How to Play Two Strings at Once with Good Tone on the Violin
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Double stops got you down? In this post, discover how to play two strings at once with good tone on the violin.
Double stops are when we play two strings at once. You can give it a go. Just play open A and D.
Triple stops are when we play three strings at once and quadruple stops are when we play four strings at once.
Say no to pushing and yes to balancing
How to play two strings at once with good tone on the violin? The typical reaction for a violinist when they play a double stop is to push. Pushing sounds horrible and is exactly the opposite of what needs to be done.
In order to play Gorgeous double stops on the violin, or two strings at the same time, it’s all about balance. It’s about balancing the bow equally on those two strings.
Maybe sometimes we want to have a little bit more weight on another string because the melody is there but in general, we are balanced on the two strings.
How to practice double stops
- Play one long straight whole bow on the open D string being very aware of where your elbow is.
- Lean slightly over to the A string and repeat above. Listen that you have two strings speaking clearly from the beginning of the bow stroke to the end of the bow stroke so that you don’t drop out one string or the other.
- Play the same above in a piano dynamic. You may want to take it a little bit slower and just really feel how that is on the two strings. As you’re balanced, it’s going to be easy to play piano.
- You may find that one string drops out in a specific part of the bow at the frog or at the tip, isolate that specific part of the bow.
- Repeat on all string combinations.
- Add your left hand to the upper string 432101234 with a high 2 and then with a low 2. Start with seaprate bows then 2 notes slurred, 4 notes and eventually all 8 to a bow. Listen that both strings speak clearly. Repeat on all string combinations.
- Repeat the above exercise but with the left hand on the lower string. This is a little bit more challenging for your left hand. If your left hand is not set up properly you’re going to have a very difficult time clearing that upper string. If you indeed find that this is the case, then you need to make some adjustments in your left hand. Head on over to my blog post, “How to Set Up a Balanced Left Hand.”
Tip: The natural tendency is for the right hand to want to follow the left and you may find that your open string drops out. That’s okay just keep working at it and listen for two strings at once. Always listen for a gorgeous tone that you’re balanced. Practice within a piano Dynamic and not in Forte.
Also with your right arm, feel that your shoulder’s relaxed, that the elbow’s relaxed, that you stay relaxed as you play these double stops. The only change between two strings at once and one string is where you are balanced on the violin. That’s it. Everything else should remain normal. No tense shoulder, no tense elbow or any tension in the body. Just because you’re playing two strings at once all it is is just you leaning over.
Have fun practicing your double stops with good tone. Ciao.
Happy Magical Practices,
Heather is a classically trained concert violinist residing in Bulgaria. She received her BM violin performance degree from CU-Boulder, studied with top teachers including Rachel Barton Pine. Heather has held leadership positions with multiple orchestras in the Greater Chicago-Milwaukee area. She has instructed millions of violinists globally via Youtube videos, online academies, group coaching and one on one sessions. Heather’s students have won multiple awards, concerto competitions, held concertmaster positions in orchestras and even performed in Carnegie Hall. Heather is an advocate of a holistic violin lifestyle – putting one’s mind, body and spirit as a violin journey priority.
Please share in the comments which above tips you will be implementing into your daily practices sessions.
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