ABSTRACT
Paul Rolland, a Hungarian-American violinist and teacher, developed a sequential approach for teaching string instruments known as “movement in action.” While holding the violin in rest position, the student places the feet in a “V” shape, then moves the left foot slightly to the side and in front of the right. Rolland viewed the selection of a proper chinrest as crucial to establishing a natural violin hold. He suggested that beginners should not use shoulder rests but rather a small sponge or rolled-up washcloth. Rolland recommended using three adhesive “Signal Dots” on the fingerboard in lieu of finger markers; two to mark first- and third-finger placement in first position (for violin and viola) and the third, “Middle Dot,” to mark half of the string length to help the student place the hand in “Middle Position.” Rolland developed a sequence of exercises to develop “finger vibrato,” “wrist vibrato,” and “arm vibrato”.
