Reflections on Professional Development in the Paul Rolland String Pedagogy Method
I believe that a good teacher needs to have at least an intuitive awareness of how bodies move, and how to communicate that with students. Some rare, excellent teachers do this naturally, without being prompted by their pedagogical training. But for those of us who are not as intuitive with communicating body awareness and biomechanical principles, having a pedagogy method that equips teachers and students with tools to develop efficient, artistic technique is essential.
Healthy technique and helping my students increase their body awareness are two pillars of my teaching, so I wanted to invest in a method that emphasizes biomechanics. So, when I was looking for professional development opportunities over the last few summers, I jumped at the chance to take Rolland pedagogy workshops.
Rolland pedagogy, or the Paul Rolland String Pedagogy method, is a teaching method that is focused on breaking down violin technique into a series of physical movement patterns or skills. The method teaches these skills sequentially with an emphasis on eliminating tension to produce free, natural movements and posture.
“Hypothesis:… movement training, designed to free the student from excessive tensions, can be introduced within an organized plan of string instruction, and that such a plan, in the long run, will result in faster learning and better performance in all facets of instruction.”
Making a beautiful sound is the first and central goal of the Rolland method (and indeed of all others!). But Rolland pedagogy differs from other methods (such as Suzuki or the more traditional Franco-Belgian or Russian schools) in that we don’t focus on sound to the exclusion of other considerations.
The Rolland method analyzes the movements, or movement sequences, required to play the violin, and breaks down teaching them in a logical way. When inventing the method, Paul Rolland broke down technique into movement patterns, which he called Actions, and sequenced them from the most fundamental movements necessary for playing the violin, to the more complex virtuosic techniques. The goal with all of the actions is always to integrate them seamlessly with the body’s natural movements.
This method makes sense because it operates on the intuitive principle that in order to obtain a beautiful sound, we need to play the instrument in as natural a manner as possible. “Naturalness” at a skill implies and shows excellence at it, as well as the skill’s full integration into the body. To restate, “naturalness” is the full “embodiment” of a skill. Fred Astaire is a perfect example of a “natural” dancer.
Another example: if you’ve ever watched a baby learning to walk, it’s quite a funny sight. She is very clumsy as she tries to gain control of her limbs. Her movements are jagged and exaggerated. Compare this mental image with that of a 5-year-old, who walks and even runs with excellent posture and efficient movements (not exaggerated anymore!). The 5-year-old walks very “naturally” while the little baby does not. A marathon runner’s stride is even more efficient and embodied than a baby’s or 5-year-old’s, since the runner has devoted time and practice towards perfecting their stride.
My teachers and peers have often described the violin as an “unnatural” instrument or said that our bodies are not “designed” to play the violin. It’s true enough that we are not made to play the violin in the same way that we are made to walk, swim and climb! But a method that strives to make playing the violin more natural to the ways our bodies are designed to move appealed to me.
The Rolland method acknowledges that playing an asymmetrical instrument can’t achieve the same level of instinct as walking, but the goal is still to strive for easy, relaxed, ultimately pain-free and artistic technique. Also, Rolland often found ways to teach skills that respected the uniqueness of every person’s body (rather than insisting on a one-size-fits-all approach).
“His (Rolland's) pedagogical approach, which would systematically establish natural playing movements free from excessive tension, creating a firm foundation of basic technique and tone production, freedom and ease in playing”
Rolland is the only teaching method that I’ve seen this level of depth in exploring the physicality of playing violin (although other violinist pedagogues have come close – Carl Flesch, Simon Fischer). Anatomy, biomechanics, neural processes, kinesthetic awareness are somewhat (if not complete) afterthoughts in other methods of teaching the violin. Other methods approach the physicality of technique from an assumption of, “do whatever you need to do to get this sound” rather than the premise that “achieving this sound requires a specific movement that comes from x body part(s) doing y thing”.
I like the specificity and the attention to detail in the Rolland approach.
“Paul Rolland was the first to use science-based research to consider the role of movement in the acquisition of stringed-instrument performance technique. His movement-centered approach has had worldwide influence in the teaching of children to play stringed instruments.”
The Rolland method’s relative newness (Paul Rolland began work on designing the method in the 60’s) has some distinct practical advantages over other pedagogy methods. Science has “caught up” enough with violin technique to show the underlying biomechanics of playing the violin. This enables the Rolland method to be as specific and scientific as it is, where we did not have this privilege in the past. Another advantage afforded by the late 20th century is that Rolland was able to use recent neurological research as guiding pedagogical principles. Rolland actually worked with neuroscientists while creating the method!
A method of teaching the violin grounded in biomechanics and neuroscience is an invaluable gift to the world of string teaching. I am blessed to have the opportunity to study Rolland pedagogy and pass on its wisdom to my students. I’m looking forward to continuing my study of this fascinating method!