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I haven't posted in quite a while. Been busy with work and school but I've been playing sporadically, when the mood takes me.
I've come across a bit of an issue. I'm getting bored with what I have to play so I've been looking for new pieces. It turns out that this past year I've been playing thingsi know, songs I have played before and know the tune to, basically for the past year or so I've been playing by ear. I was never the best with sight reading and my musical knowledge is limited in so far as I sort of only half payed attention during theory lessons. I apparently play mostly by Instinct, which is great except I've now hit a wall.
Some of the pieces I've been looking at have notes on the e string which are higher than I'm familiar with; I thought 'oh, this must be where I need to change position', so I checked out the videos on the forum for 2nd and 3rd position, fine, I can do those along with the video tutorial but I can't translate it to what i'm seeing on the sheet music.
Maybe I just need to go back to the basics and learn a bit more theory. Does anyone know a good link or book I can use to learn more about playing in different positions and wrap my head around the practical part and the theory part?
thanks
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@mischa91
Hi Vicki
I totally understand what you are saying. I am in a very similar situation.
Of course the best option is, yes, go back and learn to read music. You don't have to stop playing or learning new tunes while you are doing it.
However....... There is a way to 'cheat' using notation with 'fingerings'. If you go to the sheet music part of the website you will find sheet for a number of tunes that have the fingerings as well as the standard notation.
What I do at times is find the music that I want and add the fingerings myself. And I figure that if I where to be faced with music that requires higher positions I would just change the colour of the pen that I'm using (i.e. red)
So this could be a 'work around' for you but, no doubt, ultimately learning to 'read' is the best option.
Seen it all. Done it all. Can't remember most of 
..... What was I saying???? 
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@Ferret.
I can ad music, it's just been a while since I've had to pay attention to note length and timing since iplay stuff I already know the tune to. I also have never learned the notes above the stave before.
i think if I could find maybe a picture of a violin with the notes marked on in all positions, and then find out how the notes above the high e are written I could learn from that.
I also do need to do a refresh of note length and timing and such so I can go back to playing things I'm not so familiar with.
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That should say above 'i can read music'. I've gone back to the fiddlerman lessons on rhythm and printed off the fingering and rhythm charts, now that i'm back on a real computer they were easier to find, the site jumps about a lot on an ipad.
Hopefully i'll be able to practice where each note is and get a bit more familiar again with correct note length and such.
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Seen it all. Done it all. Can't remember most of ..... What was I saying????
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YES! That is exactly what I was looking for! Thank you 
I've only had a quick look but it looks like they have sound bites of each note so i can make sure I'm in tune too.
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Hello... Good luck on stepping it up a notch. I play by sheet music. ( still working on ear training). I find that I try new songs often so that I can force the sight reading skill. Because after a week of playing a song, it is memorized and I am no longer playing by the sheet. So then I usually keep working on my memorized songs, but in order to keep my reading skills going so that my finger reaches for the note automatically, I start new songs.
Good luck... I am now working on third position finally too. 
Vibrato Desperato.... Desperately seeking vibrato
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@coolpinkone, Thanks!! I have such a hard time memorizing music that i don't even try anymore. My sight reading as far as notes on the scale is concerend is good, i play the piano too so have had a lot of practice. I'll be refreshing my note length sight reading so i can be more precise with timing and things for new pieces. I've also figured out that i need to get better at finding sharps and flats on the instrument too, i tend to fish around with my finger until it sounds right, but more often than not it sounds bad and then i correct it, i'd like to get it right first time so i plan on incorporating more scale practise into my playing.
I'm also changing the way i hold the violin, years of bad habits and i've gotten to when i'm resting the neck almost in the palm of my hand so i've changed my hand position, it'll hopefully help when i'm shifting positions to second and third and hopefully help me find them easier.
I got the sheet music from 'sherlock' which has some higher notes in third position and also a lot of sharps/flats, i hope to have either a video or sound file to post soon!
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I liked your idea of getting a chart and using it; may I suggest learning three octave scales or starting scales an octave higher? This might help assure surity in pitch and get you used to shifting in case you're unfamiliar with the technique. Also, it helped me quite a bit to go back and write my notes in on some of the pitches above the staff, just until they were internilized. Don't be afraid to take it slow, I'm there right now. I guess you can't rush perfection.
Good luck, would love to hear it
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