Excited about positions

[crystal]

Well, I'm kind of excited because I've been practicing a few tunes using 3rd position. But today, I discovered that the way that I am playing one particular tune, actually has some of 2nd position in it as well, and also a note that's up in 5th.

I was playing the entire song in 1st and 3rd, but I have found that rather than going for the 4th finger C in 3rd, I like to just go to 1st finger C on the A string and play the next run in 2nd position. I love to play it this way and it feels so much easier. So now in this one tune, I am gliding around from 1st to 3rd to 2nd then up to 5th and back to 1st.

But my questions is that is it really okay to be moving around that much? This may be a totally dumb question but I am asking in sincerity. I don't know if there are any general rules about shifting. This whole shifting thing is a whole new world to me. The only thing my teacher says is play it the way I want to play it. She doesn't say that in an "I don't care" way, but more of a "you need to interpret this tune and play it the way you like the sound" kind of an attitude.

Is it common for you classical players to play pieces that shift around to many, many positions during one tune?

[This message has been edited by crystal (edited 10-18-2001).]

[HuangKaiVun]

Yes crystal, moving around is a good thing.

And it's NOT a dumb question, it's a GREAT question that can never be asked enough.

Nathan Milstein, the great classical violinist, had a habit of having more than one fingering for the same passage. He'd pull the one he needed on the fly based on how he was feeling.

Often, I cannot play with a color I desire because the notes simply wouldn't come out at all using a "musical" fingering. This is a compromise I constantly am forced to come to terms with.

[alemap]

So which piece is it you are playing?????

Sounds more fun that the 6 flat piece I am attempting to meow my way through after only playing the violin for one year........ beautiful piece awkward first position though.

sort of an OT comment but I just got home from ensemble practice -- dead arm -- tired brain.

Pam

[lwl]

Fingering is a matter of two things: technical expediency, and musical color. Fingering decisions are based on a combination of these two things.

The balance between sounds good vs. feels good is one that you'll constantly be figuring out. There's no one right way. I would come down in favor of musical color whenever possible, but not at the expense of technical security (a fingering is no good if it breaks down in performance, though I wouldn't make decisions based on safety alone, certainly).

[D_A]

Phrasing also comes into it for me (in addition to musical color and technical expediency)-- sometimes (usually due to string crossings), I'll choose a fingering that puts the string crossings in a place where they help rather than hinder the phrasing. Sounds like you're on the right track, crystal!

[MrWoof]

If it feels good, sounds good, makes sense musically, then just do it.

It's all there use it.

Enjoy,

Don Crandall