@stringy 

Are you talking about your mistakes sticking out to you? Your mistakes sticking out to other people who point them out to you? Or other people’s mistakes sticking out to you? 

You said you have heard famous guitarists make mistakes and don’t seem to get noticed. Well, I believe famous violinists, violists and cellists make mistakes, too. They aren’t noticed, especially when playing in an orchestra where there are others and the chances of the entire violin, viola or cello section making the same mistake at the time is not going to happen, so they are covered up, most of the time, from what I have been told by different people who make or play these instruments. 

If you are talking about you hearing your own mistakes, remember the instrument is right under your ear, or directly in front with a loud cello. I can hear the difference between what I am hearing as I play and what is in a recording that is played with the phone (I use my iPhone) fairly close. The iPhone sounds better. I have been trying to remember to record with the phone or pad from a further distance, and that is even better. I think that is more representative of what an audience, if I ever played in front of one, would hear. They are not going to hear most of the scratches, the sound will be fuller. I think the sound rounds itself out as it travels.

As far as I am concerned, nobody ever plays any instrument perfectly. Nope. Nobody notices unless they are terribly off. I think some of it is that the slight miscues really don’t stick out, and the other side is that if you know what is being played, or even if you don’t, you know what it should sound like, and I think you subconsciously hear, in most cases, what you are supposed to hear. 

I think the person playing hears it stick out because the person playing is listening tor mistakes because nobody wants to make a mistake, so whether it is way off or just a tad, it sticks out like a sore thumb to us. 

Does this make sense? I think we need to worry less about sounding perfect all the time, yes, I am guilty, and we need to loosen up and have fun.

I think it is in part the nature of the sound, especially the high registers. 

If I remember correctly, you also play guitar. You may be comparing your guitar playing and violin playing. Both have strings, granted. But there, the similarity ends, completely. The violin does take longer to feel comfortable when holding. The guitar, although does take getting used to holding, does not require contortions. Your guitar did not reach that high a note, or around anything like your violin. I also tried guitar, classical. I think it is much easier to identify mistakes played on a violin. Very much so, again, I think it is the higher  pitch, I think guitars sound mellower.

Along the line of mellower sounds. The cello and viola are mellower. guess what? I can hear my mistakes so much more clearly on the violin than the viola and cello. Again, they are both mellower.

Also, I think part is because you want to play it perfect so much. I think you are setting a goal absolutely nobody can reach. 

We have all heard and watched you play. I seriously love your playing. I also think you look very well poised when playing your violin. It suits you,

Keep all of this in mind and understand you are truly doing great and we all enjoy your playing. Although, I do cello, mainly, I wish I could play my violin better, and am working on that.

Thank you, Stringy.