Speaking of when it's time to retire an aide...

I think I am on the verge of removing my Don't Fret from my fiddle. While I found it a great help in the beginning, I am actually beginning to think it is holding me back now. I find when I don't rely on it, my intonation is not as good, but I know that will improve as I LISTEN. I also find when I don't rely on it, I make less bowing mistakes. I can also look at my music (Tabs) when playing, relying less on memorization when learning a song, It almost seems to me that my Don't Fret is distracting me more now from the other necessary tasks when playing. 

Thanks @Fiddlerman  After I wrote this post, I tried playing Julianne Johnson with my eyes closed and it didn't sound bad at all. Then, I thought since I was practicing Julianne Johnson for the past 1/2 hour perhaps I was just used to placing my fingers in the right places out of habit. So, I played Angeline the Baker and Shenandoah with my eyes closed, and they sounded pretty good, too. 

I won't take the Don't Fret off now. I have to leave for my lesson in a half hour, but I think I will do it when I get home.