A movement of the fingers down the fingerboard of a stringed instrument (especially a violin), so that the index finger is in the position of the third finger in the ordinary (or first) position; now usually called third position.
Origin
Mid 18th century.
Definition of whole shift in US English:
whole shift
noun
Music rare, historical
A movement of the fingers down the fingerboard of a stringed instrument (especially a violin), so that the index finger is in the position of the third finger in the ordinary (or first) position; now usually called third position.