Double Stop

In music, a double stop is the act of playing two notes simultaneously on a melodic percussion instrument (like a marimba) or stringed instrument (for example, a violin or a guitar). In performing a double stop, two separate strings are depressed ("stopped") by the fingers, and bowed or plucked simultaneously (without a string change).

A triple stop is the same technique applied to three strings; a quadruple stop applies to four strings. Double, triple, and quadruple stopping are collectively known as multiple stopping.

The invention of the double-stop is generally credited to violinist Carlo Farina, whose Capriccio Stravagante (1627) was published in Dresden while he was Court-Violinist at Saxony.

Chuck Berry popularized the double stop riff as a cornerstone of rock guitar.