A double stop is the playing two notes simultaneously on a stringed instrument such as a violin or cello. The term implies that both strings are fingered (stopped), but, actually, neither needs to be stopped. Although double stops are more difficult to play than single stops, they are useful for showing off the skill of performers and can greatly can greatly enhance the beauty of performances, especially for string solos. The much less common triple stop is the playing of three strings simultaneously, and a quadruple stop is playing all four strings simultaneously.