Books › Modern violin-playing, 1920 › scan 132
Scan 132
Modern violin-playing, 1920
30 lines. Read by computer on 3 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 64. See the scan on archive.org.
1Shifting in the other direction from E-flat to D is performed similarly by the forearm and hand from the elbow. And one may add that this is the universal method in shifting with the same finger over half-tones.
3The technique of shifting is broadly twofold:
41. Between the first and third positions. one of two readings
5 1. Between the first and third positions. one of two readings
62. Between the third and higher positions. one of two readings
7 2. Between the third and higher positions. one of two readings
9Each of these two stages embraces the technique of shifting upwards and downwards, and the technique is further subdivided to cover the six kinds of shifts already given.
11First of all we shall deal with the three kinds of shifts between the first and third positions. These three kinds are, of course, selected from the list of six, given on page 63. And we need only remark that the technique is similar between the first and second and the second and third.
13In shifting upwards, the movement is always made by carrying the thumb with the forearm. Care must be taken that the violin really rests upon the thumb throughout the shift.
15In making the shift 2y the forearm and thumb are moved, until the finger-tip is carried to the point of true intonation.1 But—let it be said again—the curve of the finger must not be changed, and the wrist must remain inflexible. Otherwise, the knuckle will leave the striking-plane. one of two readings
16In making the shift 2y the forearm and thumb are moved, until the finger-tip is carried to the point of true intonation.¹ But—let it be said again—the curve of the finger must not be changed, and the wrist must remain inflexible. Otherwise, the knuckle will leave the striking-plane. one of two readings
18In shift 3y, we can take for our example the notes D and E-flat. The problem is to move from the third finger on D to the second finger on E-flat.
20The second finger is first placed lightly on the string close behind the third finger. The shift then proceeds exactly as in shift 2y. And as the tip of the third finger is about to reach E-flat, it is raised from the string, and the second finger immediately behind it is pressed down. The movement is continued until the second finger reaches E-flat.
22On no account may the finger be raised during the shift. If it is so raised, the open string will, of course, be heard.
24The shift 1y may be performed either by sliding with the finger which is already on the string and then changing to the new finger, or by changing to the new finger at the moment that the slide is begun.
26In the first method, the hand and arm are moved forward until the
281 The sense of movement must always be centred in the thumb, not in the finger. one of two readings
29¹The sense of movement must always be centred in the thumb, not in the finger. one of two readings
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