Steve Brown]

They are tricky.

[WernHalen]

I am having a better time with them now... It was a timing and finger thing. I was just not hitting them at the right time due to my fingers being slow. They just dont always want to work the way I want them to...

They are starting to sound sweet now...

[Steve Brown]

Rock'in.

Feel free to drop by my channel dude.

Here.

[hearinvoices]

A little off subject of the thread but I just have to say WOW I went to Steve Brown's link here and I have to give props ! Excellent playing Steve !

Johnny

[Steve Brown]

hearinvoices said:

A little off subject of the thread but I just have to say WOW I went to Steve Brown's link here and I have to give props ! Excellent playing Steve !

Johnny

Many thanks Johnny! If anyone would like to subscribe it would be much appreciated. First & for most. Welcome aboard!!

Steve Brown Official

As for double stops. It's getting the correct pitch together that makes these live. I'm sure you all know.

[eddiez152]

Nice job Steve,
I had a post here before, but it seems to be gone now?????

[solidwalnut]

WernHalen said:

Hey,

This seems to be my nemesis... I have not gotten a good excersise to get double-stops down pat, especially in a improvisation environment. Getting it down in a rehearsed section is easy and I know how to do it, but as soon as I try it in a piece where I have to improvise on a fresh piece of music, where I sometimes have only heard the progression once, is far too difficult for me. I can do it, but it all sounds very mechnical, predictable and not too musical for my ears. Kirk does it brilliantly.

Does anybody have any clues on how to practice double stops to get to a point where you dont have to think about it anymore?

WernHalen

Just another thrown in on this:

Getting the mechanical down on these is obviously the first and most important part. After that, there's a way to help tighten up the sound.

One thing I began doing often is to try and treat each 'stop' as one note, or as a unified presentation. What I mean is playing each note mechanically in unison. If I decide to slide in from a half-step back, or use vibrato or some other treatment of the notes, this helps to unify the presentation.

Steve

[Kirk Lorange]

Steve Brown said:

As for double stops. It's getting the correct pitch together that makes these live. I'm sure you all know.

Can you elaborate on that, Steve? You're right, we all know that getting the right notes together is the trick, but how do you go about doing that? I think that's what the members here want to learn.