Drones and Double Stops

As I have reviewed the stats for my blog and the search queries that have sent people my way, I have come to realize that there are many beginning fiddlers out there who are confused by drones and double stops. They want to know,

• What is a drone?
• What is a double stop?
• And, what the heck is the difference?!?

Quite simply, a drone can be described as the tone produced on an adjacent open string that is bowed at the same time as you are bowing your melody string. The open string harmonizes (creating a two note chord) with the fingered or open note you are playing on the melody string.

[02/14/11 - It has come to my attention that my choice of wording was confusing to certain individuals and that they have misunderstood my definition of drone, so I have edited appropriately. Please let me be clear that a drone is not an actual "string" (as my wording apparently led some to believe), but rather the tone produced by that string in relation to the tone being produced by the melody string. When people refer to a 'drone string', they simply mean the string that they are droning on as opposed to the string they are playing the melody on. To "Strumelia": According to several sources that I have researched, there are, in fact, two note chords. They are an interval, but they are still a chord. Wouldn't want to get run over by a "wingless rolling airplane" now would we? lol. I do make it perfectly clear throughout this blog that I am an amateur, yet I think you take your 'position' of knowledge all too seriously.]

A double stop, on the other hand, is the combination of a fingered (noted) tone produced on an adjacent string that is bowed at the same time as you are bowing a fingered note on the melody string. Like droning, the 2nd fingered string harmonizes (creating a two note chord) with the note you are playing on the melody string.

Double stops are especially popular in classical music - I remember playing more than my share during my stint with classical lessons! That's not to say that fiddlers don't use double stops - they do - lots of them. Double stops do take practice, however. You've got to be extra careful that your intonation is correct on both fingered notes or your chord will sound, well, discordant. Yuck, nasty, ouch. You get the picture!

Generally speaking, old-time fiddlers fill their tunes with both drones and double stops. (Other types of fiddling, like Irish, use drones and double stops much more selectively.) In old-time, there is seldom a note left unaccompanied by a harmonizing note. In fact, fiddlers will often use their pinky to play a fourth finger note on one string in order to harmonize with the adjacent open string. (For example, a fiddler will play a fourth finger E on the A string to harmonize with his open E string.)

As a beginning fiddler, be sure to practice these fourth finger notes, as they are an integral part of old-time fiddling. It may be a bit of a stretch for your pinky at first! Keep an ear on your intonation while you practice and keep practicing until your chord sounds just right. Listen carefully, your ear will tell you when you've got it!

If you're still having a bit of a problem finding that sweet spot with your pinky, here's a tip that I learned from my classical teacher. Slide your pinky up and down (above the desired note and below it) as you bow both this string and the adjacent open string. You will hear the extreme flat and sharp of the fingered note and will then be able to more easily narrow the sound down to the correct pitch. Repeat this process until you can readily hear the differences in pitch and can then match the pitch of the open string. Eventually, your pinky will develop muscle memory for the perfect spot and your ear will let you know if your pinky gets lazy or your fiddle gets out of tune!