I`m 13 and I`m teaching my friend how to play the violin. Does anyone have any ideas for keeping her fingers in the correct spot and getting a good sound out of the bow. Also if you have any sites with good begginner music please tell me. Thanks!

put electrical tape where the fingers are supposed to go; it`s a good beginning method. Just don`t let them rely on the tapes; make them not look at them after a while; that`s what my teacher did with me. For holding the bow, have them hold it at the frog at first.

thanks for the advice

How old is the person you are teaching? And what music are you planning on using?
I think that tape is a good method, for the first finger atleast, if they get their hand in the right place for first position they can probably find the other fingers without it after some practice. Tape is good for begginers, but they shouldn`t rely on it too much, and you should take it off once they don`t need it.
For bowing, well, I think that it is the most frustrating thing for beginners that even though their hand positions and everything are right they still sounds soooo scratchy! You could try having them practice just bowing on an open string with a straight bow, and using the right part of their bowing arm (i.e. not the top half), so that they get the best sound possible. Once it sounds reasonable clear try different bow divisions (whole bows, half bows, small strokes, top half of the bow and bottom half) different rythms, and string crossings. For my very first lessons my teacher had me bow just across my resin, so that I could figure out the proper movement without the added compication of holding the violin up.
I hope this is helpfull, I am by no means an expert, I have only taught a little to my brother and to my sister but I hope to be a violin teacher someday
Good Luck!

She is almost 10 and I am using the Essential Elements for Strings Book 1. Thanks for the great advice

Suzzie have any more ideas!

I have the full size.Should I get the other size I had.

I think I should. What would you do.

i need more ideas

Does she have her own violin? I don`t really understand your question about the full size, but if she is using a full size violin, you should make sure that it is not too big for her. A three quarter might fit her better

my friends arm is 17 inches long.shes is 9 and almost ten.a

If you`re measuring from her neck to the center of her palm, she should use a 3/4 size. I think 4/4 size is 24 inches from neck to palm.

teaching the violin to someone is extremely hard; congrats for trying.
i think that tape is a very good idea, but like everyone else has said, you have to take it off after a while or else they become too dependant on it. it`s better to let them struggle with intonation than to just give it to them. it developes their ear sooner.
as for bow methods...to be honest, beginners have a notoriously bad time with the bow. creating a deep, rich sound can only really come from experience. but to help them, you have to rememer that everything you do with the bow has to do with wieght. have them play with lots of weight when they first start so that they can develop a nice tone. once they achieve that tone, they can control the sound that the bow makes with much less difficulty.
is that any help? i hope it was.

Thanks Eden and everyone else. My friend, Kaitie is having trouble bowing the most. She is coming along good and for the most part can keep the bow on the correct string and after a few lessons memorized the note names and which were which. (That took me, and my other friends a long time to do.) The big problem is when she puts her fingers down to play a note(not open string, which she is fine with) the note comes out scratchy. Any more tips.

ttt

yea i tried teaching someone how to play the violin and i did the tape method and she got depended on it and whenever i went to take the tape off she didn`t like that to much lol any ways yea congrats for teaching her and use alot of rosin on her bow it will help ALOT!! and have her practice her position where the bow is don`t let her be to close to the bridge or the finger board ok well i hope my advice helps. . .
-britt