since i know how great this group is at giving advice, i have a question. save putting those cheesy stickers on my violin, what`s a good technique for shifting from 1st to third position and hitting it right? i`ve been working on it for weeks and always hit sharp or flat

My dear. Patience, absolute patience and hard work please. U can practice shifting with scales. The trick to shifting...well, there are actually 2 methods. U can shift more accurately by following yr 1.)finger 1 or
2.)the part of yr palm that touches the neck when yr in a certain position, esp. 3rd, 4th and 5th position. There`s no actual need to look at the fingerboard when u shift. U should rely on yr feel of the palm. Caz a certain part of yr palm will touch the neck when yr in a certain position, and no 2 positions quite feel the same. Or alternatively, u can try the following ex. before proceeding to shifting with scales.
Position 1-3 ex. : Play on A string....
B note finger1 position1, D note finger3 position1, then shift down to D note finger1 position 3, and shift back to B note finger1 position 1. Repeat this 4 notes cycle a few times, seperate bow first, then slurred. Then move onto all other strings. Than do yr scales. Hope that helps.

Getting into third position or any position, for that matter, is not a question of luck. "Uhmm, I think my finger is in the right position now.. so I`ll play this.." - NEVER. Do not practise by "jumping" positions (lifting finger off the string and landing somewhere) and hope you get it right.

The technique is to glide the finger to the new position, and as you glide you should hear the various harmonics (faint, weak notes in between the positions) and when you hear the correct note, you press down and play it.

For example, when shifting from B to D on A string:
Play B. Release your first finger from B but don`t take your finger off the string; let it stay there ready to glide. Then glide the finger up the string, while you play the bow lightly. You should hear a wheezy, whingy sound getting higher: these are the harmonics. Remember not to press the finger down as you go up, just very lightly. When you hear D, press the finger down and play the note.

This is the ideal practice for shifting between any position, 1 to 3, 4, 5..etc. You know exactly what note you are going to play, and soon you will realise that you don`t need to hear the harmonics, you can feel it in the way you place your hand.


Jay

Yap. that is an appropriate way also. I did that when I was young. But I don`t find that it helps much, so I abandoned it, and never thought about it again. I hardly use this method when I teach also,...emmm...thinking about it now, it doesn`t seem such a bad method afterall. This finger 1 method really lets u hear where u are. But I still prefer the palm method. And there`s the thumb way also. Works quite similar like the finger 1 method, but it`s ridiculously much more clumsy.(So, I`m not gonna mention it) Well, happy practicing. The finger 1 method evplained by Jay is good. Try it and let us know if it helps.

At first, it really is hard to get it exactly. I remember it was a probability thing with me, 7 to 8 out of 10 times I would hit it good, and others I wouldn`t do so well. Eventually, thrid position will feel just as comfortable as first, and shifting to it won`t be that hard.

One way I do is to play a first finger B on the A string, and glissando up to a D on the A with the first finger. Hearing the glissando really helps. Do this slowly, and then eventually speed it up. The human ear has a difficult time hearing things less than 0.1 seconds. Eventually, when you coordinate this glissando with a lightening up of the bow, people will have a difficult time even telling that you shift, but you can hear it.

I found myself thinking, "Oh my gosh, how am I going to learn the other positions?!" Well, don`t think of each position as something new, but think of shifting as a general technique in and of itself. I have done drills that help with shifting technique, and have found that, in general, regardless of whatever position it is, it is easier to shift. Eventually, you just get a feel for how much you have to move your hand in order to get to whatever notes. The actual position itself is not what you become concerned about. In my 3 octave scales I play, I honestly could not tell you what position I end up in at the very top, it might by 7th, 9th, 12th, I don`t know! If you are patient, you don`t have much to worry about.

-Tim

hi Cordelia, we have the same problem too. I am also learning shifting to 3rd and 4th position. This forum really helps me. Thanks for the tips given by previous posters. It helps me a lot. I though shifting was jumping from one note to another note.

One question: how to move from B, 1st position on A string, to A, 3rd position on E string? Hope you could help me too.

As asked by Frozen Armor...`One question: how to move from B, 1st position on A string, to A, 3rd position on E string? Hope you could help me too.` That`s why I sugessted the palm method. It works almost in the same manner as the finger 1 method. But it allows u to move across strings. U can either use this or still stick to the finger 1 way, in which u still have to move the same distance ( by feel), then just press the E string. U`ll be moving the same distance even if it`s a different string. It`ll feel the same so long as yr in the same position.

1. hear the note in your head before you shift

2. if you are changing fingers shift with the old finger first.

3. focus on where your wrist is.

4. practice so you know the feeling.

5. not very hard

what are positions??? is it where you place your fingers? i just started playing last sat. (today was my 2nd lesson), and i have no idea what positions are. please help. thanks!
Jen

Relax! You won`t have to worry about positions for a long time!

It refers to the position of your hand on the neck and from where you finger the strings.

You are learning first position now. If you left first position and moved your hand up the neck so that your first finger is now where your second finger was - that would be second position.

If you moved your hand up the neck so that your first finger is now where your third finger was - that would be third position!

And so on! In order to play more complicated works and to successfully play the notes high on the E string you have to learn to play in different positions.

I was never taught anything other than first when I was a child - so I`m working away at it now - takes some getting used to, esp. for those of us with less-than-perfect pitch...:D

Thank you for answering my question. I was just wondering because I had never heard of positions before.
Jen

I`m hungry......

where is 1st position??

First finger on A on the E string, D on the A string, G on the D string, C on the G string.

Liz

I`m a new violin student (self-teaching). i`ve got a problem which is : when i play a note on the violin i hear bad sound that happens when i touch the string , but the it gets better when i press the string making it touching the wood of the neck.
so do i have to make the string touch the wood?
or just touching the string without bringing it down?
please help me