Normal, high, low position - confusion?

March 5, 2020, 1:56 PM · Dear all,

I hope you can clear up my confusion. It's hard to describe but I will try.

In learning positions systematically I tried to make a chart, where a position starts and so on...

Very basically things a clear: G-String (A (1st) -> B (2nd) --> C (3rd) ...

But on E-String: Same 1st position on fingerboard would be F# (A/E/B/F#).. the F in 1st position is actually lower and lies in the 1/2 position!

Or another Problem, if I play in F-Major, first position is B-Flat, which is again in 1/2 position or play in A-flat you have a D-Flat, so do you shift on A-String to a D and move the finger lower or would you shift the whole position by a half tone...

In a violin school I read about NORMAL, LOWER and HIGHER position.

So to summarize my question is, where do you shift to, especially in different keys!? Is the position changed with key or is it than just a lower / higher finger?

Thanks a lot for any recommendations
Julia

Replies

Laurie Niles

March 5, 2020 at 10:40 PM · Hi Julia,

Go ahead and post this on the discussion board, where you will get more answers.

- Laurie

Alan Duncan

March 6, 2020 at 09:14 PM · I think you may be over-thinking this in a way that may ultimately interfere with the goal - which is to play confidently in tune up and down the fingerboard. Personally, I think that charts of fingerboard geography end up causing more confusion than help.

The first issue that you raise is just the relationship of the 5th's across the strings. Extensions often handle some of the other issues you raise.

In lieu of thinking in positions, where positions start and end, what if you simply began to go systematically through the scales? And with a systematic shifting practice - something like the Yost exercises (admittedly mind-numbing, but...)

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Normal, high, low position - confusion?

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