I'm working on playing the low strings over chords in various keys. The V chord in E is B. I found B D# F#, the B on the G string to the D# on the D string, 3 high to 1 low a stretch. I tried playing like I'd play a C, with 3,1,3 fingers. It was easy to just shift my hand down a half step. But then it messed me up for the next chord. I gave up on it but then read about something called 1/2 position where all fingers move down a half step. So I'm thinking maybe there's something two it and now I should practice shift 1/2 step down and then back. Good idea?
Learning to play in half position is useful. To do so doesn’t require a true shift of the hand, more a move of the fingers back a little. It’s intended as a quick departure and you should be able to switch back and forth with first position seamlessly. Just practice it intentionally and it’ll get easier. I’m pretty sure there are etudes devoted to this.
My hand has to shift right back to the peg box for half position, that's when I realised the importance of how the pegs are staggered as they are, the peg would be in the way other wise.
Edited by - buckhenry on 09/27/2026 15:31:51
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