rockinglr33 said
After re starting my violin practice from an extended break I found my intonation and finger placement a bit off. I used to video myself to watch what I was doing but i found i would get distracted with the video so recently I bought myself a snowball mic and I've found that using the tuner and recording studio in Apples garage band i not only can hear where i'm going wrong but with almost instant feedback i can play the tuner either as i'm playing or after recording i can use the  tuneing and hear where I went wrong. It also allows me to hear much better when i'm doing everything right. 

 

I've also found that for me when i'm practicing string crossings and that dreaded fourth finger i can focus more much easier. What are your favorite ways of practicing string crossing and intonation? 

oh and I added a little sound clip from my practice. I find if i make up tunes on the spot it also seems to help cement the right finger placements then I go back to focusing on the specific song i'm working on.  this little one is just a playing around tune i made up on the spot.   

IMO ( and a simple opinion at that) you're doing a good thing - the ear is a very telling thing.... 

"Messing around" a bit, but still kind of "knowing where you are going next" and that when you hit the 3rd, 4th, 5th, or an octave, for instance - you should feel "happy" about that little improvisation....  If you are NOT happy and it doesn't quite sound right - yup, finger placement / intonation

I do that sort of thing all the time.   

It can be VERY telling....

I think you are doing great, with a clever approach to certain issues that BUG US ALL - intonation is rarely perfect on un-fretted interments - it just depends how-far-off it is as to whether or not the listener is aware !!!!!!!!  Hahahahahaha   The real issue is that - the more you play, the more you become aware of what are sometimes minor ( or passing ) discrepancies, which can even be corrected "on the fly" and almost can sound like an intentional slide into the note.  ( Oh - unless it was the wrong note entirely - that's different LOL )  

Yup - nice post @coolpinkone

For my own part, for my first two years, without any doubt I spent 2 hours per day, every day ( OK, maybe with the occasional day - but never more than one - missing )  These 2 hours ( and often more ) were never ever done in one setting - usually no more than 20 minutes at a time - with the exception of late evenings, where it could run to almost an hour...   and depending on what I was doing during the day, I could fit in additional 15-20 minute sessions....  so 2 hours is pretty fair....

 Occasionally, some of that "practice time" was actually spent more on music theory rather than actual playing, but, IMO that also counts as practice as I was "exploring the theory" with the fiddle in my hands - listening to 3rds, 4ths, stopped 5ths and so on - and exploring stopped harmonics - so I think that counts as practice ! )

That was the first two years - the last year has been really difficult with family issues dragging me away on a regular basis - when I was away, I ALWAYS took my EV with me - and - really for the last year all I have accomplished is a sort of "consolidation" of where I was - I have scarcely learnt  a new tune - oh - well - that is not exactly true - because I'm happy to play stuff by ear - sure - I have messed around with a LOT of pieces over the last year, but I have never really felt as if I "owned them" - I feel as if I have just played for fun....    but... maybe that's OK.. dunno...

Things are getting back on an "even keel" and I'm looking forward to my new fiddle and bow....   and back to 2 hours "practice" per day - as I mentioned above - that's not just "trying to play new tunes" - to me "practice" is more than just that, it is about my desire to understand better just EXACTLY WHAT MAKES THIS INSTRUMENT SO DAMNED SPECIAL !!!!!  yeah....