Shifting: 30 Progressive Studies for Violinists Book (Beginner to Advanced)

The Royal Conservatory of Music Publishing 

Yaakov Geringas's Shifting: Thirty Progressive Studies for Violinists Book

Level: Elementary to Advanced - RCM Grade: 2S, 3S, 4S, 5S, 6S, 7S

Take the fear out of shifting with 30 progressive violin studies that build smoother movement, confident position changes and a more expressive sound.

Yaakov Geringas's Shifting: Thirty Progressive Studies for Violinists is a practical and engaging technical study book designed to make one of the violin's most challenging skills feel natural, progressive and achievable.

Moving from elementary through to advanced levels, the collection gradually develops smooth and confident position changes while strengthening string crossing, tonal control and expressive flexibility. Preparatory exercises introduce important shifting skills before players progress through 30 carefully graded musical studies, allowing technique to develop securely and with purpose.

Rather than relying on repetitive technical drills, Geringas gives each study its own musical character. Imaginative pieces including Playing Ball, Lost in the Woods, At the Skating Rink, Hide and Seek and Up and Down the Ladder turn essential technical work into engaging music, making the collection particularly valuable for younger violinists and their teachers.

Published by The Royal Conservatory of Music Publishing Canada, this 36-page collection is an outstanding resource for violin lessons and structured technical study, helping developing players move more freely around the fingerboard and approach shifting with greater control, confidence and musical expression.

Contents Includes:

Yaakov Geringas

Yaakov Geringas (1938–1990) was a violinist and influential music educator who performed with the Toronto Symphony and taught at the Royal Conservatory of Music, where he directed the Junior Orchestra. His progressive violin studies remain popular with teachers and students today. His thoughtfully crafted studies continue to earn their place in violin teaching studios, helping generations of players build confident technique through clear, progressive and genuinely musical material.