Re: n00b - what am I doing wrong?
From a fellow noob, just over a year in....
I found similar problems in both ability and physical discomfort. At risk of repeating what has gone before on this thread my mantra would be "slow and steady wins the race" although, wonderfully, it is not a race that ever ends.
We have to remember that despite music being embedded in our genes, the physical act of playing a musical instrument is not a 'natural' thing humans do. Placing our bodies in certain unusual positions to make wondrous sounds: holding a violin with left arm held up at an an angle, cradling a tuba in our laps or standing with a stick-thing protruding from our waistbands and strapped to us at the neck...is not natural for the human body so when it is required the body will always take time to adjust.
My recommendation is to do short and regular sessions, as little as 10 mins at a time with 30-60 mins off. Not ideal when you have the bug and want to get to it all the time but it will benefit in the long run. I had huge pains in my left wrist because I found it was permanently bent in a little when I played, no matter how high and out I held my elbow. With time, and some stretching before and after playing my body adapted and that position starts to feel 'normal'.
I wish you all the best. Don't give up, i'm sure you wont. Patience and time will fix it all
P