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does anyone have any advice on the best way to learn the violin without a teacher?
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Regulars
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Stay here, and keep asking questions 
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I think you may be making one of the most common mistakes we as individuals make all the time. You believe that the person standing at the front of the class or the one walking around behind us giving us pointers and corrections is the teacher. We actually teach ourselves everything we know. We take some knowledge from books some from video media and some from what we hear. They are our advisors, we are our teachers. So you see you allready have the absolute best teacher you can get. One that knows what works for you and at what pace you learn. YOURSELF and you know that by listening to others for advise, like in this site and others like it, adapting what they all say to fit with what your student needs at the moment, you will allways have the best teacher you can find. Believe in yourself and NOTHING can stop you.
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The point about being your own teacher is one that I have made numerous times. I had great teachers but the most important one was always MYSELF.
Learn to analyze yourself and experiment to see what works and what doesn't.
As far as guidelines go:
Start by watching and imitating these beginner videos.
Study the fingering chart one key at a time. Begin with one of these: G, C, F, or D
Play the beginner version of the Violin Fingering Game. Play the Intonation Game.
Then start the BEGINNER exercises under the SHEET MUSIC link and concentrate on sound, intonation, straight bows using the elbow, and proper posture.
YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!! 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Thanks for all the help!!
And I just was wondering, when I get a violin.
When should I learn to read music notes??
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Well I need to ask you at what point do YOU think you should learn them? I am a MAJOR beginner trust me you have ALOT more experience with a fiddle than I do. But speaking for myself I wish to learn them from the start so I am attempting to work with fiddlerman to try and create a beginner course that shows the fingering and below would show the same notes in sheet music form not sure if that would help you but I feel that one will be a great help for me.
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Regulars
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Jaden,
No matter what, don't stop practicing. I have started and stopped tring to learn for a long time. I have just realized if I'm to learn, it needs to take some priority over things that don't matter like TV. You will realize once you start playing you will want to play even more. It's a wonderful feeling.
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You will make learning the violin easier if you do it at the same time. Plus there is a lot of great material available on sheet music. Learning to read later would be much more difficult.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Thanks!
I'm not sure if this is on topic, but when I get enough money to buy a violin. Does it matter if I buy a electric violin, instead of an acoustic violin to learn on? Also, what price range does a decent violin start at?
Thanks jaden
A wood violin is always changing with temperature and humidity and people are often on the verge of needing luthier services. Those service charges will soon be more than you may have paid for a cheap violin.
An electric solid body with amplifier may be a little more money but you can "fix" the sound/quality of the instrument by turning a knob.
Also, with electric, you are assured of the volume you may need in a group.
You can settle the issue by winning the FIDDLERMAN e-violin !
You also have to think about the kind of music you want to play. Classical ? Other?
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As for the winning the e-violin I am doing my best to qualify but as for the price for a violin check out craigslist in your local area. There is a posting in the panama city florida craigslist for wood beginner violins for 50 bucks. For e-violins go to the site that fiddlerman gave when he was demoing the e-violin I saw them for approx 125 dollars both cheaper than I paid for my cinese wood beginner violin. Dont forget to budget some money in for future strings as I have a feeling they may be the real price shock. Never give up on a dream of playing music. Even us older people are learning that with practice we just might get there.
On the note of what type of music we wish to play I for one want to learn the country, Bluegrass, and celtic along with some classic rock songs.
FYI THE REALITY SHOW
My first two visits to some "mainstream" luthiers with great websites and credentials cost me a total of $400 for what were supposed to be sound post adjustments.
Anyone can purchase a set of luthier tools from Luscombe and some wood for only perhaps $700. Then, with a website, you can be in business as a luthier.
Be sure, that SOME of those guys are geniuses in the craft but I think there are relatively few and hard to find.
ALWAYS establish personal knowledge about a luthier. Talk to a customer who knows the shop. Get any reference you can but don't go in on faith alone. (It's sort of like finding someone to do a car oil change without them spilling oil all over the block and then over-filling to boot ! ; )
I just went from my first Fall-Winter-Spring-Summer cycle with the electric during which time I just played with knobs. Meanwhile, my acoustic violins went crazy with the early humidity and Summer heat, so much that I had to adjust the sound post but I did it myself and avoided another $200 bill. I might just save another $200 when I do acoustic violin #2.
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That sounds crazy to me. I guess there is a lot that I don't know about since I've been in Sweden so long. There was a point where my orchestra paid for everything and I had no idea what the Luthier was charging.
Anyway, you shouldn't have to play more than $20 to adjust the sound-post. Some will even do it for free. I think my Luthier in Miami charges $50 for making and setting a new one which is extremely reasonable.
But as Oliver says, do your homework before choosing one.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Thanks
Also does learning on an electric violin change the way I would play on an acoustic violin later on?
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I don't know from experience but I would imagine that you would have a more difficult time with sensitivity if you started with the electric fiddle. Absolutely if you only play with effects. I don't think that it would be a problem though. You would just have to work on your acoustical violin for a while afterwards.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Thanks
I was also wondering if an acoustic violin is harder to play, compared to the electric violin? Also can you use and acoustic bow, for an electric violin?
Thanks again, Jaden
Pro advisor
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I purchased both the Cecilio acoustic and just received my electric today YIPPY. For a beginner violinist they work great for me. Can't beat the price. I just rosined up the bow (yes you use the same bow for acoustic and electric) for my electric, tuned it and plugged in my Bose headphones and it sounds great. I don't know what would be better to start on but I would recommend acoustic because you can just pick it up and play without needing anything else except a wife complaining about hearing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Shortnin Bread over and over and over and over and over again.
Do study music theory at the same time you learn the violin for sure. Ok, back to violin practice
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Thanks, and that's good to know that you can use the same bow. one more question about an violin bow. How often would I have to rosin an electric violin bow, when I get one?
thanks, Jaden
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No difference with the bows or how often you rosin them. Depends on how much you play. Probably once every 1-2 hours. Rosin will last you forever.
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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Thanks, and I have another question about the violin. Say I got a cheap electric violin, and it did not sound good. Could you Change the bow, and the strings to a nice pair of string and got a descent bow, how much better could the cheap violin sound? Also when does the price range of cheap stop, for an electric violin?
Thanks, Jaden
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