A double stop is two notes played at once on two strings next to each other. Fiddlers use double stops for backup, for kick-offs, and to fill out a melody. The easy ones use an open string and one finger. The charts below give double stops for the 1, 4, and 5 chords in the three main fiddle keys, all in first position.
How to read the charts
Each double stop names two strings and what to do on each one.
“Open” means no finger.
“1” is the first finger and “3” is the third finger.
“Low 2” is the second finger placed close to the first finger. “High 2” is the second finger placed close to the third finger.
Every pair below makes two notes of the chord named.
The key of A
The chords are A, D, and E.
| Chord | Lower string | Higher string | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | A string, open | E string, open | A and E |
| A | D string, 1 | A string, open | E and A |
| A | A string, high 2 | E string, open | C sharp and E |
| D | D string, open | A string, open | D and A |
| D | D string, high 2 | A string, open | F sharp and A |
| E | D string, 1 | A string, 1 | E and B |
| E | A string, 1 | E string, open | B and E |
The first row is the sound of an A tune: the two top strings open, ringing together. Fiddlers use it for the kick-off rhythm called potatoes.
For the E chord in the sixth row, lay the first finger flat across both strings.
The key of D
The chords are D, G, and A.
| Chord | Lower string | Higher string | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | D string, open | A string, open | D and A |
| D | D string, high 2 | A string, open | F sharp and A |
| D | G string, 1 | D string, open | A and D |
| D | A string, 3 | E string, 1 | D and F sharp |
| G | G string, open | D string, open | G and D |
| G | G string, high 2 | D string, open | B and D |
| A | A string, open | E string, open | A and E |
| A | D string, 1 | A string, open | E and A |
In D, the open D and A strings do most of the work. Hold them under a tune such as Soldier’s Joy or Angeline the Baker and the fiddle sounds twice as big.
The key of G
The chords are G, C, and D.
| Chord | Lower string | Higher string | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| G | G string, open | D string, open | G and D |
| G | G string, high 2 | D string, open | B and D |
| G | D string, 3 | A string, 1 | G and B |
| G | D string, open | A string, 1 | D and B |
| C | G string, 3 | D string, 1 | C and E |
| C | D string, 1 | A string, low 2 | E and C |
| C | A string, low 2 | E string, open | C and E |
| D | D string, open | A string, open | D and A |
| D | D string, high 2 | A string, open | F sharp and A |
The C chord needs a low second finger on the A string. That is C natural. In the keys of A and D, the same finger sits high, on C sharp.
How to bow two strings
Set the bow on both strings with even weight. Draw a slow, full bow and listen for both notes. If one string drops out, change the angle of your bow arm a little, not the pressure.
Use less bow weight than you think. Two strings need a level bow more than a heavy one.
Tuning a double stop
Tune the fingered note to the open string. Play the pair, hold it, and roll your finger a hair forward or back until the two notes ring together with no wobble.
The pairs with an open string are the easiest to tune. Start with those.
Drones
A drone is an open string that rings while the melody moves on the string next to it. It is the most common double stop in fiddle tunes.
In an A tune, play the melody on the A string and let the open E ring above it. When the melody moves to the E string, let the open A ring below it.
In a D tune, do the same with the D and A strings.
Do not drone through a whole tune. Use it on the strong beats and at the ends of phrases.
Double stops for backup
Behind a singer, hold a double stop from the chord for a full bar at low volume. Change to a pair from the next chord when the chord changes. Pick pairs that sit close together, so your fingers move a short distance.
Stay below the singer’s range when you can. The lower pairs on the G and D strings stay out of the way. Read how to play fiddle backup in a bluegrass jam.
Double stops for the chop and the shuffle
The chop uses a double stop with two fingered notes, such as the G chord on the D and A strings. Read how to chop on the fiddle.
A shuffle on a double stop makes a strong kick-off or backup pattern. Read how to play the fiddle shuffle.
Other keys
Singers call songs in B, B flat, C, and E too. Those keys have fewer open strings. The same idea applies: find two notes of the chord on two strings next to each other. Learn A, D, and G first. For one of the harder keys, read how to play in the key of B.
Practice plan
Day one: play each pair in the key of D as a long, slow bow. Tune each one.
Day two: play the D, G, and A pairs in order, four beats each, with a metronome.
Day three: do the same in A, then in G.
Day four: put on a recording of a three-chord song in G and hold one double stop per bar.
Day five: add open string drones to one tune you know.
For tunes to use, see fiddle tunes to learn first for a bluegrass jam. For the instrument, read the bluegrass fiddle guide.