5 minute positional shifting exercise

This exercise is for you if…

You’re looking for a systematic approach to developing rock solid shifting between 1st and 4th position
You feel confident shifting in one direction but not the other (“1st to 4th position is no problem, but I always land sharp when I’m shifting from 4th back to 1st…”)
You often find that your tone suffers on the notes just before and/or just after a shift
You want a comprehensive exercise that will improve your ability to shift on separate bows and in the middle of slurs
You are looking for an effective addition to your daily warmup routine that will help you conquer the fingerboard while focusing on building a beautiful tone

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— how to use it

Set the metronome to somewhere between 60 and 80 bpm (slower tempi will also work if you feel 60 bpm is currently too fast)
When shifting, shift to a hand position and not just to a finger
As you keep on doing this exercise, you’ll start to develop a strong physical sense of where 1st and 4th position exist in 3 dimensional space. This is the perfect time to double down on focusing on the tone you are creating and aiming for a thick, rich ribbon of sound
Keep in mind, this shifting pattern can be used between any two left hand positions on the cello. After conquering this exercise between 1st and 4th positions, I would encourage you to try it with other lower neck positions on the cello