If you want to tailor these technical concepts to your current repertoire, let me know:
Before examining the solution, it's helpful to understand the problem. Double stops—playing two notes simultaneously on adjacent strings—are a cornerstone of violin technique, appearing throughout the virtuoso literature and the solo sonatas and partitas of J.S. Bach. However, they present a unique set of challenges that go far beyond single-note playing: simon fischer double stops pdf
Fischer’s manuals are famous for providing practical "recipes" to diagnose and fix shifting or intonation errors. Here is how to apply his methods to your double stop practice. Method 1: The "Two-Step" Separation If you want to tailor these technical concepts
: Exercises for shifting unequal distances, chromatic movements, and finger independence. Supplementary Resources However, they present a unique set of challenges
The book covers all major and minor keys across several intervals and techniques:
The book invites the player to "begin to absorb double stops in all their applications," showing how intervals like thirds and sixths are used in real repertoire. Even for advanced players, the detailed exercises can serve as a powerful diagnostic tool to identify and correct subtle weaknesses in technique. In the words of one reviewer, "Nothing like Double Stops has ever existed before. It is an extraordinary addition to the essential technical repertoire of every violinist".
Fischer emphasizes that you cannot play two notes perfectly together if you cannot play them perfectly in sequence. His exercises frequently isolate the individual voices of a double stop. You practice the lower note, then the higher note, and finally blend them together. This ensures that the left hand forms a stable frame before both notes sound simultaneously. 2. Bow Balance and Weight Distribution