Hi lark,

Don't give up. I know first hand how awful it is at first. I began to play the fiddle about 5 years ago, and I would say that the first year was fairly discouraging. I taught myself. Here's what I would suggest: practice some songs/hymns or such that is familar. That way you have an idea how it is supposed to sound. Then, after you've grown comfortable with that there is a book, "Mel Bay's Children's Fiddle method" by Carol Ann Wheeler. There is a video that you can get with it. They are fairly simple tunes that will help you with fiddle technique. I used the book with great results. When you are ready to move beyond that Oak Publications' Appalachian Fiddle Book has great illustrations of the location of double stops. Good Luck,

Hardiman the Fiddler