For all Instruments
Foot roller method
Develop a sense of rhythmic stability and build musical phrases upon it
The Foot Roller Method - from feeling rhythm to musical expression
The foot roller technique is an effective practice tool that can be used to develop rhythmic stability in a targeted manner. It anchors a sense of rhythm in the body through conscious, physically perceptible activity during practice. Rhythm is thus felt in the truest sense of the word and then expressed musically in performance. The method can be learned both through technical exercises and directly in musical works. It consists of four clearly structured steps that can be applied to almost any instrument and singing, regardless of age or playing level.
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Step 1 to 3 specifically promote rhythmic stability,
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Step 4 builds on this and leads to the development of musical phrases.
The four steps can be worked on independently and with the support of our mini subscription ‘Phrasing’.
What you need
First of all, it is important to be willing to actively use your feet, whether sitting or standing. We strongly recommend using special massage rollers for the Foot Roller Method, as this achieves the best possible results. There are different types of rollers. We particularly recommend our described and tested massage rollers and advise you to try out different models. A basic distinction is made between hard and air-filled rollers. For those who want to learn the basics comprehensively, we recommend our mini subscription ‘Phrasing’. There you will find detailed instructions and videos demonstrations on how to implement the method. Yes, it is basically possible to apply the basics of the technique without rollers – information on this can also be found in the mini subscription mentioned above.
Publications on the Foot Roller Method
A fundamental publication conveys the four basic steps of Foot Roller Method in a practical manner using the piano as an example: from building rhythmic stability to musical phrasing. This is supplemented by application-oriented publications that show how individual elements of the technique can be used in a targeted manner, for example to develop playing technique or to promote rhythmic stability, even when the musical phrase is not the main focus. There are also regular events relating to the method.
Phrasing
Online course
Phrasing
The basics of the Foot Roller Method in four steps (28 video demonstrations).
Arm vibrato
Online Course
Arm vibrato
How the feet can support the development of arm vibrato (53 video demonstrations).
LHP practice technique
Online course
LHP practice technique
How the Foot Roller Method can support the development of playing technique (74 video demonstrations).
Internalize rhythm
Online course
Internalize rhythm
How feet can support beginners on the piano (44 video demonstrations).
Basic types of rolling
Ideally, the foot roller should be guided across the entire foot, from the tips of the toes to the heel. The rollers can be used both when sitting and standing, although there are significantly more variations when sitting. There are basically two types of guidance: in parallel and in opposite directions. This distinction does not apply when standing, as only one roller can be used. At the beginning, the roller is usually guided by spontaneous impulse. Applying this impulse at the right moment is a key part of the technique. A worthwhile goal is to absorb this impulse and convert it into a as smooth movement as possible over the entire rolling path. The key point here is that the journey is the destination.
Foundation and origin of the Foot Roller Method
- Review by Erdmute Maria Hohage, the inventor of this method -
The so-called Foot Roller Method (FRM) has a long and traceable development history. Its origins reach back to the late 1990s, when I began exploring ways to make musical phrasing physically tangible for students and those who wanted to pass auditions for universities - particularly through targeted walking movements. The goal was to bring the movement of the legs and feet into a continuous, uninterrupted flow, thereby fostering an inner sense of stability in musical expression. The transition from one step to the next proved to be both a major challenge and a valuable indicator: the smoother and more connected the movement, the more coherent the musical performance tended to be. Players received direct, bodily feedback about the alignment between their inner conception and its tuneful realization.
A second, decisive stage of development began around 2010 - initially as an experiment. Together with Angelika, I started placing objects under the soles of the feet to anchor rhythmic precision in a tangible way. While rehearsing a rhythmically complex duo, we used simple tools such as balls under our feet, moving them in time with the meter. This playful approach turned out to be not only effective but also unexpectedly insightful.
About four years later, we began using massage rollers for the first time - and with them came a new level of differentiation: between vertical rhythmic stability and horizontal stability in the sense of musical phrasing. Thus, the topic of physically supported phrasing reentered my teaching, though I was not initially aware of how directly it continued my earlier experiments.
Although formalizing a “method” had never been my goal, the deliberate use of the feet gradually became an integral part of my teaching over the following years - across a range of topics, from questions of vibrato to issues to sound shaping. Even my youngest students have long been encouraged to use their feet consciously. More advanced students and professionals now develop their own applications and variations based on this basic, which I find especially rewarding, as I have always viewed my teaching as a source of inspiration rather than a mere transfer of methods.
In the most recent phase of development, the question arose whether the technique could be made systematically applicable to all instrumentalists and singers. Together with Angelika, we revisited all previous approaches, conducted new experiments with various instrument groups, chamber ensembles, and orchestras, and eventually arrived at a structured process. Angelika’s key contribution was to condense the complex relationships into just four clearly defined steps. The result is a practical guide called Phrasing that offers musicians of all levels and instruments an accessible introduction to working with the FRM:
- Internalization of vertical rhythmic stability
- Refinement of vertical foot movement within the meter
- Transfer to horizontal stability (direction of phrasing)
- Musical phrasing based on physically grounded movement
Ideally, these steps build upon one another, yet they can also be applied flexibly or modularly depending on musical context and individual goals. We chose the piano as our example instrument, since - similar to the higher string instruments - it requires a particularly high degree of coordination between sound, rhythm, and movement, and its technical fundamentals are widely familiar.
While working on the recordings for the guide, I experienced one final, formative insight: the fourth step - the conscious shaping of a musical phrase - works reliably only when the passage being practiced does not yet have an established inner image, or when the existing conception has not yet been convincingly realized. This realization deepened my understanding of the technique’s potential even further.
I wish all musicians who embark on this exploration much curiosity, joy, and success. The Foot Roller Method does not only open new pathways toward rhythmic stability and phrasing but also strengthens the connection between body, sound, and musical intention.