Shift 2

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How to shift correctly on the violin

1 April 2015
What tips do the great pedagogues and players offer for getting around the instrument? Rok Klopi looks at a fundamental aspect of
playing: change of position
The fundamental act of changing positions on the violin is in reality an

intricate movement involving different parts of the arm in different roles.
According to Yuri Yankelevich, when shifting through the lower positions
the lower arm leads the hand and ngers in the shift, with the upper arm
moving backwards. When shifting past third position the hand leads the
ngers in the shift, with the upper arm moving from left to right.
The importance of the thumb is widely recognised, for example in the

view of Joseph Fuchs: 'The secret of the remarkable shifting of Heifetz...is
the tremendous resiliency between his thumb and the rst nger.' When
changing position upwards the thumb should move together with the
hand along the instrument's neck and in the highest position it should
rest in the curvature of the neck. If the thumb is very short it should move
even further and rest along the edge of the table. This is anathema to
some violinists, but Yankelevich points out that for some it is
'unavoidable'.
When considering shifting downwards there is general agreement that

the thumb must lead the way. Flesch advocates this, Galamian describes
it with meticulous attention and Yankelevich is of the opinion that
'simultaneous change of position with all ngers is dangerous...the thumb
should move before the playing nger, and not simultaneously with it.'
Changing position upwards or downwards can be performed on the same

nger or from one nger to another. In the latter case there are two
possible ngers that can make the shift (guide notes): the original nger,
or the nger that will play the note after the shift. When shifting between
different strings, the string on which one makes the actual shift is
determined by the guide note. If it is played by the last nger before the shift, the move is made on the same string; if by the new nger
after the shift, the shift takes place on the string to which the change is being made.
Important points to remember when shifting:
*The last note before the change of the position is very important. Donald Weilerstein says that one must 'pay special attention to the
main note directly before the shift'
*The pressure of the nger on the string should decrease during the shift. According to Dounis:'The shifting nger exerts no pressure on
the string (as lightly as for a harmonic).' Yankelevich agrees that 'too much pressure on the nger causes a jerky start and nish of the
gliding, and can disrupt the precision of the nger fall.'
*Galamian explains that the shape of the hand 'should remain basically the same, at least to the sixth or seventh position. The frame of the
hand...will become gradually smaller as the string length shortens.'
Different advice on setting up the ideal shift conveys more or less the same meaning. In Medical Problems of the Instrumentalist Musician,
Weilerstein and Christopher Neal suggest that before starting a shift it is helpful to use 'aural and visual imaging' or, as Yalkelevich puts it,
to foster 'advance feeling' and 'advance hearing' of the forthcoming change of position. During the glide all participating parts of the hand
exchange information about the distance that has already been covered or needs to be covered and there is a continuous sense of
listening. Eventually this skill becomes so perfected that just the imaging or 'advance hearing' of the desired note inuences all the
necessary parts of the left arm to glide to the desired place automatically. Yankelevich succinctly describes this as a 'conditioned reex to
the distance'.
In the second half of the 20th century violinists became more sensitive to the indiscriminate use of glissando when changing position. This
led to new ways of combining change of position with the contraction or extension of the ngers, and the use of half-tone shifts to move
around the ngerboard gradually. These modern technical and expressive means were described by different names: pivoting or
crawlingby Ricci; retarded shift, half-shift and creeping ngering by Galamian.
Contemporary pedagogues agree with Paul Rolland who wrote in the second half of the 20th century that 'the introduction of early
shifting patterns by rote has a good effect on the freedom of the left hand.' This way, he continues, the 'frequent lock between thumb, neck
and rst nger can be eliminated'.
The general view that all position changes should be heard as little as possible often results in beginners being encouraged to perform it
with a quick movement. Yankelevich disagrees: 'The teaching of change of position should start with smooth, easy gliding...without
attempting to eradicate the glissandos too early... and then - with a relaxed hand - a gradual acceleration of the movement.'
When a change of Position is performed in an intentionally obvious way it becomes a glissando - an 'expressive shift', according to Robert
Gerle. One of the most expressive devices of violin playing, glissando evolves from the various types of change of position, in possible
combination with extensions, contractions and different types of vibrato. There are three main types of glissando. With the beginning
glissando (classical or overslide) the guide note is played by the original nger before the shift and the beginning of the glide is audible. For
the end glissando (gypsy or underslide) the new nger makes the movement and it is the end of the shift that is heard. The third kind
involves a combination of both, starting and ending with a glissando, but this type is seldom used.
Photo: Arthur Grumiaux playing Bloch's Nigun
This article was rst published in The Strad's August 2004 issue. Subscribeto The Strad ordownloadour digital edition as part of a 30-
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This site, like many others, uses small les called cookies to ensure that we give you the

best experience on our website. If you

How to shift correctly on the violin

The fundamental act of changing positions on the violin is in reality an

The importance of the thumb is widely recognised, for example in the

When considering shifting downwards there is general agreement that

Changing position upwards or downwards can be performed on the same

Important points to remember when shifting:

Photo: Arthur Grumiaux playing Bloch's Nigun

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