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Have really enjoyed reading through everyone's goals... made me think about it.
So, here is what I have come up with :
1) To KEEP PLAYING! As I've pointed out before, I had a couple of 'false starts' over the years, so NOT letting this fall to the way side is the most important. I had to take a LOA from work which has given me some extra time, but should soon be back to work, so will have to find a way to fit practice time in. But, I am determined...
2) To get to the end of Suzuki Book 1, with being able to play all of the included music at least relatively smoothly and with good intonation and timing.
3) To be able to get through to the end of Mel Bay's You Can Teach Yourself Fiddling - also with being able to play all of the included music at least relatively smoothly and with good intonation and timing. This is advancing more than the Suzuki book, so not sure I will make it through all the way, so I don't want to get hung up on getting to the end - quality is more important than quantity. And I do play pieces not in these 2 books.
3) To be able to do at least simple chord accompaniment.
4) Finally, I have printed out a piece that is way above my current level but I really want to be able to play it well enough to present it to my Dad for his birthday in October. If I can play it fairly well it will really make him happy I know! Its pretty and it sounds like real fiddling, LOL. I'm sure not a really hard piece, but daunting for my current level.
There are other things, specific to techniques etc I guess, but I don't want to get TOTALLY boring! I look forward to re-reading this down the line and seeing how close I can come to my goals. Thanks for whoever started this thread.
Lin.
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Just to keep on playing and keep on LEARNING!!!
-Jim
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I want to make my double stops and chords sound better and my shifting in the high positions cleaner.
B.T.W. Great question @Katie M! 
"In the long run, any words about music are less important than the music."
- Dmitri Shostakovich.
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Let me add one thing here.
Maybe this year I'll be able to get a DECENT vibrato instead of this drunk bumble bee sound. LOL!!
-Jim
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Drunken bumble bees... That would be fun to watch. They are usually so graceful.
🐭
The Bumblebee Flies!
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Mouse said
Drunken bumble bees... That would be fun to watch. They are usually so graceful.🐭
Lol!
that’s exactly what my vibrato sounds like most times.
Those bumble bees are so cool down here, I love em!
-jim
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So, my husband fixed the shoulder rest on my Yamaha electric violin. I can now use it. I really distaste the sound of a violin while I am learning a piece and cringe. When I am learning a piece, it is really bad. With my electric, not plugged into anything, I can play it without it blaring. Then I can switch to my acoustic. So, I am also going to set a goal to learn a piece in my Suzuki that I had a lot of issues with when taking lessons. I haven't picked one yet. The Yamaha is much easier for me. I think maybe the overall construction of it is easier to handle. I will also work on my intonation more on my Yamaha. Well, that would go hand in hand with learning a piece because that includes intonation, but with Fiddlerman's exercises, also.
The Bumblebee Flies!
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Okay, so we're at the middle-of-the-year, here's for me :
- Goal 1 (better sound on C string and in higher positions) : goes to the bin. I changed my strings and got a rehair in february, and my sound now is not so bad – could be better, of course, but at least I don't feel like I'm struggling as much with the lower strings.
Note to self : next time you set goals, do the maintenance beforehand.
- Goal 2 (better contact-point control) stays the same. I don't think I'm doing much better on this one, but I have yet to actually work on it. I don't even quite know how I'll work on it.
The following weren't thought of as goals, but I worked on them and made a little progress :
- double stops (I was starting almost from scratch there)
- left hand 'agility'
- trills (in progress – starting from scratch too, it's not supposed to be too difficult, so working on it now and then)
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Thanks for bringing up the idea of a midway progress report, @wtw.
1. I have been working on my bowing for each instrument. I believe that I am making progress. I am trying to, and feel that I am, paying more attention to it when playing. I think it is making a difference. I still have a long way to go, though.
2. My intonation consistency is a hit and miss, like a 2 stroke John Deere Tractor! I have been very diligent working on that. It is getting better and I think it is because my bowing is getting a little better. The violin and viola consistency have moved up to about where my cello is. I still just lose it in the middle of a piece or scale and can't get it back without completely stopping and searching for that first finger first position on the string that started it all and run up from first finger to fourth finger. I have to do that a couple of times, then I can start over with whatever I was doing. There is no pattern to what causes it. Sometimes if I miss a spot I can just slide the finger to hit it, other times, I am so lost that I have to do what I described above.
