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Learning 2nd position
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MrYikes
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January 22, 2015 - 5:34 pm
Member Since: February 11, 2014
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I want to adopt 2nd position as my home for a while, which means learning new fingerings for all music now played.  My question:  Is this worth the effort?  Is learning 2nd position really that important?  I have run through a couple of tunes in 2nd, but because I still tend to hold my breath, it has been difficult.  I really would like your input on this.

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Jacques
San Diego

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January 22, 2015 - 8:05 pm
Member Since: December 15, 2014
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Here is an idea!

Begin learning the fifth position. 

Pros:

The notes are the same as they are in first position; ie the G string plays identical to the D string and so on ... So forth the the E string starts with C which brings the new tier of ledger lines. 

If if you learn fifth position you will achieve higher notes (CDEF) opposed to just C.

 

Conclusion: When it comes to sight reading you can easily shift to second, third and fourth, as you read music and adjust according to the scale. It's a muscle memory skill to be able to know where each position is located. I suggest you learn ALL/MOST of the available notes, and then break them down into positions. 

 

Its like you're playing dragon age inquisition. Sure you can do every single side quest for haphazard gains, or you can take care of the biger picture and brush up on later - anything you need to work on.

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RockingLR33
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January 22, 2015 - 9:30 pm
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Mr.Yikes I'm currently in the same position of learning shifting, though i'm horrible at it right now I think it is a great idea to learn to shift. It just opens up your ability to play a piece more, for lack of a better word, harmoniously. I believe FM put in one of his videos that it can make playing easier because you can avoid string crossing.

Anything new can be super frustrating but remember how hard it was starting out in first position when you just picked up the violin (at least for me) it was a daily struggle. Now i can put my fingers down and nail the notes a good percentage of the time, as well as know when i'm slightly off. 

I think learning to shift just opens up the ability to express yourself in your music just that much more! 

Lead me, Follow me, or get out of my way!

             ~General George S. Patton

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Jacques
San Diego

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January 23, 2015 - 3:18 am
Member Since: December 15, 2014
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@RockingLR33 yes - when you move up the fingerboard the notes get sweet, sweeter. Sweetest, sweeting, & so on and so forth. Imagine playing a C on the A string the shifting up to a B or a D on the D string. Oh so sweet and that is when the violin experiences orgasms I mean overtones.

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Schaick
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January 23, 2015 - 1:38 pm
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I was happy to remain in 1st position UNTIL Maiden's Prayer came along!!  Third position is needed to play it like this, check it out!! Scroll down to Maiden's Prayer Take 2 video

https://fiddlerman.com/forum/c.....ns-prayer/  

Violinist start date -  May 2013  

Fiddler start date - May 2014

FIDDLE- Gift from a dear friend. A 1930-40 german copy, of a french copy of a Stradivarius.  BOW - $50 carbon fiber. Strings - Dominants with E Pirastro Gold string.

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Fiddlerman
Fort Lauderdale
January 28, 2015 - 1:55 pm
Member Since: September 26, 2010
Forum Posts: 16429

I believe 2nd position is very useful. Usually one learns 3rd pos after 1st. I use all positions comfortably quite frequently and see the advantages as I go along. You come across a passage and see that playing in 2nd will make it easier.
If you feel comfortable with 3rd, by all means work on 2nd, 4th or even 5th.

"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."

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