Double Stops

guillermo · #1 01-07-2005, 08:49 AM

Hi:

I'm relatively new to Jazz theory and I'm in the process of learning intervals, scales, arpegios etc via the exercises in Ray Brown's book.
There are some exercises called "Double Stops ....". And,
on this months Bass Player magazine there's a Dave Holland solo transcription for wich the analisys says "look a the Double Stop on bar....".

What is a Double Stop ?

Thanks a lot
Guillermo

Marcus Johnson · #2 01-07-2005, 09:56 AM

A double stop is more than one note played simultaneously...a common example would the root and the tenth, but it could be any two notes of a given chord. A triple stop would be the same thing with three notes.

Steve Brooks · #3 01-07-2005, 09:58 AM

A double stop is the process of playing two bass notes at the same time. A triple stop would be three notes. They are simply meant to imply a chord.

Lyle Caldwell · #4 01-07-2005, 10:10 AM

Technically, two notes at once = double stop and three notes at once = chord. However, since you can't play as many notes at once on bass as you can on guitar or keys, most players will just use two notes (double stop) or three notes (triple stop) to imply the larger chord that's happening harmonically at the moment.

For instance, if the chord you want to imply is Am, you can play the double stop of A and C (the minor 3). But if the chord is Am7, you may want to play the triple stop of A, C, and G (the minor 7).

And remember that you don't have to play them from the root up. You can play wider voicings with these intervals, which also helps the notes speak more clearly.

guillermo · #5 01-07-2005, 11:32 AM

Thanks , I see them now, all arround the place

Thanks a lot
Guillermo

Paul Warburton · #6 01-07-2005, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guillermo

Thanks , I see them now, all arround the place
Thanks a lot
Guillermo

In the DB jazz world, IMO, what happened first is that somebody ( I wonder who? ) came up with that open D with that F# up just before the G harmonic on the G string, then brought it down a half step ( second finger on the E string to provide the C# or Db, fourth to provide the F on the G string and the rest is ..........can't do it arco without two bows.
Then Red Mitchell came along with his fifth tuning and well, forget about it, except for Michael Moore who can do double and triples...no problem at all.......what a show-off!

TomSauter · #7 01-07-2005, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

In the DB jazz world, IMO, what happened first is that somebody ( I wonder who? ) came up with that open D with that F# up just before the G harmonic on the G string, then brought it down a half step ( second finger on the E string to provide the C# or Db, fourth to provide the F on the G string and the rest is ..........can't do it arco without two bows.
Then Red Mitchell came along with his fifth tuning and well, forget about it, except for Michael Moore who can do double and triples...no problem at all.......what a show-off!

You can bow tenths by bowing on the underside of the strings between the strings and the body of the bass. I looked for a smiley face icon demonstrating this technique, but all I could find was this ninja.

Paul Warburton · #8 01-07-2005, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TomSauter

You can bow tenths by bowing on the underside of the strings between the strings and the body of the bass. I looked for a smiley face icon demonstrating this technique, but all I could find was this ninja.

You can, I can't......I have a low B on the bottom of my fiver.
Very good Tom and your brain ( and you too ) are welcome to TBDB!

**Damon Rondeau** · #9 01-07-2005, 03:33 PM

Technically, why wouldn't a double stop be when two strings are stopped? It's nit-pickey, it's anal retentive, but: do open strings count?

Paul Warburton · #10 01-09-2005, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Damon Rondeau

Technically, why wouldn't a double stop be when two strings are stopped? It's nit-pickey, it's anal retentive, but: do open strings count?

It's an open/string single stop!

oliebrice · #11 01-13-2005, 06:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marcus Johnson

A double stop i..a common example would the root and the tenth,

I don't understand... how often would anyone want to play a 10th? More often than a 5th? 3rd? why? and how do you reach?

**Damon Rondeau** · #12 01-13-2005, 08:10 AM

Play some and see! Don't they sound cool and basso supremo? It's a different interval than a third, so it sounds different.

Ever check out the hipness of the bass work on Lou Reed's Walk On The Wild Side? There are tenths in there, and some other wide intervals too.

Marcus Johnson · #13 01-13-2005, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oliebrice

I don't understand... how often would anyone want to play a 10th? More often than a 5th? 3rd? why? and how do you reach?

Root on the E string, 10th on the G. Sometimes I play walking lines in tenths, when two-fiving it can be fun to alternate it with dominant or major 7th intervals with the root on the A string, if that makes sense. It's not like I would plan it ahead of time; sometimes it just pops out, like any other technique.

Ed Fuqua · #14 01-13-2005, 09:39 AM

How often is a taste question, why is a voicing question. The 10th sounds less muddy because of the distance between the intervals. Play an A on the E string and a C# on the A string, then play an A on the E string and a C# on the G string...

Paul Warburton · #15 01-13-2005, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ed Fuqua

How often is a taste question, why is a voicing question. The 10th sounds less muddy because of the distance between the intervals. Play an A on the E string and a C# on the A string, then play an A on the E string and a C# on the G string...

I do concur....yesireee. Alot of bassists don't think of dynamics in terms of intervals. The bass can sound a little muddy at times, especially when dealing with more than one note at a time.