"Our basic shift uses guide fingers. Practise Kreutzer Etude No.11. Shift on the old finger, shift on the old bow and sound out the guide fingers.
Start in 1st position, travel to 3rd position and use your 2nd finger.
Then from 3rd position to 5th position, again travel on the 2nd finger.
5th down to 3rd (positions) again travel on the 2nd finger.
Then we go from 3rd position down to 1st position; this time we travel on the 1st finger.
3rd position back to 2nd position travel on the 1st (finger).
2nd position back to 1st position travel on the 2nd (finger)."
Kreutzer Study No.11 is a wonderful study for practising technical shifts. When sounding out the guide fingers in technical shifts, the general rule is that we sound out the old finger unless it goes above the note that we are aiming for.
However the first shift here is an exception. By sounding out the 2nd finger going up to a B we go above the target note of a G#. This is to make a link from the E string to the A string, much like the linking guide-fingers in double stops.
Naturally, work towards making the slides less audible for performance.
SEE
Shifting - Introduction
- for Technical and Expressive shifts
Guide Fingers
Chords & Double Stops - Shifting in Double Stops
Resources - Bibliography
- for The Art of Practising the Violin by Robert Gerle
- and The Joy of Shifting & Double Stops by Jerrie Lucktenberg
Scores - Kreutzer Study 11 with Guide Fingers - violin & viola
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