When considering shifting downwards there is general agreement that the thumb must lead the way. This is anathema to some violinists, but Yankelevich points out that for some it is 'unavoidable'. If the thumb is very short it should move even further and rest along the edge of the table. The importance of the thumb is widely recognised, for example in the view of Joseph Fuchs: 'The secret of the remarkable shifting of Heifetz.is the tremendous resiliency between his thumb and the first finger.' When changing position upwards the thumb should move together with the hand along the instrument's neck and in the highest position it should rest in the curvature of the neck. When shifting past third position the hand leads the fingers in the shift, with the upper arm moving from left to right. According to Yuri Yankelevich, when shifting through the lower positions the lower arm leads the hand and fingers in the shift, with the upper arm moving backwards. The fundamental act of changing positions on the violin is in reality an intricate movement involving different parts of the arm in different roles. Photo: Arthur Grumiaux playing Bloch's NigunĮxplore more Technique like this in The Strad Playing Hub
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