Integrating conscious activities
Here, we present tried and tested ways of integrating conscious activities into your practice. There are ways to manage without any helpers at all. However, the approaches that rely on helpers are more effective.
Practising in a relaxed manner
The foot rollers can be used to realise countless possibilities for integrating conscious activities
Full physical effort
With the help of an aid, it is even possible to use the whole body, such as with the back roller.
Setting impulses
Walking can provide various stimuli. The elaboration is currently in progress. We are happy to keep you informed through our emaNews!
The most important
Practicing with foot rollers
Basic idea: A massage roller is placed underneath each foot, which then massages the soles of the feet by moving them back and forth. Various exercises are performed during this "foot massage." You can use them for the following aspects:
- Rhythm stability
- Developing musical phrasing
- Coordination
- Memorisation
Practising with foot rollers
How to get started
The familiarisation phase, during which you learn how to use the rollers, can be structured as follows: Place your chair in the desired position and slide a roller underneath your foot. Start with slow back-and-forth movements in a constant metre (e.g. eighth notes). Once your foot has become accustomed to the roller, take the instrument and play/pluck it in time with the same pulse as the roller moves. Change feet.
Place a roller underneath both feet, initially without an instrument. Move both rollers parallel and in opposite directions in the same way as you have already practised with one roller. Switch spontaneously between parallel and opposite directions. Add the instrument and pluck/play in time with the metre of the feet. Stay in metre and consciously switch between the two types. Now the fun of experimenting can begin: Move your feet in different directions, in your own rhythms, or link the direction of your feet to the directions of movement when playing, etc.
Using foot rollers while practicing violin
In addition to increasing control over the speed of the rollers, this technique can be applied to musical phrasing, flow, polyphony, and rhythmic stability. Publications are listed below.
Basic rolling methods
Ideally, the foot roller should be used across the entire foot, from the tips of the toes to the heel. The rollers can be used in a seated or standing position, although the variety is much greater when seated. The two basic types are 'parallel' and 'in opposite directions'. There is no differentiation when standing. In the beginning, guiding the rollers is usually an 'impulse'. Triggering this at the right time is an important foundation. A worthwhile goal with the rollers is to 'catch' this impulse and transform it into a speed that remains as constant as possible throughout the entire movement. The decisive factor is: the journey is the destination
How to
Phrasing
All Instruments
Phrasing
This mini-subscription demonstrates the fundamentals of working with the foot rollers, using the piano as an example, and shows how to use the rollers purposefully to develop musical phrases. Everything you need is explained and demonstrated in videos. It is suitable for all instruments.
Violin \ Viola
LHP - practice technique
The rollers can also play an important role in left-hand pizzicato (LHP) practice technique. They contribute to the development and further refinement of all the fundamental movement levels upon which the playing technique of the upper strings is based. To the lhp topic page.
Furthermore, there are additional publications that also integrate roll work. The roll increasingly becomes a helper, used selectively and when needed, for example, to support the basic arm movements during Arm vibrato or selectively when practising various playing techniques in Improve with the left. There are also suggestions for integrating footwork into beginner lessons for violin, viola, and cello. You can explore this in the Tuneful mini-subscription.
Most important
Full physical effort with the back roller
There is one tool that allows you to use your whole body effectively when practising: a back roller (also known as a BlackRoll or fascia roller). The basic idea is that, with the help of the back roller, the whole body can be moved while practising in such a way that the basic posture or instrumental posture is affected little, if at all. This may sound strange at first, and admittedly it did at first, but the variety of advantages is impressive:
- The up-and-down movements can be customised depending on the exercise goal.
- The whole body moves in an increasingly controlled manner, while playing becomes more independent of body movement and therefore more relaxed.
- You also train your muscles.
- You get a ‘back massage’.
Practicing with the back roller
Dealing with the roller
It is important to hold the roller with your body weight. Only with your body weight can you hold the instrument without tensing up. It is best to practise this without an instrument at first.
The feet need a good stance and should not slip on the floor. Depending on the floor, material and ability to balance yourself well with your toes, this is possible with socks. Alternatives are sports shoes, non-slip socks or standing on a studded mat.
The fitness level for this type of exercise is very limited at the beginning. We therefore recommend only aiming for short sessions at the beginning and not pushing yourself to the limit. For motivation, it can be important to only set yourself a small goal that you can actually achieve. Sometimes less is more!
The type of roller should suit you. You can usually try them out beforehand in sports shops.
Doors, house walls, glass doors etc. are also particularly suitable as wall replacements. Do not use a wall with your favourite wallpaper, as the surface of the roller can also leave marks.
Using the back roller while practicing
Here is an example of the combination of the basic arm movement and the use of the back roll for arm vibrato. You can find more exercises in Arm vibrato.