Yup… it’s another episode of “Theory Fun Time” where we’re going to learn how to do something really cool…

… because of a little music theory 🙂

Theory is great, and I love it, but for many people it doesn’t stick because of a lack of application. This is a GREAT application for it, and a sound I use often.

That means that you should use it often too, because it’s cool, and fun.


    42 replies to "Harmonizing Double Stops Using Chord Scales (Huh?)"

    • RioWill

      Yo Griff, Doh-re-double stops!

    • Justin Hassett

      So does buesifying by treating the G as the V effectively mean we are playing G Myxolydian?
      Thanks Griff 👍🏻

    • Allen Stanbury

      Brown Eyed Girl is another great song on major scale the makes great use of the double stops Griff demonstrated here to achieve that distinctive sound.

      • Allen Stanbury

        Oops, Just remembered that I originally learned to play Brown Eyed Girl using the double stops as Griff demonstrates and is sounded pretty good, but they are not the same as the record. The interval is inverted on the record, the bottom being one octave higher than Griff plays. But a riff does occur in several places that is exactly as Griff plays.

        • Robert Winter

          Same thing for me.

    • Michael

      Thank you ,really good lesson !!

    • David holm

      I have heard this called thirds,as in brown eyed girl, is this true

    • Gary

      You can do double stops on the 2nd and 4th string also. Same fingering patterns; it makes a really cool sound going back and forth from 1st/3rd and then to 2nd/4th strings.

    • Steve

      I’ve taken to calling the Diminished chord the Demolished chord!

    • Gordon Greaves

      Relating the chord (major or minor) in the scale to the double stop form was a real eye opener! It should have been so obvious from other lessons on double stops, and yet I just did not see it! And the ideas for playing the double stops were great!
      Thanks for this lesson! It will greatly improve my rhythm playing!

    • John

      I kept hearing some Dire Straits in there and I have forgiven them for Sultans of Swing. Not their fault that FM radio flogged the song worse than Stairway to Heaven.

    • greg

      great lesson. Ive played around with this type of 2 note pattern but did not really understand how it worked or the standard harmony rule. thanks Griff

    • Fred

      I know you don’t usually spend sessions on learning particular songs, but this lesson begs (to my mind) a lesson from you on how to play the double stops in “Brown Eyed Girl,” which is probably the single best song ever to feature them. Please????

    • Tosha Clifford

      Spent some time on this !!

      And loved the lesson !

      Found the Major Scale refreshing , along with
      Different tones used with major and minor chords.
      They change up a little bit and had to take note how
      It works !! I think I got it — even when you went to the open D over your looper progression it’s the same concept , pull the 1 and the 3 string out of it and it works ! Have your Blues Guitar Unleashed Course and LOVE it ! Much appreciated!! Griff!! Thank You !!

    • Pete

      Griff

      I experimented with this pattern of double stops and to my ears it sounds much better I combination with dominant 7th arpeggios than with the minor pentatonic, which in theory should be sounding good over a dominant 7th chord. Is there a better combination of double stop notes in combination with minor pentatonic or am I just not hearing this well (normally a pretty good melodic ear)?

      Thanks
      Pete

    • Rev Bill

      This also ties together very elegantly why harmonica players are so confused. I mean really, playing a C harp when the rest of us are in G!

    • william ormerod

      Thank you ..the 5th chord tip was priceless

      • Gregory L. Senich

        And yet I followed all of it quite well Except for that. I see that G is the V of C, but fail to see the significance in this example. I have, as was suggested I not, made this more complicated.

    • Gary card

      Awesome thanks Griff

    • Charles vanderwindt

      Griff, thanks for yet another ” lightbulb ” moment!
      1st and 3rd string of the cord, so easy and yet i had not looked at it that way.
      Thanks again
      Charles

    • Alan Pellegrino

      Griff,
      Thanks for the video, super cool.
      Maybe you could call it: “Double Fun” or “Double Your Fun”
      Alan

    • Angie

      Love that would love to do it for fun could and would you give a tab sheet for what you are doing for help for the ones of us who are still working on your stuff thanks

    • Mark

      I always feel like Griff has given me the keys to the kingdom! Or maybe the Key to the Highway? Thanks, Griff!

      • Tosha Clifford

        Haha 😆 yes

    • Michael F Blankenstein

      In the “bluesify” part and you’re in G and pretending that it’s the five wouldn’t you be playing the D and not the C?

      • Jeff Kent

        If the G is the V (major) then the vi is A minor, the vii is B dim the I is C (major) the ii is D minor the iii is E minor and the IV is F# (major)

        I’m not sure where you left the reservation. D is the V of G but Griff didn’t say to play the V of the key you’re in. He said think of the key you’re in (the root) as the V chord and then figure out the rest of the chords from there (as I did above)

    • Sean McERlgunn

      Griff – given the way that you obtain these sounds, why not call them “picklets”?

    • Rob

      Thank you!

    • Gman

      Super cool. Thanks Griff

    • Jim

      Harmony and Double stops…my two favorite guitar sounds! Thanks for the cool theory and bluesifying trick!

    • Jim P.

      Thanks. Is this written down in one of your courses?

      • Griff

        It’s in Blues Guitar Unleashed towards the end. Much more in depth with examples ,etc.

        • Tosha Clifford

          Awesome !! Look forward to it !! Just mastered solo 2 ,, and keep going back over the first lessons ! Before moving forward yet !!

    • tony

      Hey this resembled a tune of James Taylor`s Brown eyed girl . Also reminds Me of Let it rain by Eric Clapton. . Kinda has that Stormy Monday sound to it to. I play all three tunes . Can You hear them in your head. Kinda sad but also happy sounds . Call it harmonic double stop blues

      • tony

        Oops that Van Morrison Brown eyed girl

      • Tosha Clifford

        Yes I even heard intro to Time in a Bottle ! Jim Croce ?
        😆 luv the sounds ,, brings a lot to mind ,, when we learn concepts

    • Mike

      Great lesson Griff, Check out the song “The Old Grey Mare” (ain’t what she used to be”) using this double stop technique, It really helps the brain remember where they are,,,Mike

    • Mike

      Okay Griff, I guess I’m guilty of making this more complicated than it is but my brain made me do it, despite your warning not to.
      If I understand… when you want to “bluesify” the harmony scale and you’re in G (for instance)… then you are pretending that it’s the five which means you’re actually playing a C scale which means there is no F#? That’s pretty darned complicated to my brain. I think I already have it muddled… or do I?

      • Griff

        That’s exactly correct. Don’t change a thing.

        • Mike

          🤙 After writing that I got up, tried it and by-golly… it made all sense. Thanks.

    • Kenneth Johnson

      Double Stop Til You Drop

    • Otto Naesset

      Griff,

      Loved this double stop video. The fellows I play with play a wide range of acoustic music and this will come in handy where I can add something to the songs without playing just chords. I’ve been trying to figure where theses double stops come from and I know. Thanks Otto

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