Gesture Synth — Full Guide

Left hand = chord selection

Your left hand picks which chord is sounding. The default mapping uses finger count for chord degree and wrist tilt for major vs minor. You can lock the mode in settings to keep your right hand simpler.

• 1 finger upChord I (the root, brightest)

  Stable, confident — the home chord of the key.

• 2 fingers upChord vi (relative minor, melancholy)

  Soft and reflective — the classic 'I-vi' opener.

• 3 fingers upChord IV (subdominant, warm)

  Anchoring, like a question waiting for an answer.

• 4 fingers upChord V (dominant, tense)

  Pulls toward I — perfect for the turn-around.

• 5 fingers upChord ii (minor ii, jazzy)

  Less common, color note — sounds great before V.

• Index + pinkyChord VI (relative of ii)

  Borrowed color, great for bridges.

• Index + pinky + thumbChord VII (leading tone area)

  Tense and bright, wants to resolve to I.

• Wrist tiltMajor ↔ Minor (with tilt mode)

  Same finger, different color — flip and listen.

Right hand = expression

Your right hand shapes volume, chord style, tone color, and octave. By default it does four things at once; lock any of them in settings to simplify.

• Hand heightVolume (low → high)

  Soft at the desk, loud at shoulder height.

• 1–4 fingers upTriad · inversion · 7ths

  Same root, different voicing — try them in order.

• Wrist tiltTone (filter sweep)

  Tilt for darker, flat for brighter.

• Thumb extendedOctave down

  Drop the bass for a warmer feel.

• Fist (no fingers)Mute

  Quick gap between phrases.

• Mode switchGesture ↔ Theremin

  Continuous pitch from hand height.

Volume follows your right hand height

The Y-position of your right wrist sets the volume in real time — not your distance from the camera. Lift your hand to play louder, lower it to soften. To keep volume steady across a passage, anchor your elbow on the desk and hold your hand at a fixed height.

Choosing a key

The default key is A (220 Hz). Lower keys (G, F#) sound warmer and bassier; higher keys (C, D) sound brighter and more cutting. Pick a key that fits the song you want to play — for a sad ballad, drop to G; for a punchy pop hook, try C or D.

Rhythm & tempo

Gesture Synth doesn't enforce a tempo — you do. Try keeping a steady 4/4 beat by switching chords every 1 second (about 60 BPM). For a faster feel, switch every half second (~120 BPM). Listen to your favorite pop song's tempo and try to match it.

Practice tips

Three things make a huge difference: (1) Anchor your elbows — keeps volume steady; (2) Sit an arm's length from the camera with even lighting; (3) Start with just I-IV-V-I before adding I-vi-IV-V. Build the muscle memory in 10-minute sessions.