@Oliver Everything I can get my hands on in way of a SONG!! As I have learned each new technique over this past year I have found all kinds of different songs to practice that one technique. Learning how to hold the violin, bow hold, using the different bowing lanes, etc. I jump from bluegrass to Irish tunes to classical to oldies but goodies looking for those tunes that will help me memorize that one technique. Tunes I love!! For example in December I really focused on playing and learning Christmas tunes.

At first I could only play songs in the key of A because I knew only those fingering. Since then I have moved in order to the key of D, G and C. One thing I have going for me is I can read music. Sometimes the best I ever play the tune is the very first time I read it, and then when I try to record it, uughh!!

I had not done a scale until I started working on using my pinky a couple of months ago about 9 months in. I do just a simple D and G scale up and down to find the position of the pinky and increase my coordination of movement of my middle finger.

I have found all kinds of bluegrass songs that use the pinky and it has shown me how much it can speed up my song. Another technique I am learning is deciding what finger I can hold down while I play other notes to go back to that original finger I am holding down.

BUT the biggest thing I knew I would have trouble with was playing in front of people. I started right away practicing in front of my family, something I would have never done in the past. A couple of weeks ago I joined a bluegrass jam.

Since I am attending a jam I have started learning chords to play back up and how to lead, jump to backup and then back to the lead for the ending. I was actually able to do this last Tuesday yeah!! It was not mistake free but I did it!!!