O

Paul Rolland And

His Influence
E
by Mimi Zweig

ven though I met Paul Rolland only one time in the early 1970’s, he
remains one of the most influential voices in my teaching. I was a violinist in
the Piedmont Chamber Orchestra in residence at the North Carolina School
of the Arts and because it was not a full time position, I had plenty of time
on my hands.
My ex-husband, Jerry Horner, suggested that I observe Nancy Kredel
(who was a recent graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
and student of Paul Rolland) teach kids in her string program she was begin-
ning in the Winston-Salem school system. Kredel was using the principles
and inspiration of her teacher. Initially, I wondered why go to observe her?
I had no thoughts about teaching; and furthermore, I was not crazy about
kids. After the first day, I was hooked and 40 years later I’m still teaching.
Besides observing Kredel and working as her apprentice, the series of
films, The Teaching of Action in String Playing, changed my life. Here were
the answers to so many questions I had as a 22-year-old: What is the rela-
tionship of the body to the violin, how does one shape the left and right
hands, can shifting be learned, and what about vibrato? The weekend I
watched these films changed the course of my relationship to the violin, and
the principles became a major foundation block of both my teaching and
playing.
Rolland had the genius to recognize that what we teach in the first lessons
sets the stage for everything to come. He was one of the first pedagogues
to discuss free physical motions of the body and its importance to playing
musically with technical fluidity. With innovative techniques that he devel-
oped, he addressed all the important issues about violin playing: Supporting
the violin and balancing it on the collarbone, geographical understanding of
the finger board, supple bow movements that define the basic bow strokes,
shifting motions and vibrato impulses.
In becoming a teacher, I absorbed information from my teachers, ob-
served master classes, practiced thousands of hours, performed and learned.
I am still learning from my students. It has all been put together in a melt-
ing pot and come out as my own recipe.

20 | American String Teacher | May 2011

H
O
ere are a few things in my teaching that are Rolland-inspired:

In the first lesson, the awareness of the body to the ignated spot. Rolland was able to clarify and simplify
instrument is set by feeling the body balance from the shifting. In addition to sliding on the “X” in rest posi-
feet upward. The Statue of Liberty exercise, done by tion, students in playing position are sliding silently
placing the left hand in 4th position on the fingerboard up and down the fingerboard on individual fingers,
and holding the violin at a 45-degree angle up and to then sliding with the bow and eventually sliding to
the left, strengthens the left arm of young violinists. (One match harmonics. (With the harmonics, the emphasis
will rarely see the left arm nestled against the body is also on the lightness of left hand fingers.) Playing
because the muscles have been developed.) The violin is “Au Clair de la Lune” beginning in 1st position and
placed on the collarbone from above and with a circular continuing up the scale on one string gives equal ease
motion, guarding against rigidity. and facility to all positions.

