What Are Double Stops?

A double stop is the technique of playing two notes simultaneously on adjacent strings. Unlike full chords, double stops use just two voices, making them lighter and more melodic.

The most common double stop interval is the 3rd — two notes separated by three scale degrees. When you play 3rds diatonically (within a key), each pair contains one note from the melody and one from the harmony, creating a rich, vocal-like sound.

Double stops appear everywhere: country bends, blues riffs, rock leads, and jazz comping. Mastering them gives you a way to add harmony to single-note lines without switching to full chord voicings.

3rds in C Major — Ascending

Notice how 3rds walk up the C major scale on strings 2 and 3 — each pair moves one scale degree higher.

Play 3rds in C Major

Fret both notes of each 3rd simultaneously — avoid letting one ring before the other
Play the four ascending pairs slowly, then reverse direction back down
Focus on clean intonation: both strings should ring clearly with no buzzing