https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/doublestop-drill-mandolin-intermediate
Mandolin pickers need to know where their doublestops are. This lesson will both teach them and help you remember how to find them fast!
Discuss the Mandolin lesson: Doublestop Drill
3 Likes
I was gonna say that I 
doublestops and it led me to a bumper sticker I’d like to see: “I brake for doublestops” That should confuse a good majority of the folks in the world.
This looks like it would be worth the effort. Good stuff!
Hey @BanjoBen, This lesson has been great. I’m having trouble downloading the map. Here is the error I get:
This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it. The document tree is shown below.
AccessDenied
Request has expired
18000
2023-05-13T18:14:13Z
2023-05-14T21:46:51Z
7621TC0EM1AWFM18
D2OCF/FJ7rM885onj5HKTG9Pop6iaVrfyNF2w7HevaougJ+i/msx336gLoFJnddzE/56vOhOJXGDVBkKiUAxcQ==
Great lesson Ben. I believe this will help me over time visualize the mandolin neck even more. I have noticed I seem to automatically play double stops when playing the gospel tune Higher Ground. This should help me realize what I’m doing.
I’m wondering about the choice of fingers used to fret the double stops, especially the 2 frets apart example where the root and the 5th are played. In some sections of the video the root is played using the first finger and at other times it is played with the second finger. Also in this example the 5th might be played with either the second or third finger. Another time I noticed a difference was when barring both the fifth and root ( same fret) sometimes it was using the first finger and sometimes it was the second. Maybe I’m getting hung up on minor details here. I do see where these double stops are coming from and I recognize the pattern in the root N’ scoot, but I just wonder why the different fingerings to form the double stops. Hope to get an answer please.
You’ve noticed something important: I used different fingers to fret the various doublestops! Yep, it’s wise to be able to use multiple fingers to get the job done b/c you’ll be coming at these doublestops from different directions.
1 Like
Thank you for the reply which eased my mind. I was getting all hung up on which fingering to use for a particular doublestop. So now I can just focus on the main point of the lesson… finding the root and mapping out those six doublestops. A great lesson!!! Thanks Ben.
1 Like
For ease of learning, I would have done better with a graphic that was not an inverted image where you show the nut to the right and reading/counting frets right to left instead of left to right. I can only speak for myself, and I know everyone is different, but trying to reverse the image and locate where I’m at and which (opposite) direction I need to go in relation to the graphic is slowing me waaaay down. I’ll just probably write out my own, and otherwise - as always - great lesson.
3 Likes
Good feedback, thank you.
I’m with zialogic09. This would be so much easier to learn from tablature. I downloaded the lesson today, and found myself standing up and trying to look at the computer monitor upside down.
So, great lesson, first of all. I can see myself coming back to this several times to really make sure this gets hammered home. It’s already unlocking/meshing with a lot of other things I’ve already learned which is pretty cool.
But my next question is: are there key double stops to know that are born out of something other than the three-note major diatonic chord? For example, doesn’t Bill Monroe play a lot of super-twangy double stops that aren’t from the 1-3-5?
Thanks again for the great lesson!
2 Likes
Today I slugged it out and wrote the 6 shapes in the key of A in tablature. Now I can see how valuable the drills are, especially after watching how they applied to a simple arrangement of “Amazing Grace.” I’m now looking forward to going back through some arrangements of my own and studying ways to incorporate new doublestops for new sounds. Fun.
2 Likes
Yes, but you have to know where the 1-3-5 ones are first before you can really own the others. Great question! Can you tell me some of the ones he would play?
1 Like
OK, this is my best guess, and I’m only able to guess it because I remember this “closed lick” lesson:
https://banjobenclark.com/lessons/closed-chord-bag-o-licks-mandolin-intermediate/video/lick-2
But If I’m reading it right, that lick starts off with a G-root on the E-string, and the 5th (D) on the A-string.
From there, you shift from the root to the flat 3rd? So the “Monroe” double stop is a 5th mixed with a flat third?
Beyond that, I couldn’t begin to guess any more…
1 Like
Yep, that’s right. There are all kinds of doublestops that mix in the flat 3 and flat 7 with the other chord tones. The flat 5 sounds pretty gritty and good, too.
2 Likes
The doublestop map link is broken or expired!
1 Like
Hi @grizrev Kelly 
to @BanjoBen 's Forum
Just checked the link and all seems fine. It’s a PDF file. Check in your Download folder. You’ll need a PDF reader to open the file. Suggest Adobe Reader
1 Like
If you leave your browser window open too long on the lesson page the links do expire. Refresh or revisit the lesson and it should work.
Wow, a great lesson, it opened up so much for me to improvise, cant wait for my next jam.
as for the root and scoot diagram, once you get it, it makes sooo much sense as to why its done that way. Thanks banjo ben, you really out done yourself,
2 Likes
Ben is it just me or is the double stop orientation diagram of the neck backwards. I think it would help if it was oriented as you are looking at the diagram from above ( reverse of what it is) I guess I could look at it in a mirror
1 Like