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violins
How do you know when to switch
positions on the violin?
Jess Lin, violinist in the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra
There is no single correct place to shift, but when deciding on
whether to shift — and more generally, when deciding on fingerings
— you should think about the following things (some
of which are interrelated):
do you want to shift?
• Sound quality: Do you want a brighter sound or a thicker,
richer sound? You get the richness in higher positions.
one common example of when you'd consider sound quality
is in deciding whether to use an open string or to use
the fingered equivalent on a lower string. (While you may
not have to shift to reach this note — it's a fourth finger,
first position — this comparison gives you the idea. Play
it for yourself.) When considering sound quality, you also
want to think about consistency. If you're playing a phrase
in which all the notes are on one string except for the last
one, that last note will stand out. This is especially true on
higher-pitched strings.
• String crossings: Sometimes, shifting will prevent you
from making string crossings. This could be nice if there
are, say, a line of fast (and especially repetitive) running
notes that could be played easily on one string if you just
move up a position or two. But sometimes, we want repetitive
string crossings for an effect (e.g. think waves,
water) — this comes up more often in music for ensembles
(orchestral, chamber music).
• Necessity: For notes higher than first position on the e
string, you have no other option. Also, sometimes composers
specify that a passage should be played on a particular
string, which may force you to shift.
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