One student's account of her challenges with her musical nemesis
"Ms. Celia assigned me this awful book, Hofmann’s Double Stop Studies, and *ughhhh*. Double stops (two notes played simultaneously, each on a different string) are hard. I think most students agree. They require you to think even more than usual about the next notes you are going to play. In my family, we have a running joke where my mom will ask if I have done my double stops even when I haven't. Then my mom will make me go practice them. I have tried all different methods to practice them and I still find it really challenging at times. I will tune the top note with my phone tuner app and with the piano, then tune the second note, then put it together. This can be treacherous.
With practice though, they get easier. It can be annoying, but it's always rewarding to look back at what you played (even the earliest songs in the book) and realize now the old pieces come more easily to you. They also help with playing harder music in the future. They help with hearing the right note faster and developing technique. Don't get me wrong, I still dislike them greatly but double stops can come in incredibly handy when playing harder things unfortunately. To anyone else also using this book, I know how you feel. Have your teacher by your side to help, you can do it!"
-Frances, 8th grade
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