Are cellist’s shifty characters? Why yes we are! Unlike violinists who can go quite some time before learning to shift, it seems to me that it is better for cellists to learn how to shift a lot earlier than our violinist colleagues. So let’s get started! I believe that it is of utmost importance when shifting in first position to have your thumb balanced comfortably in relation to the left hand so be sure this is the case BEFORE you begin to shift. Why is this? I think if you have a good left hand balance to the thumb you can then begin to teach the thumb and left arm to do most of the shifting work. As a result all fingers maintain a reliable relationship to each other in each position in relation to your thumb which cuts out a lot of unnecessary work that seems to happen when you think from the finger point of view. Easy success!

In today’s video, I’ll be teaching you a quick little exercise called ‘countdown’ to get started with this concept. It’s a fun and easy exercise to practice and will establish good habits before you start needing to execute shifts in repertoire. With countdown you’ll be sure to find success quickly and easily and be quite pleased with the results. I hope you enjoy today’s video and have fun learning countdown!

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