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Hi,
I'm Louise from the Highlands in Scotland. I became legally blind late last year and have started to learn the violin to keep the zest for life alive!
It is very early days and the last week has been spent listening to lots of audio on positions, bows, open strings etc.
As you can imagine sheet music is very difficult for me to read and I am currently working on the open string exercises with mixed results.
Holding the bow is still a little tricky and it likes to bounce on E. G down I am reasonable but E up I keep hitting two strings at once.
Sadly, no local teacher so youtube and the great discovery of this website it is.
Looking forward to learning.
Louise
Honorary tenured advisor
Regulars
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Hi @scottishlass and welcome!
So sorry to hear about your vision loss, but glad you have decided to learn the violin!
You have joined a great group! There are a lot of great folks here at all different levels who like to reach out and help one another.
Let us know how we can help, and I hope you become involved so we can learn from you as well.
Jim
Jim
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Scottishlass,
Welcome to the forum, and playing the fiddle, I also hate to hear about your vision loss, while it's an henderance there are many very talented plays why play strickly by ear. Here's an example of one such person who's blind also.
Mark
Master the Frog and you have mastered the bow.
Albert Sammons
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Welcome to the forum Louise - @scottishlass !
Sorry to learn about your deteriorating sight, but, you have set yourself a wonderful challenge. Even for fully sighted beginner-players there are days when you feel NOTHING is going right, other days - you simply get the WOW factor !!! Awesome ! Stick with it, it really is a fulfilling journey !
Being a highlander myself (Brora), I know what you mean about no local teachers (although there are plenty players around who are happy to share their knowledge). At 5 years in to playing, this forum was, and still is, my number-one goto-place !
Enjoy the forum and never hesitate to share your journey ! 
Och aye !
I seriously recommend not copying my mistakes. D'oh - 
Please make your own, different mistakes, and help us all learn :-)
Regulars
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Welcome Louise. I took lessons for 5 years and never learned to play by ear or to play with other people. But when I quit lessons, I started going to a local jam and learned how to do those things from other people. Do you have a group there that would welcome a beginner?
Opportunity is often missed because it wears suspenders and looks like hard work.
Regulars
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Welcome. My favorite is Old Time, traditionally learned by ear. AS I find, the only roadblock is the one I build myself. I've taken lessons, use you tube but in the end just learn by ear. Keep at it. Many adult learners here.
Member
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Thank you for all the lovely welcomes.
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Welcome to the forum Louise.
Music and learning to play an instrument such as the violin when not able to see must be a comfort. I know that I can hear myself better and in a different way when I close my eyes.
Congrats on your new journey.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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