The exception is my cello. I don't have this issue as much with my cello. I think the position of the cello is easier for me. My violin and viola give me the above issues.
3. Because of the issue I still have in first position, moving to the next position has not happened, except for my cello. I was exploring other positions when I had cello lessons. That has helped, but with my intonation improved on my cello, I think that has helped with different positions even more.
4. Recording myself still has issues. I have done a couple more videos. Not sure when i will do it again. I do, however, just set my phone down on my table and record my sound for my own use. There are a number of issues with recording myself, one is that it takes too much time away from just practicing and playing.
5. Vibrato: I started, or was introduced to vibrato in cello lessons, then it was just dropped. I have been improving it on my cello. I have been working on different speeds and making it stronger on my cello. I have attempted it a few times on my viola and violin. Not very good. I need to get the intonation better before I tackle that, anyway. I do find the motion easier to do on the cello.
🐭
The Bumblebee Flies!
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Mouse said
...
I thought about this post for quite a while to figure out what I want to achieve with my playing this year. For 2022, my aims or goals are to improve my bowing, and have my intonation consistent enough in first position to spend more time on the next logical position. If I recall, it really is not second position, and it may be different, depending on which instrument, but I do not know. I will have to find out.
I would like to feel more comfortable recording myself. To me, that is the same as performing in front of people and with people. I think my thoughts on that might be good for my blog, so I will leave what I have issues with or what goes through my mind and its goofy way of thinking for my blog, in a few days. But, it takes me forever to record myself. I need to get over that. It might be that if I can achieve goal 1, this goal might be easier.
I would like to add vibrato on violin and viola, and greatly improving it on my cello to the list, but, I do not want to add too much to my list. I think just improving my bowing, intonation and moving onto the next logical position is probably enough, and might be doable, or at least doable to the point I will see improvement, even if the next position is not seriously added. Then, work on feeling more comfortable recording myself.
...
We should start a new topic in 2023 with this same exact question and date it 2023. It would be interesting to see how long we can keep this topic subject, albeit different years, going, and compare our goals and achievements towards those goals each year. Thank you, Katie m
I have achieved everything but vibrato on violin and viola to my satisfaction, and recording. I am having a hard time with that. The instrument on the shoulder is not as stable as the cello, and it gives me issues. I will continue with that in 2023.
My bowing has improved on all 3 instruments, but still needs improving before I consider anything fancy.
I am better at shifting and will add that to the 2023 with the vibrato. I am not all that concerned with recording because it takes too much time away from playing. I need to concentrate on playing and not think about recording. I will record for myself with the phone beside me at times, just to hear a playback. but I don't set up for video or sharing.
I don't mean "achieved everything" by way of I can do it, and do it great, it means that I feelI have improved. Still a long way to go, but have not been stagnant all year with my attempts.
🐭
The Bumblebee Flies!
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JohnG said
My major one is to feel confident and accomplished enough to participate in a group effort.Other than that, I want to get to a point where I can read the alto clef easily, get my intonation to the point it doesn't hurt my (or anyone else's) ears, and to play with a tick track or backing track without losing my place.
And here's where I am with that. Just submitted my entry for a third group effort. Alto clef has gotten easier. Intonation has improved but may still hurt the ears at times and have actually used a tick track more than once. The latest was for the Wexford Carol Christmas 2022 group effort and it was actually successful.
So, all in all, it has been a successful year and I'm happy to have come this far.
The old curmudgeon!
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ELCBK said
At 2½ years into this, I'm just now starting to play a little cleaner, a little more in tune, a little in other positions & a little vibrato on all 5 strings.
🤗 1.) Just want to get better at what I've started.
🤗 2.) Think it's time I get serious about becoming a little more tech-savy!
