Any tips for rapid left hand position changes?

mojones

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I am working on a Bach arrangement and there's one particular section that's giving me a bit of trouble. It's a short section of arpeggios that jumps up the fretboard quite abruptly (it's for baritone uke, hence the ebgd tuning):

Code:
E|-------7--5--7--10-15-14-15-12----12-|-------9--7--9--12-15-14-15-12----12-|
B|----3--------------------------12----|----5--------------------------14----|
G|-0-----------------------------------|-2-----------------------------------|
D|-------------------------------------|-------------------------------------|

I am working on it steadily with a metronome, but progress is coming very slowly. Unsurprisingly, it's the jump up to 12th position in order to play the high notes that is difficult. does anyone have any tips for practising this type of passage?
 
This is probably stating the obvious, but - I recently was learning a Bach piece that had a rapid jump from the 7th to 12th fret that I just wasn't getting. What helped was to isolate just that measure, and practice it over and over - 20 or so times in a row - until I could do it. Then add on the measure before, then the measure after, etc.

Another thing that helped was that I finally caved and got a strap button installed. Having the extra support from the strap has made rapid left-hand position changes much easier.
 
Just practice it a lot, and you will eventually know exactly where that 12th fret is without looking. It takes time before you can hit all the fret locations. As you become more familiar with that particular instrument and size, it will get easier. If you switch sizes though, you will have to practice adjusting. On the difficult moves, I try to isolate that part of the song, and drill on the problem (playing a measure before the difficult change, and through to the measure after).

Welcome to UU.
–Lori
 
I take it it is for low D? If so, the opening note in each bar ought to be played on the bottom (4th) string, 5th fret. There are too many jumps in the arrangement. You need to start in 5th position, not root position. Work out the strings that will give you least movement of the left hand.

You will find it easier if you use exactly the same fingering in the left hand each time you play it. Mark the notes with 1, 2, 3 and 4.

It will certainly be easier to play if you use 3 fingers and a thumb in the right hand. If you only use one finger, or even two, now would be a good time to learn to use the 3rd. Where you play another note on the same string use a different finger in the right hand. Alternate.

Practice short phrases of between 3 and 12 notes. Gradually build up the ammount that you can play acurately at speed. However, start slow. I have never used a metronome. the timing is easy in this piece, so concentrate on getting the notes right, rather than the rhythm.

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for all the responses. Ken, you are right of course about starting in 5th position.... I'm not sure why I didn't write it that way when I was originally tabbing it out. I think that I just liked the sound of the open G string ringing throughout the rest of the bar. I have amended it thus, which is proving much easier:

Code:
E|----------------10-15-14-15-12----12-|----------------12-15-14-15-12----12-|
B|-------12-10-12----------------12----|-------14-12-14----------------14----|
G|----7--------------------------------|----9--------------------------------|
D|-5-----------------------------------|-7-----------------------------------|


E|----------------10-14-12-14-10----10-|----------------10-16-14-16-10----10-|
B|-------10-8--10----------------10----|----9--12-10-12----------------12----|
G|----11-------------------------------|-------------------------------------|
D|-7-----------------------------------|-7-----------------------------------|
 
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