Mary Cohen's Nifty Shifts is ideal for the Grade 3-4 violinist and is specially designed to kick-start position changing. Featuring lots of well-known tunes and technical tips - including the use of a 'guide' finger, preparation strategies, melodic fragments to play in different keys and positions, and by ear - there are also handy technical exercises in the form of 'fingerobics' and 'glisserobics', helping the player to develop these new skills.
This book is aimed at grade 3-4 violinists starting to learn third position. I have found it very useful as it actually makes shifting and playing in third position interesting and enjoyable.
Nifty Shifts uses well-known tunes throughout and includes numerous technical tips to help the mechanics of shifting, such as using a guide finger and glissandi to encourage relaxation.
The first stage of the book uses Frere Jacques in an interesting way - playing in several different keys in first position, from music and by ear. I have found this very useful to develop listening skills to improve intonation and understanding of different key signatures.
It then moves on to playing in third position, again from notation and by ear. The tunes, which
include Ode to Joy and Morning has Broken, get progressively harder, but all follow a similar pattern of playing in first, then third, position.
Later tunes in the book, for example the Minuet from the Royal Fireworks Music, contain several shifts and the final piece, La Rejouissance, is a duet, but with only the top part using third position.
Nifty Shifts is well laid out and easy to use and all instructions are in English and German. There is a key at the start using little cartoons to help the student - for example, a skateboard to indicate when to shift position and a dog wagging his ears to remind students to listen carefully. There are also boxes throughout containing bright ideas such as moving the left elbow and keeping fingernails short.
At the end of the book is a very useful page called 'fingerobics' - a sequence to develop dexterity and intonation - playing a one-octave scale in all keys from first all the way up to sixth position. Although this is much higher than needed for early grades, my students have risen to the challenge and enjoyed trying it.
I would recommend this book for anyone beginning third position. I have used it with numerous pupils preparing for grade 3, and by the end of the book they have all been confidant at playing and reading third position.
Ensemble Magazine, September 2007
Mary Cohen is excellent at presenting new techniques in a user-friendly way, often making well-known tunes (those already in the musical memory such as Frere Jacques and Offenbach's Can-can) aural stepping stones for developing the new skill. Here, in the two-page introduction to Nifty Shifts subtitled 'Tunes and technical tips to kick-start position changing', she lists the skills violinists need prior to shifting - glissandos up and down the fingerboard, and being able to play Frere Jacques, in tune, in lots of keys. She also explains the science bit (how intervals get smaller further up the string) and uses icons to advise players of what to listen for, or do. This is an easily-understood approach to position changing worth trying.
Music Teacher Magazine, April 2005
This is excellent teaching material from the inimitable Mary Cohen, clearly presented and well thought out. It covers playing in third position, open string shifts, harmonies and the use of guide finger shifts. By using well known tunes (including Frere Jaques, the Can-can and Morning Has Broken) it encourages working by ear and engenders a positive attitude towards third position from the very first steps. This has certainly earned a place in my teaching bag.
European String Teachers Association, Winter 2004