I'd like to get familiar with my "Spark amp" (untouched for a year, since I bought it) - plus, my Brother just gave me a "Flamma FS21 Stereo Drum and Looper Pedal Editor" (for Christmas) - like to learn to use it, too! Then, there's all the associated software I would like to learn.
🤗 3.) Like to have fun getting to know my new 5 string Viola when it arrives.
...but I know 2022 will fly by and I'm not putting any pressure on myself, because I need flexibility in my life!
- Emily
Well, I learned a little more on the 'tech' side. I switched to a Mini Spark & got it ready to use, installed a couple apps - but haven't actually used it, so not anywhere near as much progress getting comfortable with software as I would've liked. 😔
I love my viola, Edgar, but not sure if I should be depressed or happy that I recognized reasons to step back & work on some core issues with both my hands... time will tell!
Noticed I've become better at recognizing how different types/styles of music should feel/sound - and getting a much better grasp of what makes good music work!
I can easily see my priority for 2023!
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Once in Royal David’s City played in third position with vibrato has absolutely not happened for me this year ! The closest I’ve got is to having the music and that is very simple in first position . I’m definitely further ahead that I was but next year I need to work on relaxing my left hand and intonation. I doubt I’ll go near third position but I’ll keep practicing vibrato. I’m still managing to practice several times a day so Im glad my enthusiasm is still there.
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Looking back :
1) I'm feeling much more comfortable with my C string. I can even manage a semblance of vibrato there ! which was close to inexistent, or painful at least.
2) I think I'm getting used to the sound of my viola closer to the bridge, and I think my contact point is slipping less towards the fingerboard as a result. But as I haven't done a video in some time, I'm not really sure and maybe it's just as bad as before.
3) This was totally unexpected, but a video posted here recently has helped me tremendously improve my left hand position (wrist/thumb/fourth finger) – and quickly too ! I knew mine was not right, but thought it was a lost cause. Schradieck 1 actually turns out to be playable, and not just a torture session for the 4th finger. I think I have a chance of actually strengthening that finger now. It helps with the C string too (point 1 above).
4) I'm somewhat better at double stops.
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SharonC said
My Goals:Develop/enhance my vibrato.
Continue work on arpeggios. I've recently been working on this—it is improving my ability to read long strings of 16th notes. I would just get lost in in them – now I’m seeing the patterns better so my fingers don’t get tied up in them.
Reestablish my daily practice routine. For the last year, my practice has been kind of haphazard. I’ve made progress over the year, but I know I can make great strides if I return to what was my normal schedule prior to 2021 (i.e., at least 1.5-2hr a day, 6 days a week).
So, the end of 2022.
My vibrato has improved, but I still need work on it--seems to come more naturally sometimes, sometimes not.
Arpeggio work has been much better--I can see those longer strings of notes now.
Not sure about the daily routine. I practiced, but not on a more normalized schedule that I was aiming for. But, I do utilize my practice time better, zeroing in on what I need to focus on. So maybe I've not reestablish the daily practice routine I referred to above, but I am more efficient with my practice time.
So, progress! 
Characterize people by their actions and you will never be fooled by their words.
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AndrewH said
Hmm. I've been extremely dissatisfied with my playing in the last two months and mostly just want to consistently sound somewhat competent. I especially need to work on: consistency of tone quality, eliminating my tendency to play everything slightly sharp, and playing off-the-string bow strokes more evenly and with less tension.Goals for 2022: play consistently pain-free, and prepare at least one solo piece to where I can consistently sound decent playing it from beginning to end (all movements).
Well... I met both of my concrete goals, playing in two orchestras for the entire spring without pain issues, and performing the entire Bach Cello Suite No. 2 in July.
Although I haven't gained the ability to play anything I couldn't play a year ago, I'm playing similar things with a lot less shoulder tension, and that's important progress.
I'm still not happy with my bowing technique generally, and my intonation is still not as consistent as I'd like it to be. I'm still struggling a bit with collé bowing; supposedly it should help make those off-the-string bow strokes more relaxed. But I also haven't been able to practice consistently enough in general, because of a demanding graduate program in the spring, and post-COVID symptoms since August, so progress is slower even though I'm taking regular lessons.
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