Pivot on Thumb when Descending
Notice how in shifting down to 3rd position Justine leaves her thumb…
} Shifting
Contract the Hand up High
“Sometimes we contract the hand when shifting downwards. Practise the finger interchange.”…
Stretch Shifting
Notice how Justine stretches the 3rd finger from 3rd position up to…
Fingers Close Together in High Positions
Notice how the natural fingerfall of the 4th finger is too sharp…
Finger Interchange
When we play a half-step (semitone) between the 3rd and 4th finger…
Octave Slides & Diatonic Sequence
One-finger sequences are particularly good for practising the movement of the arm…
Two-Finger Shifting Drill
Two-finger scales on one string are a useful way to practise sounding…
Flesch One-String Sequence
This one-string sequence from Carl Flesch’s Scale System is an excellent shifting…
Guide Fingers in One-String Arpeggio
“Practise sounding out your guide fingers. Release the pressure of the finger…
One-String Arpeggio – Close Up
Slowing the shifts down and practising with guide fingers helps develop security.…
Yost Shifting with Guide Fingers
Emily plays these shifts two ways – first clearly sounding out the…
Yost Shifting Playthrough
Here Emily plays through the Yost shifting exercise without sounding out the…
One Finger – Chromatic Ascending
This shows the beginning of an ascending chromatic sequence on one string.…
One Finger – Chromatic Descending
This shows the beginning of a descending chromatic sequence. This time, continue…
Two Fingers – Ascending & Descending
“Continue up the string. Also try starting from high up and coming…
High-Position Shifts with Landing Points
Play the note in the old position to begin with, this will…
Landing Points – Close Up
Notice the use of the left thumb as a pivot for the…
Use Vibrato as a Practice Technique
Vibrato can be used to improve shifting clarity and control. Firstly use…
Add in Open Strings for Finger Release
Another way to practise shifts is to release the finger completely during…