i can`t get the 3rd position right!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!What am i doing wrong???????????

just think of the notes as whole spaces and half spaces, like, how far away is a b natural from an a? a whole step, so just think about that as you play. It takes time too, so just keep practicing!

basically, violin playing is all about using the smallest and most energy saving movements as posible. you can practise the position changing by going from a b first finger to a c first finger(on the a string) and back. then b to c sharp. then b to d, and so on. do this by using a smooth, relaxed and very slow movement of the whole arm, no wrist or finger movement involved (at first, when you have done this a thousand times you can combine wrist and finger motion to increase expression with glissandi). have fun

3rd position`s pretty easy. Required you have patience. i mastered it in two weeks. just look at the fingerboard while you`re sliding your first finger to where your 3rd finger was last from. slowly at first.

tips:you`ll know youre in the 3rd position when the bottom part of your palm touches the edge of the instrument.
always make sure that the instrument in in perfect tune. when it`s out of tune, you could mess up in shifting. :-) hope this helps. c",)

It`s not hard at all. If you have correct posture, than the palm of your hand should be touching the instrument lightly. =]

If you`ve noticed, the fingerings for first and 3rd positions are relatively the same. On the E string, if you play the E major scale, it would be first finger apart from 2nd and 3rd (2nd and 3rd are together). Than, up on 3rd position, instead of the 3rd finger in first position, it would be your FIRST finger in 3rd position. And it`s the same - first finger apart from 2nd and 3rd (2nd and 3rd are together).

Practicing always help. With patience, that is. If you have pretty good intonation and a good ear, than 3rd position shouldn`t be too difficult for you.

Hope that helps. ;]