Hi.
Does any of us know a pro guitar player who primarily uses "double-stops" in their playing? Also wondering if, as a player using only (mostly) double stops...would you be able to function in a rock/metal band? I'm speaking solely playing riffs/rhythms?

Hmm Chuck Berry and Ted Nugent do them a lot but I also heard them in some KISS and even Pantera Songs

ALso yo can hear a lot of double stops in Eagles playing.

Hmmmm. I'm a h-u-g-e KISS fan. Can you tell me some songs ( a beginner) should be able to grasp?
Just so I'm clear...."double-stops", are two notes played at the same time...right? Anywhere on here I can find more info on this?.

Mark Knopfler uses alot of double stops as well.


And by the suggestion of your name, Lynch does alot of double stop work too, but not nearly as much as Knopfler.


As far as being effective only playing double stops, i don't know i can really answer that. You would have to try it and see, i don't see why you couldnt, but you would have to really develop a unique style to pull it off effectively imo.

And yes, Doublestops means playing 2 notes at once.

Another guitarist that i can think of that uses alot of double-stops and chords layered into his lead work is Andy Timmons, i think Timmons has the best of both worlds with his lead playing.


Daniel

Thanks for all the help. If anyone else has any comments....please...I want to hear from all of you.

Arguably the one who pioneered double stops was the jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery - you can hear Wes's influence on early George Benson recordings as well.

Cheers,
Tony

I think that a lot of guitar players use double stops (or diads) as part of their playing style. I also play fiddle, mandolin and banjo and I use a lot of double stops there as well. Its another tool to put in the toolbox. I'm not sure if any guitarists would play, or want to play, in only double stops, any more than most would want to use all sweep picking all the time, or all legato or all finger taps. Well ok, there is Stanley Jordan...

This lesson is an example of the style of country guitar that has come to be called "chicken pickin". Double stops are certainly a big part of that style, but not the only part. It has a rich legacy of players: Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West, James Burton, Don Rich, Joe Maphis, Roy Nichols, Chet Atkins, Albert Lee, Ray Flacke, Danny Gatton, The Hellecasters, Ricky Skaggs, Steve Wariner, Vince Gill, Brent Mason, Brad Paisley - just to name some off the top of my head. Paisley has a instrumental on his new album called "Cluster Pluck" that is a tribute to chicken pickin and has many of these players on it as guests (Google it!).

I think that country guitar gets kind of a bad rap from players of a lot of other styles but country players are not only well versed in country music styles but most know much about a lot of other styles as well. I love everything - from Merle Travis and Doc Watson to Django and George Benson to Malmsteen and Petrucci.

Rusty - There needs to be more country guitar represented on GMC and I look forward to seeing more lessons by you soon.