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Fiddlerman said
Rather than looking for pieces that are written in 2nd position, why not take the pieces that you have played and worked on and practice playing them in second position? IMAO, this works fine. 🙂
Of course, they may not be as easy to play in second position but it will give you plenty of practice.  

Actually, I was looking for 1st position songs. Haven’t ventured into 2nd position in lessons yet. Basically, looking fo songs to do along with the songs in the lesson book, especially with so many cancelled lessons, as of late. Last two lessons in a row were cancelled.

She wanted to do a make up last week two days after the normal day. I had to leave that day open due family medical needs, plus, it would have been too close to the normal one the following week (this week). Then, who was to say it would not have been cancelled.

So, I am trying to give myself new site reading, counting beats, trying to smooth out my bowing without getting too far ahead of the lessons. I have been tempted to venture into 2nd position on my own because things thrown in as if they are completely separate tend to send me into a tail spin. So i would be better to work into it now. Might have to ask about it if I get my lesson this week.

Not sure where 2nd position even starts. Will have to look it up. Is it where, on the A string you use the 4th finger to play E? You move your first finger to that place your 4th finger is playing E? I have no idea.

I wish lessons would not be constantly cancelled. Sure, I only have to pay for one lesson in February because three of the lessons previously were cancelled, but I also did not get lessons. No other instructors are available here. Maybe, that will be it for cancelled lessons for a while. Funny thing was that last week, I had a feeling it was going to be cancelled. I mentioned it to my husband.

Got to be 1 1/2 hrs before the lesson, I decided it was not going to be cancelled. Packed everything into my bag, tuned the instrument and cleaned it. Half hour later she called and cancelled. When she told me why, which really isn’t necessary, but she did and I was a little miffed. She should have known if was not going to happen the day before. There was no way she was going to be able to do what she had to do and be back in time. 

Fingers crossed for a lesson this week. Off to look up where 2nd position is on a violin. Good idea, Fiddlerman. 

I was looking for first position pieces in my original post. I have only done first position. Never second, third, etc. I have just started using 4th finger on a string before an open string that does not have a note on that string following the open string note, ie fourth in the D string to get an E, when E is not followed by a fingered note on the E string, rather than use the open E. I started this because a song we were doing in lessons actually was introducing that and had that as an optional fingering. I read that and did it and pointed it out to my instructor at the next lesson. She did not notice it was introduced then. So, now we are doing that. But we are still in first position. 

I think my problem is that there have been so many non-weather related cancellations. I am getting concerned about having to find another instructor, which will be hard. I just did a reply to GregW, I think, about a “reverse lookup” type way that I will look for an instructor, if I need one. But in the meantime, I am just trying to get really good at first position, play a variety of rhythms, counting beats in a measure, site read, etc, while not working against what lessons I am getting. The fiddle and Irish tunes I have are great, but I am also looking for those mentioned above in my original post.

I have have looked through online sources. I am really not an online person. Not a fan of giving strange websites my info. Enough trouble with ID theft.  I have done the online freebie music route. I am very picky about online shopping. I think I am just getting concerned about another violin instructor search. Three out of the last 4 lessons cancelled, does not look good, but maybe that will be it. 

@Fiddlerman   I think it was mentioned in another post. Maybe by GregW or Moonshine,  but not sure. No biggy. I just have myself questioning whether my instructor is going to consider or get more reliable with lessons and am trying to cover myself, I think. Panic mode because of all the instruments I have tried, the violin/viola/cello really have me hooked, especially thw violin. I really enjoy it.

@Fiddlerman  I meant to say, questioning whether my instructor is considering “no longer giving lessons”, or if my lessons will start to get more reliable. 3 of the last 4 were cancelled for non-weather related reasons. Roads were fine. Just trying to figure out how to proceed if she quits. Supposed to have a lesson tomorrow. We will see if it is cancelled again. Has me a little concerned. I really love this instrument, and really don’t want to lose my instructor. She is good, when we have them, and in spite of the late notice cancellations, I really do like her. Trying to get some helpful books lined up that will be interesting enough to motivate me to do them on my own in case I lose her, scheduled lessons tend to get a student moving better, than self-learning.

I hope she gets things straightened out. Maybe it as just a bad hectic time. Other than the cancelled classes, I do like her.

The local college is a community college and no orchestra. But, before I found my instructor, I had thought to put an ad on their bulletin boards requesting an instructor. That was my next try. Never know. I took night class banjo lessons there a couple years ago.

Also, I mentioned in Moonshadows’ post about looking for online instructors about using “reverse lookup” in the local paper’s classified. Rather than look for an ad from an instructor, put in an ad looking for an instructor. Might find someone capable of teaching you. I am not looking to be a performer or classical violinist. So, I will go that route, too, if the need arises.

When I purchased my violin, the violin shop checked their database of instructors. None out my way. They are already 1 1/2 hours northwest of us. The instructors were west of them, closer to the larger city near them, a lot of their customers are from that city. They checked each time we went in just in case they forgot about a new one registering with them. 

I am pretty positive that if I do need another, that by putting an ad in the classifieds and on the college bulletin board, I will find one. 

Ran the gamut of all the ones the two music stores have listed. They either only do children or they are associated with a school and only do their students. There were only three instructors.