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Hi, been reading and using the site and I love it 
I'm 27, I just took up learning violin again after just under 20 years. I had a bad experience as a kid with a teacher so I gave up. I've always wanted to learn - I think it's safe to say the idea has never been far from my mind - but the teacher I had as a child was... not very nice. My dad gave me the best present ever for christmas this year, a violin! OK, it's a kid's practice violin, neither he nor the guy he bought it from have any idea whatsoever about violins, so now I have to save up and get a decent one in the right size. The ones promoted here aren't available in the UK so I've asked an experienced violinist, a friend of my brother, and he recommended a Stentor.
I don't have the spare cash for proper lessons so I've bought myself a book (Abracadabra violin - it's not bad actually, introduces everything step-by-step with clear diagrams and plenty of practice). I've had good experience in the past of teaching myself various things and the videos here are great (thanks Fiddlerman!) I just have a couple of questions. Firstly, if I practice for about 2 hours a day, what kind of timeframe can expect before I'm any good? Secondly, how many times should I practice each individual piece? I find myself getting bored and wanting to move on before I've got it right - should I move on and come back to the piece the next day, or should I keep at it?
I don't expect to be grade 8 by next week or anything, I'm having a lot of fun just playing things like Brown Bread and the Flintstones theme so far, I just don't want to still be playing Little Donkey next christmas.
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nezumi said
Hi, been reading and using the site and I love it
Glad to hear it. 
..........The ones promoted here aren't available in the UK so I've asked an experienced violinist, a friend of my brother, and he recommended a Stentor.
Don't be in a hurry to buy a new violin and don't listen too much to what others recommend. Rather, get in good enough shape that you can test the instruments yourself. Take the time to find an instrument that plays easily for you, has the sound, feel, and looks that you like. It's hard to be patient but well worth it most of the time.
.............Firstly, if I practice for about 2 hours a day, what kind of timeframe can expect before I'm any good?
That depends on many things.
How effectively do you utilize the 2 hours a day?
How musically inclined are you? How good is your ear?
How coordinated are you? How much is left in you from your childhood playing?
How determined are you? How critical are you?
I can go on and on....
The important thing is that you enjoy the journey towards becoming good or great 
Secondly, how many times should I practice each individual piece? I find myself getting bored and wanting to move on before I've got it right - should I move on and come back to the piece the next day, or should I keep at it?
There are different ways of looking at this question. Many believe that you should perfect a piece before going on, but I feel like the negative effect of being bored with a piece and not working as hard as you should out weighs the positive of being excited about starting a new one. The best thing in my opinion is a compromise. Keep one or two pieces going at a time in which you play every day and play through as many new ones as you like for the fun and excitement. Try to utilize a different technique or skill on each new piece. Try to be real picky and critical on the piece or pieces that you are perfecting.
I don't expect to be grade 8 by next week or anything, I'm having a lot of fun just playing things like Brown Bread and the Flintstones theme so far, I just don't want to still be playing Little Donkey next christmas.
I don't really know what grade 8 is, but how many grades are there?
Good luck and welcome to the forum. We look forward to following your progress.
Cheers
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Hi, nezumi! Welcome to the forum!
nezumi said
... if I practice for about 2 hours a day...
If You are intended to play 2 hours a day i just want to say: don't make 2 hours practice sessions in a row at least first month or two.. Because it's really hard to do first time - your muscles have to learn to make that work step by step! If You overtrain them at once - it can lead to constraint movement later. Listen to your body - and if it's tired give it a break =)
..how many times should I practice each individual piece? I find myself getting bored and wanting to move on before I've got it right - should I move on and come back to the piece the next day..
That's exactly what i do. Don't know if it's right 
... But i move to the next piece just when i can't play anymore that piece i work on. I learn another one a bit of time only to get a rest and entertain myself.. then i can go back to practice.. And i can say that if i'm tired of playing current tune it leads only to reduction of all of the fesults!
I don't expect to be grade 8 by next week or anything, I'm having a lot of fun just playing things like Brown Bread and the Flintstones theme so far, I just don't want to still be playing Little Donkey next christmas.
LOL! If You'll play every day (even if not 2 hours) till the next Christmas - You're gonna be able to play much more than Little Donkey =)
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Fiddlerman said
I don't really know what grade 8 is, but how many grades are there?
Good luck and welcome to the forum. We look forward to following your progress.
Cheers
Thanks for all the great advice. Grade 8 is the highest official proficiency measure in any musical instrument in Britain. I don't know if America has an equivalent. I suppose it's like a high school diploma or an A-level here. If you want to be a professional musician (or a music teacher), you have to have grade 8.
I'm only just starting out so I'm doing grade 1 - GM, AM, DM and Em scales and arpeggios, basic notation etc. Thankfully the violin is like riding a bike, I picked it up and was instantly better at it than when I last played (as strange as that sounds). For me, good is being able to read music fluently, play trills and to be able to improvise something pretty
Thanks for the warm welcomes.
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Hey nezumi ! Welcome to the site. Sounds like you already have a good start playing your violin. As for how long before you proficient, it's difficult to say. But I wouldn't worry about it. Enjoy playing first, then let the rest just fall in place.
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Welcome nezumi! If you can post a video (if you haven't already) you'll get some really valuable feedback from Fiddlerman and other posters. It's fun, too.
I've learned so much from my mistakes that I've decided to make some more.
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Thanks Terry and Gail. I really enjoy playing, I get kind of annoyed when it gets late and I can't practice even if I use my mute, or when my fingers get too sore to play, or when my hands, wrists and shoulders ache. I know this will pass with practice.
I do plan on posting a video, once I've worked on something long enough to get it perfect. One song I really want to learn (no idea how hard it is though) is the Russian Folk Song, Troika (not the Prokofiev one, the traditional one). I learned the melody on keyboard when I was very little and it has haunted me ever since.
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Can you link some kind of youtube video to the traditional one. I'm not sure which piece that is. Thanks
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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The only complete version that I can find is played on Balalaika bgut I've definitely heard it for violin.
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Cool. I like it. 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Honorary tenured advisor
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I found this one:
If you think you can, or you think you can't, you're probably right.
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Hi nezumi,
I am also in the UK and just starting out on the violin, although it sounds like you have a bit of a start on me.
Where abouts are you based?
S.
The early bird catches the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!
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