A survey of string teachers' opinions regarding the teaching of violin/viola shifting.

Abstract

String teachers agreed that shifting is best taught in a private studio setting. Most respondents introduce shifting after 1st position is secure. Other commonalities included 1st position taught before 3 rd position, the importance of ear training, and the use of scale studies.

This study examined string teachers' opinions regarding the technical aspects of shifting on the violin and viola. Areas of interest included how to teach shifting, when to introduce shifting, what teaching methods were most effective, and what instructional materials were used by string teachers. Two hundred twenty-nine participants completed a questionnaire consisting of three sections: demographic information, pedagogical issues regarding shifting, and open-ended questions. The data were interpreted using statistical analysis, including a MANOVA to compare primary teaching areas to find any commonalities and/or significant main effects as well as significant interactions between teaching experience and education among the respondents. The open-ended data revealed various response trends and themes.

However, many items had mixed responses. Findings revealed that K-12 teachers and college/private teachers' attitudes were polarized regarding teaching shifting. Also, interactions between teaching experience and education revealed differences between respondents with a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree combined with a range of a few to many years of teaching experience. Opinions differed regarding posture, needing more literature, and shifting taught during the third year. Further research is needed to isolate these differences to see what teaching methods regarding introducing shifting are more effective within various settings.