Easy Songs for Shifting in the First Five Positions: Violin Book

Kinnard understands the specific psychological challenge of position shifting because she has taught it countless times and performed at professional levels herself. Rather than drill pages of abstract finger patterns, she uses genuine melodies that students already know and enjoy, making each shift feel purposeful and musical. The intelligent scaffolding of fingering guidance (provided at first, then withdrawn) respects student independence while building confidence at exactly the right pace.

Familiar tunes suddenly reveal new possibilities as students discover they can play the same songs across the fingerboard. Each shift feels like an accomplishment rather than a hurdle, and the repetition builds confidence without feeling repetitive.

Violin students ready to move beyond first position but still building fundamental left-hand independence, typically in the early-to-intermediate years of study. Whether you teach group classes or work privately, you'll find this book equally effective for students who need methodical, song-based position introduction rather than abstract technical exercises.

• Play through each song multiple times without stopping, even if a shift feels uncertain. Muscle memory develops through repetition in continuous musical phrases, not isolated technical work.
• Sing the melody silently while reading ahead of where your bow is, preparing your left hand mentally before the physical shift occurs.
• Record yourself playing each song once you've added it to your regular repertoire. Hearing your own progress reinforces secure intonation and smooth position transitions.
• Practice shifting without the bow first, sliding your fingers up and down the strings to feel the exact positions before adding bow movement and musical phrasing.

Integrate these pieces into regular lesson rotations during the months when students are actively learning positions 2 through 5, allowing them to perform at recitals once a position feels secure. The 44-page scope makes it easy to select one or two pieces per position level, spacing the introduction across an entire school year without overwhelming your curriculum.

• Shifting smoothly into 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th positions
• Finding secure intonation in upper positions through repetition and muscle memory
• Reading fingering notation and internalizing finger placement patterns across multiple positions
• Playing complete musical phrases while managing positional changes
• Gradual independence from written fingering guides