What to learn next

October 21, 2025, 10:55 AM · I learnt the ricochet bow stroke recently as 2 pieces at 2 of my orchestras are wanting it. So I took it to my teacher in my following lesson and we did about 5 mins on it. I got the concept, just a matter of refining it! :)

Edited: October 21, 2025, 11:16 AM · parallel trilled false harmonics, although my birth defect of 7 digits on each hand gives me an advantage.

October 21, 2025, 12:46 PM · Composing for unaccompanied violin. A toccata so a lot of flashy playing but with some slower passages as well, including some measures to be sweetly melodic. I've never succeeded in composing music before, this is my first piece that I will not discard. Every day I move back and forth between the violin and the score, changing it as I learn what rhythms and intervals work.

October 21, 2025, 12:46 PM · Nickie, I have that book as well. Never used it much, but it's a good start I thought. Funny, I'm also working on lots of shifts. Using my ear mostly for scales up and down each string and taking melodies I know and working them in different positions to compare color and effect. Since working on this, I find I'm not a fan of open strings ( although sometimes necessary), and first position. It also changes bowing, especially in terms of sounding point as you were asking about recently. For me, upper positions of the G have not been comfortable or delivering best sound, but I can say that is slowly changing. Using Bach Allemande and a version of She Moved Through The Fair for some of this practice, besides scales... Air On G String played as it should be would be "'sumin"...maybe one day!

Edited: October 21, 2025, 12:55 PM · At your stage, Nickie, the only shift you need is 1st to 3rd.
You'd be better off with Position Changing for Violin by Neil Mackay.
Or some of the Sitt or Wohlfahrt on IMSLP.
(I'm doing Sevcik Op.8, but it's probably too advanced for you)

The problem with doing high positions on the G string is doing them with self-awareness. Watch Yehudi Menuhin playing Ave Maria (in C starting on the G string).

October 21, 2025, 2:02 PM · Pages 8 and 9 in the Whistler book are the most important for learning to shift into third position. You can get a lot out of those two pages.

Edited: October 21, 2025, 2:16 PM · Wholeheartedly agree with Scott about pp 8-9 in the Whistler book. I spend a minimum of four lessons (not the entire lesson!) on those two pages.
1. The exercises on four strings, “whistles” only
2. Same exercises, solid end notes, continue whistles on shifts, gradually increasing speed
3. One finger to another, whistles only, include grace note
4. Same exercises, solid end notes, whistles on shifts, grace note gradually vanishes as shifts speed up

At this level, shifting is opening and closing the elbow, keeping a stable hand frame.

October 21, 2025, 4:11 PM · Andrew, the Menuhin Ave Maria is just magic; thanks for mentioning..... I have this fascination lately with the lower register. I love the lower frequency solemn feel of this offering.

Edited: October 21, 2025, 5:46 PM · Andrew, polydactyl hands isn’t a brith defect, it’s an unfair advantage. I’ll take a look at pp 8-9 next time I open that book. I’m looking forward to some inspiration, I’m cat sitting two towns away looking out the back window at a waterway full of fishes and turtles, and listening to a mockingbird singing. I’m also working at a book of a half dozen simple Christmas carols so maybe I can share them while we’re onstage in the outdoor Holiday Lights event in a botanical gardens setting.
Man, Yehudi used 100% of that bow!