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I've come to to think that the better you become at playing the violin, the harder it becomes to get better....... If you know what I mean
What do you reckon?
Seen it all. Done it all. Can't remember most of 
..... What was I saying???? 
Regulars
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Hm never thought about it but I do believe you are correct. At first there are so many simple things that you just have to work on and practice to get better at. At this point, you really have to work harder.
Opportunity is often missed because it wears suspenders and looks like hard work.
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I am not even close to being a master of the violin. I am not even sure at this point if my arthritic hands can; however, I can tell that I am progressing. It does take time.
Duane
"Violin is one of the joys of my life."
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Probably correct. LOL
From 0 it's not hard to learn to hold and make a sound on the violin. Then it's not hard to learn the strings and their respective notes. It's not even that difficult to learn to play a piece but as you get better your improvements are fewer and further between. Perfecting that sound is a lifetime job. 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
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I don't mind things progressing more slowly as time goes by. But what I hate is when things seem to start going in reverse. I seem to have 'regressed' in a couple of areas.
It becomes rather frustrating
Has anyone else experienced this?
Seen it all. Done it all. Can't remember most of ..... What was I saying????
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I'm still a beginner but coming up on 2 yrs (really only 18 months of taking it seriously). So far, I've found a somewhat consistent pattern of challenge, leading to frustration, followed by breakthrough, followed by euphoria, followed by challenge, etc. I've actually come to react to frustration like a kid on Christmas eve, knowing that something good is about to happen.
I figure I've probably got a good 6 to 8 years of this pattern... and then, hopefully, I'll be playing all of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin and Vivaldi's Seasons fairly nicely... That would be a nice 70th B-Day celebration!
joe
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JoeP said
I'm still a beginner but coming up on 2 yrs (really only 18 months of taking it seriously). So far, I've found a somewhat consistent pattern of challenge, leading to frustration, followed by breakthrough, followed by euphoria, followed by challenge, etc. I've actually come to react to frustration like a kid on Christmas eve, knowing that something good is about to happen.I figure I've probably got a good 6 to 8 years of this pattern... and then, hopefully, I'll be playing all of the Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin and Vivaldi's Seasons fairly nicely... That would be a nice 70th B-Day celebration!
joe
Hi Joe @JoeP
its looking like a similar time frame for me. 70...... Darn
Seen it all. Done it all. Can't remember most of ..... What was I saying????
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I think the "regression" periods are where we are correcting points of form and etc that we maybe didn't have down quite right before. I'm not talking about "right" as in some book somewhere so much as "right = that which works". So your bowing or fingering or intonation may actually be getting *better* from the practice in that time, but it feels like no progress or like you're actually even maybe doing a bit worse. Overall, in the long run, though, your playing is getting better.
Another factor is your ear gets pickier, the longer you play. You raise the bar on what is "good enough", because you're hearing more of the little things and trying to get more of the sound right. That is also good in the long run, part of the process of getting good.
Yet another thing is that you'll try to do just a bit more. Maybe do this spot in a tune a little fancier or a bit faster or to get the sound a bit stronger and steadier. Upgrades, all. But it can feel like you regressed a bit because it is taking more work to get those fine points in here than when you were playing more "safe".
"This young wine may have a lot of tannins now, but in 5 or 10 years it is going to be spectacular, despite the fact that right now it tastes like crude oil. You know this is how it is supposed to taste at this stage of development." ~ Itzhak Perlman
@ Ferret: Good topic, John.
This is difficult for me to even try to answer about progression or regression being that I started playing at age 4 and played until I was 10 or 11. I'm now 70 and have picked up the violin many time's in the past 60 years, but only for short periods at a time, I never stayed with it until I found "Fiddlerman" website, it has really kept my interest. Thank you, Pierre.
But I have found out in the past two year's that my playing has improved greatly. I think it may be my practice method.
I guess maybe I'm a bit more fortunate than the average beginner, (which I still consider myself as) because I have retained the finger skills and coordination all those years and have always had a violin available to play.
Now I'm ready for a setback, I have to brush up on my reading music skill's. I've been playing strictly by ear for all these year's, with the exception of reading music for guitar and piano, but I haven't had to do that in at least 15 year's, as I don't play either one very often now.
I just ordered a song book, " The Craig Duncan Master Fiddle Solo Collection", from " Mel Bay" publishing. This will be my setback.
Ken.
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DanielB pretty much summed it up. I have always approached that down side of playing as getting ready to shed. It happens to me about every 3 or 4 months. Then once the shedding is done > BAM!!! a click happens and its all good again for the next couple of months. I am going through a shedding period right now. Not that much fun but I know what comes after the shed.
DanielB explains shedding quite well.
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Sometimes, regression is not really regression but you yourself becoming more critical. 
"The richest person is not the one who has the most,
but the one who needs the least."
Honorary advisor
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In my case I find progression on the violin proceeds slowly, sometimes giving the appearance that you are hardly improving from 1 day to the next. Sort of like growing up as a child, it happens so slowly it is not easily perceived in the short term, but quite noticeable in the long term. I have found a similar experience on the violin (and other difficult subjects and tasks). In day to day practice and performance I don't notice much of a difference. But when i examine my progression in terms of months or a year there is definite improvement, in terms of sound quality, technique, capabilities and skill. I could provide specific examples but I think most people gwet the idea as it is something we all undergo.
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