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Hi all, I started the violin this year, I recently hit six months of learning. It's definitely very challenging! I generally feel like everything about me is all wrong - my bowing arm is too short and doesn't fully extend long enough, my pinky is too short and immobile, my left arm won't bend around far enough to play G string very easily so I try to avoid it, my bowing isn't straight especially if I change strings, I can't seem to get rid of hitting other strings but yet when I try to do it on purpose I can't do that either, and I still can't hear if I am hitting the note right or not. And I frequently feel like I am regressing instead of progressing! Nevertheless I am having a really great time learning violin. I love to practice and time passes so fast when I do. I could easily practice 4 hours a day and not get tired of it especially now that I'm past the strict beginner phase and there is enough songs out there possible for me to play at my level besides Mary Had A Little Lamb.
I've recorded some audio clips as I've been learning to play and recently uploaded them if anybody likes listening to other beginners... I will post a couple here.
2 months - O Come Little Children
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@luvbentley welcome to the forum and welcome to the joys of violin 
Your descriptions of the problems you are having sound familiar to most of us who started violin as adults. All I can offer is that if you keep practicing with these "faults" in mind, you will eventually over come them. If you can take some lessons the feedback you will get will help a lot. If lessons are not feasible posting a video here will get helpful suggestions that might help (they did for me).
Listening to your audio clips, I don't hear a major problem with hitting the right string. Overall the tone sounds fine, some work on intonation (finger accuracy) is necessary, but for 6 months it coming along fine.
I find it useful to practice etudes, especially Wohlfahrt Opus 45. Etudes are designed to strengthen specific weakness like bowing and string crossing.
Keep up the good work, it's fun
Bob in Lone Oak, Texas
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Welcome to the forum
A lot of what you said you're feeling all beginners go through, especially feeling like you're going backwards instead of forward.
Are you learning on your own or with a teacher? If you're learning on your own and are brave enough, you can post a video of you playing, and we can help you out on the things you said you are having trouble with
That said, your recordings sound good, keep up the good work!
See you around the forum!
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World's Okayest Fiddler
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Welcome to the forum luvbentley and thanks for the intro.
Your issues are common for all beginners. Learning to play takes time. Kind of like building a house. Start with the foundation, keep building and enjoy the process. Don't worry about the finishing too much for a while. Work on sounding as good as you can always but don't concern yourself too much.
Set goals but not expectations.
Looking forward to your posts.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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@luvbentley I think you sounded really good! It's hard as an adult learning anything new. Eventually those little things like hitting the right string (without any others) at the right time just click, and I do feel like a kid, jumping up and down, when I get something right and it actually sounds like the song, which yours did!!! 
so woohoo - you are doing great, don't give up or get discouraged!
Honorary advisor
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Welcome!
I have a good friend. She plays viola and she’s been playing over 10 years, where I am in my 4th month of playing violin.
She wisely reminds me that the strings are the most difficult instruments in the orchestra. Not for the faint of heart. It takes time, patience, work, dedication and love to learn these instruments.
But in my opinion, they are the most rewarding. It will return to you every bit of effort, dedication and love you put in to it!
NEVER GIVE UP! Keep working. Keep playing.
- Pete -
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Hi luvbentley and a hearty welcome from one newcommer to another. Cool that you jumped right in with those audio recordings and are getting some feedback.
I think damfino suggested you post videos if you'd like feedback, especially if you don't have a teacher. Well, I'm lucky enough to have a really good teacher but I posted a first, 2-months-in video anyway. The feedback I got from forum members and Pierre, especially on my bowing, was super useful. I've even started to video myself playing just to see if I'm following up on my intentions (like using more bow.) So, yeah, video is more than sort of intimidating but oh, so helpful.
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