One Finger – Chromatic Descending
This shows the beginning of a descending chromatic sequence. This time, continue…
} Violin Left Hand
One Finger – Chromatic Ascending
This shows the beginning of an ascending chromatic sequence on one string.…
Yost Shifting Playthrough
Here Emily plays through the Yost shifting exercise without sounding out the…
Yost Shifting with Guide Fingers
Emily plays these shifts two ways – first clearly sounding out the…
One-String Arpeggio – Close Up
Slowing the shifts down and practising with guide fingers helps develop security.…
Guide Fingers in One-String Arpeggio
“Practise sounding out your guide fingers. Release the pressure of the finger…
Flesch One-String Sequence
This one-string sequence from Carl Flesch’s Scale System is an excellent shifting…
Two-Finger Shifting Drill
Two-finger scales on one string are a useful way to practise sounding…
Octave Slides & Diatonic Sequence
One-finger sequences are particularly good for practising the movement of the arm…
Finger Interchange
When we play a half-step (semitone) between the 3rd and 4th finger…
Fingers Close Together in High Positions
Notice how the natural fingerfall of the 4th finger is too sharp…
Stretch Shifting
Notice how Justine stretches the 3rd finger from 3rd position up to…
Contract the Hand up High
“Sometimes we contract the hand when shifting downwards. Practise the finger interchange.”…
Pivot on Thumb when Descending
Notice how in shifting down to 3rd position Justine leaves her thumb…
Octave Leap & Left-Arm Position
The arm is generally comfortable with the elbow at a 6 o’clock…
Shift to Whole-Hand Frame
When you shift to a new position, shift to the whole-hand frame*…
Turn the Corner
“Make sure that your elbow is free to move to the right…
Shifting from Low to High
“If we only played the broomstick, we would only need to use…
Guide Fingers Less Audible
“Then practise keeping the bow moving but making the guide finger less…
Shift on Old Bow Kreutzer 11
“Our basic shift uses guide fingers. Practise Kreutzer Etude No.11. Shift on…
One-String Arpeggio – Close Up
Notice how Fintan hovers above the note, just contacting the string with…
Guide Fingers in One-String Arpeggio
“Practise sounding out your guide fingers. Release the pressure of the finger…
Guide Fingers in Key
When we shift, our guide finger can travel to either a note…
Wide Interval Leaps
We usually use guide fingers in shifting to help us feel where…