stringy said
Heard and watched through your link, have to say that’s incredible for three weeks, well done. Your intonation is really good for such a short space of time. You worry about bow bouncing I wouldn’t be to concerned just yet, you will find that it will gradually improve, you probably know the bowing exercises, for improving technique already, just practice those, Like I said very impressed.

  

Thanks stringy means a lot

stringy said
If you want advice from me for what it’s worth, don’t start trying vibrato yet, trust me you are better concentrating on the basics, As for the tapes I never used them, I think it can make you robotic, but this is only my opinion and not worth much. If you need to leave the tapes on as a guide try to listen to the notes you hear and concentrate on remembering the sound when they are in tune, use your ears to hear the note first and then check to see if you are correct with the tapes, developing hearing takes a while. Carl stross told me to find a very simple piece of music and play each note slowly concentrating on getting it perfect before moving on to the next, and it really is the best way, Eugen Modri told me to learn to sing scales which I did, you have to hear the correct note in your head before you can hit it on the violin, I am fairly crap myself but I try to improve all the same. Do you know about the flageolets, ringing notes on the violin? They are g d a e and b to a lesser extent, when you hit these notes exactly on target you can not fail to know they are perfectly in tune, once you know those notes you are halfway there without using tapes, one of the problems with tapes is that if the violin goes out of tune you won’t be able to play it, one of the things I have started to do is de tune a string and then play a piece in tune with the violin out of tune, it’s. A good exercise.

  

Hmm yeh I don’t think I’m gonna try vibrato yet and I’m trying to learn to hear the notes. Maybe I’ll try some of those exercises. Thanks

I will. 2 questions though what usually the order of learning shifting, double stops and vibrato? Also about my fingers again should I use all three fingers when I’m playing the third note or only if I’m doing 3 down to two then down to 1...

stringy said

IssacBows said

I will. 2 questions though what usually the order of learning shifting, double stops and vibrato? Also about my fingers again should I use all three fingers when I’m playing the third note or only if I’m doing 3 down to two then down to 1...

  

You start learning shifting generally when you start learning third position, vibrato to be honest is fairly advanced, and isn’t easy for most people, some people can spend years trying to do it while others can get it in a couple of months, but once you get the basic idea you constantly then improve upon it, there are lots of ways of doing this, depends if you use arm vibrato, finger vibrato, hand vibrato or all three, I started to learn double stops after about nine months and vibrato at the same time, sometimes my vibrato is better than others depends how tired I am usually sometimes the concentration is too great. I don’t have a teacher by the way but I do have a musical background, if you have a teacher he will decide when you are ready for different techniques, in wohlfahrt opus 45 study 16 is good for your question of finger placement if I read your question correctly that is. If you start trying to shift from 1 to 3 rd position you will have to be able to recognise the notes that you are shifting to in third, I would if I were you practice scales, arpeggios, then pieces, then etudes in that order everyday, there are etudes to learn everything and usually increase in difficulty, some are fiendish depending on who designed them.

  

Wow a lot of useful information there thanks. Not sure if you understood my question about the fingers correctly... I mean one playing a third finger no should I have all three fingers down or only the third or does it depend when...

ELCB said
Sorry, thought I mentioned keep at least one other finger down to help you navigate across the fingerboard, for now.  It's okay to keep all 3 fingers down until you know where to go next.  You can probably tell you need to always look ahead.

I believe order of learning probably depends on your goals. 

Don't think I can help - my goals are to be able to play a large variety of folk and pop tunes, anywhere/anytime (in different keys), maybe with someone - so my priorities are different.  Since most of my tunes are in 1st position, I've been learning shifting only when I need it.  I started vibrato after I was really comfortable with my intonation & I include double stops and ornamentation after I learn a basic melody.  I try to deliberately choose melodies that challenge different aspects of learning the violin - then I have the added challenge of a 5th string (C) to master.

Did you check out all the Fiddlerman tutorials?  I don't remember what order he suggests, but I believe I read something about he's starting a "Violin Academy", too! 

Anyone here know about that? 

Sorry, I can't be of more help. 

 

- Emily

@stringy - haven't you seen all those little kids that learn vibrato & how early they learn it?  Some people "get it" right away - just not me (lol)!

  

Watched a bunch of his tutorials and they’ve been very helpful didn’t hear about a Violin Academy though...🤔🤔