I often have reminded my students to stop trying to climb Mt. Everest when they are shifting up on the violin and viola. There are both psychological factors and physical factors that can make shifting into the higher positions challenging. Taking these factors into account and making a few adjustments will make you more comfortable and accurate high on the fingerboard.
It’s all in your head
Not really, but actually there are a couple of things that are purely psychological about shifting up on the violin and viola.
- Looking down the fingerboard at an angle (which we must do) promotes the idea that you must “climb up” as you shift higher. It also gives the illusion that the distance of the shift is much greater than it really is. But moving from third to fifth position is actually just a matter of moving your hand about 1 1/2 inches. If you take your violin off your shoulder and look at it from the side you will see that the distance is really very small.
- Playing in the high positions feels “far away” from where you are probably most comfortable in first position. In my opinion, it’s not actually more physically comfortable to play in first position. It is just where we are most comfortable playing due to familiarity. First position is a place of security for many intermediate players and leaving it automatically sends a mental message that things are not comfortable.
So “what’s the problem?” you may ask. Both of the above psychological factors create an ideal environment for promoting muscle tension. If you are thinking you must “climb” the fingerboard, your arm will likely over-engage your muscles. The over-engagement then creates unnecessary tension in the arm which then creates a jerky effect to the shift and a sense that you must press hard and grip to “stay in position.”
Equally, leaving a place (first position) that you consider “secure” will also send a message to the muscles to “be on guard” (aka become a little more tense!). It results in stiff knuckles and a tendency to grip the fingerboard as you move up and down. Both of these psychological factors create more friction and effort when you want your shifts to be effortless.
The solution?
- First, as you work on a shift keep in your mind the mental picture of what the shift looks like as you hold the violin horizontally in front of you.
- Second, remind yourself the physical distance of the shift (2-3 inches). You should never feel that your arm is exerting extra effort, and if you sense that, reduce the effort until you can complete the shift with the least effort possible.
- Third, I tell my students that you should imagine playing on a tiny violin (think 1/16 or 1/8 size). If you are used to a 1/2-4/4 size violin, playing on an 1/8 or 1/16 does not usually feel very insecure. Playing in first position on an 1/16th size violin places your arm and fingertips in a very similar position as playing 8th-9th position on a full-size violin.
- Fourth, I tell my students to imagine a teddy bear under the belly of the violin which you are trying to gently hug as you bring your hand and arm up into 5th/6th position or higher.
Some tips for the left hand/arm
Once you address the mental factors that can negatively affect your shifting, you can also troubleshoot the physical side.
- The speed of your shift should match the speed of your bow. Lack of coordination between the left and right hands can result in a jerky shift.
- The speed of your shift should match the tempo of the music. If you shift “allegro” in an “adagio” your shift will feel very insecure and unnatural.
- Be aware of “thumb position” for the violin. In order to play in the higher positions on the cello and bass, the left thumb actually comes up and joins the fingers on the fingerboard by creating a new nut, so to speak. While in violin and viola playing, the thumb does not actually join the fingers on the fingerboard, it nonetheless changes positions dramatically under the neck. The upper arm moves out and to the right while the thumb’s pad moves from the side of the neck to the curve under the neck.
- The contact points of the hand and fingers are different for the lower and higher positions. In positions 1-4, the contact points are the pad of the thumb, the side of the index finger just above the knuckle, and the tip of the finger/fingers being played. In positions 5-9, the contact points are the pad of then thumb on the curve of the neck under the violin, the heel of the palm on the rib of the violin (this, like the side of the index finger, is highly flexible and should not be “fixed” in position), and the tip of the finger/fingers being played.
- Avoid “reaching” for shifts. Rather, feel your way along like a blind person might feel their way, testing and listening as you go.
- Start the preparation process for a shift before the end of the previous note. There is rarely enough musical time between two consecutive notes to start the process of shifting after the end of the first note.
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