I decided that my studio December technique focus point is shifting! I gave all my intermediate students these exercises I wrote out. Since it is December, I wanted to have a winter theme and I wanted them to have a mental picture to associate with smooth, beautiful, easy shifting. Like skating, shifting on the violin requires left hand accuracy, speed, and relaxation.  I’m not an ice skater, but I appreciate watching skaters. Professional ice skaters make it look easy. They move with fluid, smooth movements. I want my students left hands to look like that, fluid and smooth; no grabbing the neck, or jerky, sticky shifts. So I titled this…