Violin help!!?

I agree with brian's suggestions. Practice your scales and arpeggios diligently. You don't learn to read without first learning the alphabet. Scales and arpeggios are the root of all music you will play. Memorize your scales and as you practice them concentrate on various things. (don't try to do it all at once. just pick one or two techniques/skills to hone at a time) For example, first practice your scales while concentrating on preparing your fingers. Eventually you should be able to tell if a note is going to be out of tune before you even play it because of how it feels. Play slowly! Then when you have mastered what your fingers are doing are practice them again but now concentrate on your bow. Making it smooth, changes, string crossings, etc. You can also play the scale with different rhythms like four sixteenth notes on each pitch, two eighths, dotted eighth/ sixteenth, etc. The idea is to mix up your practicing as much as you can so you learn it inside and out. You can practice your scales or pieces by not using your fingers but just bowing open strings. So if you have a d (3rd on A) and then a g (2nd on E) you can play just open A and then open E. This way you teach your right arm where to go.

Practice note reading separately. Clapping exercises with a metronome. Flash cards. Make sure you learn the names of notes on the staff and on your fiddle. (Don't just learn 1st on D) This will save headaches down the road when you start shifting. You can listen to recordings and follow along with the music to practice counting your rhythms.

Above all, RELAX! You have only been playing for two weeks. Be patient with yourself and realize this is a very long process. It will come and start to flow. Just go very slowly and don't rush things. Hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else!

ITS BEEN ONLY 2 WEEKS .... this is not meant to be cruel or harsh but 2 weeks is nothing in learning to play the violin .... most people (only the exceptionally talented WITH a string background could) in 2 weeks can barely remember which string is which by reading it off the music .... give yourself a break Hot Cross Buns and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star should be coming in about a month or so

are you taking lessons or learning on your own ?if on your own then you need a teacher all will become clear that way (most teachers and lesson books do NOT start bowing right away)

okay, it is all a lot to take in at one. You are trying to learn to read music and play violin at the same time...too complicated. Divide the whole process up as follows.

1.learn how to play a few scales on the violin (start off with G major scale)....just play the scale without reading the music and learn where the notes are on the fingerboard.This allows you to concentrate on playing the violin and not reading the music.

2. pay attention to your left and right hand. make sure you are holding the bow and violin correctly .THIS IS MOST IMPORTANT. get your teacher to correct you if you are doing anything wrong.

3. learn to read music with flash cards. Learn to read which dots are which notes away from the violin so that when you try with the violin it is not so much of a struggle. You can imagine in your mind where the note is on the violin. (You can practise the violin on the bus or the train this way !)

I'm first chair violin in my school's orchestra, and that is a common problem. First do tons of bow exercises and be able to completly control the bow! then start off with scales and move on to easy songs once you master a couple of scales. That's what worked for me.

P.S. Practice Practice Practice!!!!!!!!!!!

i don't play violin but i play viola which is just a little bigger and deeper in sound i went through the same thing just when you play look at the notes find out what they are then just take your bow and rosin and do the bowing pattern and then put it together and just take some more time practicing and trust me you will get there.

good luck :-)