O The placement of the “high dot,” dividing the string O As I grew up, the saying was that vibrato could not be
length into two equal parts, is the beginning of the geo- taught, and those with a beautiful vibrato must simply
graphical understanding of the fingerboard. This cen- be the talented ones. Rolland proved this accepted
tral dot produces the harmonic one octave above the saying erroneous. The key to a beautiful vibrato is to
open string. By placing the fourth finger over the high release the impulse in the arm, wrist and fingers. Each
dot in 4th position, the left hand is also being naturally individual will find his/her own natural impulse. He
shaped. The geography of the fingerboard will later also knew that the vibrato would not flow unless there
be divided into thirds and fifths with the use of natural was the constant awareness of the released motions
harmonics. within the entire body. In the first lessons, the tapping
impulse is introduced with the left hand fingers tap-
O The placement of the “Magic X” (I call it magic be-
ping in rhythms on the left side of the violin. Not only
does this release the vibrato impulse, but it also helps
cause it will disappear after the first hand washing) at
to secure a correct position for the violin. (Another
the base of the left hand’s first finger is another geo-
genius aspect of Rolland is to introduce one thing that
graphical marker. In the first lesson, students are sliding
indirectly affects a few other things.) Here are a few
up and down the neck of the instrument setting the
more preliminary vibrato exercises that are intro-
lifelong motions of fluid shifting. The “X” is also used to
duced early in a child’s development:
set the left hand position. Slide down on the “X” from
4th position to 1st, leaving the fingers relaxed over Peg Knockers release the wrist vibrato. With the
the fingerboard. Extending the use of the “X,” we can hand in 1st position, release the wrist so that the
check for the correct balance of the left hand fingers. knuckles fall back and hit (knock) the pegs. Gently
The “X” should be level with the fingerboard, not too knock the pegs in rhythm. The arm vibrato can be
high or too low. The most efficient left hand position is released by sliding the fingers on the fingerboard
one where the third and fourth fingers are comfortable with flexible knuckles. Slide up to 5th position with
and the first and second fingers are extended back. the finger bent, then slide back with it flat. Repeat
The fingers will relax after being played allowing on each string. Half Step Finger Slides will help
them to find their own most natural position. to release the finger vibrato. Slide the finger back
and forth in half steps with the knuckle bent going
O As students develop, the innovative techniques con- up and flat coming down.
tinue. Left arm swings keep the left arm free at the
ball and socket joint and allows the left hand fingers O So far, we have only covered the left side of violin
to change angle for each string. This insures consistent playing. Now let’s take a look at the right side and the
intonation. The freedom of motion from the ball and bow. All the innovative Rolland techniques are again
socket joint also gives one the ability to shift up the based on the constant awareness of free and circu-
fingerboard and to keep the violin at a good height. lar body motions. The freedom of motion begins with
the circular motion of the right hand pizzicato over all
O Shifting is the transportation system of the finger- strings and the circle that follows. It continues with the
board. I remember as a developing violinist that get- playing of whole bow circles and bow wanderings.
ting out of 1st position was a major accomplishment. It (Begin at the tip of the bow and play with relaxed small
did not happen for quite a while, and then only with detache bows up to the frog and return to the tip.) Rol-
the trepidation of not arriving successfully to the des- land was very specific about defining bow strokes. The

www.astaweb.com | 21
 ring to the martele is produced by pulling the string on the down
bow, pushing on the up bow and proceeding with the weight of
the arm. The detache stroke is produced with one motion (the
down bow) which facilitates the up bow for minimal effort. His
teaching of the spiccato stroke is what I use with students of all
ages and levels. It begins with silent bow bounces at the bal-
ance point of the bow and then adding the horizontal motion
using the forearm in the lower half of the bow, maintaining the
“bouncy” feeling.

O The contemporary repertoire that developed with the Rolland

Project made a major impact on our expectations of what we
thought young students would accept and understand. Young
students were playing pieces hot off the press and loving them. Order your copy of the
In The New Tunes for Strings by Stanley Fletcher, in which Rol- String Research Journal,
land requested short pieces for specific techniques, we have
a gold mine of sophisticated music for the beginning string available now from Alfred
student. These pieces include harmonics, sliding harmonics, piz- Music Publishing!
zicato, interesting intervals, catchy tunes from around the world
— all of which stretch the technical boundaries of the student in www.alfred.com/asta
a logical manner.

Paul Rolland remains a major contrib-

utor to string education because he had
a vision of violin development from the
beginning to the artist level. To teach
at the advanced levels, it is extremely
helpful to understand from where we
have come. All problems, regardless of
how complicated, can be broken down
into the simplest elements and solved
with enough repetitions. All these
years later, the Rolland legacy lives on
through my students.

Mimi Zweig is currently a

professor of violin and
director of the Indiana
University String Academy.
Since 1972, she has devel-
oped pre-college string
programs across the United
States. She has given master classes and
pedagogy workshops in the United States,
Mexico, Canada, Israel, Japan and Europe.
She has recently produced StringPedagogy.
com, an innovative web-based teaching tool.
In the spring of 2006, American Public
Television released the documentary, “Circling
Around-The Violin Virtuosi” which features
String Academy students. Her students have
won numerous competitions, and they teach
and perform worldwide.

22 | American String Teacher | May 2011