In this country guitar lesson, we dive into double stops, focusing on 3rds and 6ths intervals to capture that classic country sound. You’ll learn to play major and minor 3rd double stops, create G major scale patterns, and enhance with hybrid picking.
In this lesson, we’ll explore Double Stops, focusing on 3rds and 6ths intervals. Double stops involve playing two notes simultaneously with the 3rds and 6ths intervals creating a great Country Guitar vibe!
Double Stops - 3rds
Starting with G Chord: Begin with a double stop in major 3rds. For example our first shape - 8th fret on the B string (G note) on top and the 7th fret on the high E string (B note) bottom.
Building a series/scale: Learn to play a series of double stops across the fretboard, forming a G major scale or practice in whichever chord you're playing over.
Double Stop Shapes - Major 3rds appear 1 fret apart across the pair of notes and Minor 3rds appear 2 frets apart.
Techniques to add country flair!
• Hybrid Picking: Use Hybrid Picking to play double stops—pick the lower note with your pick and pluck the higher note with your finger for that distinctly Country sound!
• Navigating the Neck: Observe how these double stop shapes relate to chord shapes across the neck, helping you find 'jumping off' points.
• Passing Notes: Add passing Double Stop notes to enhance your lead lines, similar to adding notes to the Major scale to make a Major Blues Scale in previous lessons.
Moving to 6ths
6ths are closely related to 3rds and also have that sweet country sound. These intervals involve a string skip that we can identify with ease visually on the fretboard. For example our first shape - 4th fret on the G string (B note) on top and 3rd fret on the high E string (G note) bottom.
• Inversions: Notice how these 6ths are inversions of the 3rds we started with, G and B notes switch to being further apart and on top or bottom.
• Hybrid Picking with 6ths: Use Hybrid Picking to isolate the two strings needed for 6ths, skipping the string in between. This technique adds a bright, snappy tone perfect for country guitar.
By the end of this lesson, you’ll have a solid grasp of using double stops in 3rds and 6ths, applying hybrid picking, and enhancing your lead lines with passing notes, all bolstering that classic Country sound!
