Music in the making; The problem of changing positions

Music in the making. Produced by Milliken university under a grant from the Educational Television and Radio Center in cooperation with the National Association of educational broadcasters. The Millikan School of Music presents Professor Clyde Hess chairman of the violin department and a record of consideration of the problem of changing positions on the violin. Mr. Haswell deal technically with the problem relying on the musical illustrations for clarification. Professor s that faith is a violin technique referred to as shifting has to do with the moving of the left hand along with the fingerboard of the instrument as the hand is moved toward the bridge. Note a higher range are produced. We say the hand is in first position when the first finger rests on a note one step above the open string. When the first finger rests on a note a major or minor third above the open string the hand is in

second position. Each higher note taken by the first finger indicates a higher position. By changing the hand position long passages can be played on one strain. To illustrate this I'll play a few major Mendelssohn's on the winners of song. I am. However shifting is more than just a means of playing in higher positions on one string. Many times we find passages that are difficult in one position but become very easy when played in another position. A trill on open a closing with a G sharp turn would involve a bow

crossing the same club played on the D string and third position would be much easier and smoother. I'll play this drive first with the air open and then in third position. Here if used with taste can be very expressive and produce a very pleasing effect. However the tendency to overdo this shift is not uncommon. Artists 40 years ago used a heavy shift much more than present day performers phonograph and the radio have a tendency to make a heavy shift sound ridiculous. Today the change of position is made quickly and lightly to show the difference between the heavy shift in the light shift I had I'll

play the first part of the album orea by Schubert first making the shift noticeable and then playing them quickly and quietly. The manner in which shifting is accomplished on the violin differs with artistes. Some

players use a thumb to pull a hand from one position to another. Some teachers tell their students to advance the thumb to the base of the neck of the violin when shifting to third position. Again some players use the thumb to lower the hand to the third position when descending from higher position says R. Thompson the great Belgian violinist had a considerable left hand technique in matters of shifting he discourage the use of the thumb. His change of position was controlled by as wrist and the thumb always moved with life. Most problems that confront the student of violin and playing have certain underlying principles that each player follows in his own way. And shifting one principle is generally accepted. The last finger used in a position must be moved to its place in the neck position regardless of the note to be played in the new position.

The note shifted to in the new position I like to call the anchor no one's there go note is reached any note in that position can be taken. Writer who taught at the Paris Conservatory was one of the greatest teachers of his time. He wrote 40 to study for the violin and I've come to be the Bible violin study for students and artist alike. His aid to number 11 is for shifting. Kreitzer wrote only the outline of the study leaving the details to be worked out by the teacher and people. I'll play a few measures of this study as Kreitzer wrote it. Then I'll play it sounding the anchor note as as your Dobson taught it. Then I will play a few of the many variations and that can be

practiced on this study as Kreitzer wrote it. Now I will say that Thompson thought it using the act or you know. One variation that might be practiced on it. There is one other phase of shifting that I must mention at this point. While Thompson control is shifting from the wrist it did not eliminate the use of the arm and fingers as in bowing their wrist and fingers. All I used in their own special way.

A long shift can be controlled by the wrist but they must follow the wrist and shifting the fingers have their work also. If we shift from the first finger on the A string to the first finger in third position on the same string the hand moves a minor third. If we put the second finger on the note easy and third position and shift back to C natural second finger in first position. The hand still moves only a minor third. But the distance from each to C is a major third. Here is where the finger must take up the extra half step. Thompson may be shifting study of every piece or two that he taught using on the wings a song by Mendelssohn as arranged by Akon. I

have played this years. It might be practice after which I will play this G-strings solo to complete this discussion. Professor Clyde Hess is brought here recorded consideration of the problem of changing

positions on the violin. Music in the making was produced by Millikan university under a grant from the Educational Television and Radio Center. This program is distributed by the National Association of educational broadcasters. This is the end of the tape network.