Mandolin Double Stops

Double Stops are amazing tools for musicians. Simply put a double stop is just 2 notes of any chord played together. G major double stop for example would be any combination of the G, B, or D notes (remember major chords are made up of the 1, 3, and 5 of the major scale they are built on). These are typically played on neighboring strings – so the G and D, or D and A, or A and E strings – though they can skip strings too.

This is virtual workshop will focus on an introduction to Mandolin Double Stops. For more information, contact me or drop a note in the comments section.

Basic Mandolin Double Stop Shapes

There are 6 different moveable forms for major double stops. To make things simple, I break up double stops into two types – “tops” and “bottoms” (this is explained a bit further down the page). Each set has 3 different shapes per pair of strings (3 shapes for “tops” and 3 for “bottoms”. I find learning the sets together (meaning being able to play double stops up the neck) is really helpful especially when using double stops to move around the fretboard.

Fretboard Maps for Double Stops

I would STRONGLY recommend writing these out on a Fretboard Map as it’ll make it easier to see. These are basically just arpeggios anyway. For reference, below is both the G Major Scale and the G Major Arpeggio.  As noted, Double Stops are built from any two notes of a chord.  There are more detailed diagrams under the video as well

The below video dives into this topic a little more. Enjoy – and if you have questions, feel free to Contact Me.

Fretboard Diagrams for Double Stops in G

The below graphics breakdown the Mandolin Double Stops for G Major by Tops and Bottoms. On the left side of the graphics are the general shapes. On the right are the double stops starting on the G & D strings, then D &A strings, then A & E strings. Since I often get conflicting comments about how to layout these charts – I’ve provided both a vertical and horizontal view for each chart.

Double Stop Tops

The note on the string on the top (closest to the player) will always be closer to the nut/headstock. Take notice of the 3 main shapes here – Position 1 has 1 no frets between the notes, Position 2 has 1 fret between the notes, and Position 3 is on the same fret. 

Double Stop Bottoms

The note on the string on the bottom (furtherest to the player) will always be closer to the nut/headstock. Take notice of the 3 main shapes here – Position 1 has 1 open fret between the notes, Position 2 has 2 frets between the notes, and Position 3 has 3 frets open between the notes. 

Wrap Up

This was a fairly brief introduction to mandolin double stops focusing on Major Chords only. If you want to take this deeper, you can create fretboard maps of Minor Chords, Dom7 chords and etc.

If you liked this topic, please leave a comment below with any questions or feedback. For a deeper dive in to this topic, click here for more information on private coaching.

Want to get notified when I post new free content like this? Subscribe below!

If you appreciate this free content and crave more, consider a small one-time or monthly donation. Crafting lessons and maintaining a website come with costs, and every bit contributes. Monthly donations even come with a few perks – click here for more information or choose your donation amount below.

---