"Introducing the Positions" by Harvey Whistler, Vol. 1

The best fingering is often not in 1st position. Learning the positions is essential for violinists who want to play with mastery and maturity. Third and fifth position TRIPLES your options for fingerings and allows you to:

  • Avoid awkward string crossings
  • Choose faster fingerings
  • Play a melody on one string for consistent timbre
  • Choose the most expressive fingering instead of the easiest

I’ll walk you through the whole book!

This course takes you through volume 1 of the classic method book, Introducing the Positions, by Harvey Whistler.
You will learn 3rd and 5th position while also learning the mechanics and technique needed to shift beautifully and accurately.
There are very specific things you need to learn to do to sound beautiful in high positions, and I will teach you what they are, and I will remind you CONSTANTLY to do it!

“Introducing the Positions, vol. 1” by Harvey Whistler

 

Shifting: You will learn exactly what to do to make your shifts smooth, beautiful, accurate, and consistent. Harvey Whistler’s exercises are POWERFUL when taught properly, and we will dissect his shifting exercises into repetitive steps to build confidence and muscle memory.

Keys: Harvey Whistler’s book advances key by key, allowing you to become acquainted with the finger patterns of each string in each key. You will be forced to “think in the key” to avoid traps that Whistler sets to try to lull you into complacency and to expose if you are failing to focus on the key you are in. This teaches you to “think in a key”, and is invalueable.

Tone: A big part of mastering the positions is learning how to sound good when playing up high. This required bow control and special compensations which we will discuss, and I will nag you constantly until you develop the habit of creating good, solid tone in high positions.

This course includes over 75 videos.

You will be given instruction on every single exercise in the book, including playalong videos of some of the hardest pieces.

Choose one single payment of $160, (and get access to all lessons all at once) or choose five monthly payments of $32, with new lessons opening up monthly.

Note: If you are enrolled in my Suzuki Book 4 DELUXE course, you DO NOT NEED TO PURCHASE this course, as it is included for free in Suzuki Book 4 Deluxe.

Full

$160 (single payment)
  • Access to all videos for two full years
  • Technical support
  • Help from me for one full year

Subscription

$32/month for 5 months
  • Access to all videos for two full years after your last payment
  • Technical support
  • Help from me for one full year

What My Students Are Saying

Adult beginners and intermediate players like you are raving about my lessons.

“Lora Staples of RDV is a fantastic instructor! Her easy to use teaching videos cover every topic possible about the violin in a fun but well structured way. The beauty of it is that you can practice via the videos with Lora at a time convenient for you and go at your own pace! You can pause and replay if you didn’t quite catch something or just need to listen again.”

Deb S.

“Lora’s nonjudgmental manners encourage. I even like that she plays on a student violin in her videos. It makes the piece sound achievable. Her lessons are interesting and insightful. There is a sense of achievement after each lesson. They are perfectly paced.”

Svetlana S

“WOW, there is SO MUCH value in your videos. I am really learning a lot with each etude. I am so blessed to have found your courses. There are so much more expensive courses out there that give away a lot less compared to yours. This is just a shout to say THANK YOU for your nuggets of wisdom and the amount of detail that you put in for us your students.”

Frances C.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you teach arm or wrist vibrato?

I teach a combination of wrist and arm, but we begin by learning STRICTLY wrist vibrato, because that is the hardest to learn and it is important to develop that skill before I show you the easier arm vibrato, which can easily become the default. Most professional players have a blend of arm and wrist vibrato.

I have very little flexibility in my arm/wrist. Will I still be able to do vibrato?

Yes. Depending on where your stiffness is, you might rely more on an arm vibrato than a wrist vibrato.

I want to learn fiddle style. Do I need vibrato for that?

Vibrato is used very sparingly in fiddle music, but it really adds sparkle and expression to waltzes or the occasional long note on a reel. You will benefit from learning vibrato, and then it’s up to you to remember to use it tastefully in your fiddle playing!

What is your refund policy?

If you are not completely satisfied with my vibrato lessons, you can get a full, no-questions refund just by emailing us at info[at]reddesertviolin.com

Don't Be Shy

If we didn’t answer all of your questions, feel free to drop us a line anytime:
info@reddesertviolin.com.

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