How do I start playing?
Press Play, allow camera access, and keep both hands clearly visible. The same button also enables audio.
Your hands are the instrument
Gesture Synth – Play Music With Your Hands Online
Turn your webcam into a musical instrument. Use hand gestures to control chords, voicing, volume, octave, and filter effects directly in your browser.
Play Gesture SynthCamera frames are processed locally in your browser and are not recorded or uploaded.
Interactive instrument
Play Gesture Synth Online
Allow camera access, then keep both hands visible inside the frame.
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Gesture Synth Guide
Left hand
Raise fingers to choose scale degrees I–VII. Tilt inward for major and outward for minor.
Right hand
Raise one to four fingers to choose voicing. Use your thumb for octave, height for volume, and tilt for filter.
Watch the original tutorialReady when you are.
Video tutorial
How to Play Gesture Synth
Watch how both hands work together, then try the same movements in the player.
What to notice
- Keep your wrists and fingertips fully visible to the camera.
- Use the left hand to choose the chord before shaping it with the right hand.
- Make slow, deliberate movements while learning each control.
Music in motion
What Is Gesture Synth?
Gesture Synth is a browser-based musical instrument that uses webcam hand tracking to turn finger positions, hand tilt, and movement into chords and sound controls.
Simple gestures, expressive sound
Gesture Synth Controls and Setup Guide
What equipment do I need?
You need a webcam, speakers or headphones, a modern browser, and good lighting. No MIDI controller or specialist tracking hardware is required.
Is my camera video uploaded?
No. There is no recording or upload feature; MediaPipe processes camera frames locally on your device.
Gesture controls
Left-Hand Chord Controls
Raise one to five fingers for I–V. Use index plus pinky for VI, and add the thumb for VII. Tilt inward for major or outward for minor.
Right-Hand Voicing Controls
Use one finger for root position, two for first inversion, three for a seventh, and four for dominant or diminished seventh voicing.
Volume, Octave, and Filter
Move your right hand higher for more volume. Use the thumb to change octave and horizontal tilt to shape the filter.
If something is not working
Camera permission is blocked
Use the camera icon in your browser’s address bar to allow access, then press Play again.
You opened the site inside a social app
Instagram and TikTok in-app browsers may block camera access. Open this page in Chrome, Safari, Edge, or Firefox instead.
Why are my hands not detected?
Check camera permission, improve the lighting, show your complete hands, and make sure another app is not using the camera.
There is no sound
Press Play to enable browser audio, check that the tab is not muted, and confirm your speaker or headphone volume.
Questions and answers
Gesture Synth Questions and Answers
What is Gesture Synth?
Gesture Synth is a browser-based musical instrument that turns hand gestures into chords and expressive sound controls.
How do I start playing?
Press Play Gesture Synth, allow camera access, and keep both hands clearly visible. The same button enables browser audio.
What equipment do I need?
You need a webcam, speakers or headphones, a modern browser, and good lighting. No MIDI controller or special tracking hardware is required.
Is my camera video uploaded?
No recording or webcam-upload feature is included. Camera frames are processed locally with MediaPipe.
Why are my hands not detected?
Check camera permission, improve the lighting, keep each hand fully visible, and make sure another application is not using your webcam.
Does it work on phones and tablets?
It can work in browsers supporting camera access, WebAssembly, graphics acceleration, and Web Audio. Performance varies by device.