Double stops and drones - Megan Lynch Chowning

1. Double Stops and Drones
Two times the fiddling fun…
What are double stops?
Double stops are just two notes played at the same time, either with the same finger or two
different fingers.
What are drones?
Drones or droning strings are open strings added to a regular note and played
simultaneously
Why do I want to play them?
They make your fiddling sound fuller and more mature. Double stops and drones add an
element of harmonic interest to your playing. Plus they’re fun and sound really cool, like
what you imagine a “real” fiddler sounds like.
How do I practice them?
Double Stops – Pick a key and start working either from the lowest strings and moving
up or from the top and moving down. Start with the note of that key and add another
note nearby that it’s in the chord. Then keep the note you just added and add a new note,
also in the chord. Or keep the first note and add a different note to make a different
double stop. Always make sure they are notes in the chord in the song. This is where it’s
helpful to know how major and minor chords are created. And it certainly doesn’t hurt to
know the chord progression if the song!
Here’s an example in the key of A Here’s an example in Bb
D1 (E) D1 (E) A1 (Bb) A3 (D)
G1 (A) G3 (C#) D2 (F) D2 (F)
Drones – Practice any of your favorite tunes while trying to play the corresponding open
string along with the melody. Again, it’s important to know what key your tune is in and
its basic chord progression.
Here’s an example using Old Joe Clark with droning strings. (Bonus double stop!)
EO E1 E2 E1 E0 A3 A2 E0 E1 E2 E1 E0
A0------------------------E0------ A0------------------A1
E0 E1 E2 E1 E0 A3 A2 A0 A2 A1 D3 A0
A0-----------------------E0-------------------------A1 E0
©FiddleStar 2010