A Free Gesture Synth Alternative

Why people look for a gesture synth alternative

Everyone has their own reasons. These are the most common ones we hear:

• You want to learn real songs. Waving your hands is fun, but playing a song you know is more satisfying. Guided song lessons give you a goal.
• You want a theremin, too. Some players want a single, sliding melody line instead of chords, like the classic theremin sound.
• You want to record and post a clip. If you plan to share your playing, a built-in recorder in a vertical format saves a lot of steps.
• Your camera is not available. Maybe it is in use, blocked by your browser, or your computer does not have one. A keyboard and touch fallback means you can still play.
• You care about privacy. You may want a tool where the hand tracking happens on your own device and the video is never uploaded.
• You want more control over the sound. Different keys, minor and major, chord inversions, seventh chords and a choice of sounds make it feel more like an instrument.

What Gestune offers

Gestune is a chord instrument you play with hand signs. Your left hand picks the chord: one finger for chord I, two for II, three for III, four for IV, an open hand for V, the rock sign (index and pinky) for VI, and thumb, index and pinky for VII. Make a fist or move your hand out of view and the sound stops. Tilt your left hand to force a chord minor or major. The full chart is on the how to play page.

Your right hand shapes the sound. Raise it to get louder and lower it to get softer. Tilt it to make the tone darker or brighter. Hold up one, two, three or four fingers to choose a plain triad, first inversion, second inversion or a seventh chord, and stick your thumb out to drop an octave. Left-handed players can swap the roles of the hands in the settings.

Beyond chords, there is a Theremin mode on the home page and on its own online theremin page. One hand moves left and right for pitch across three octaves, the other sets the volume. You can snap notes to the current key or let them glide freely.

There is also a Learn a song panel with guided lessons for songs you might already know, and a Record button that makes a short video clip with sound.

What you get with Gestune

A quick overview of the features available today.

How to switch in a minute

If you already know the basic idea, you can be playing in under a minute.

1. 1

   Open the player

   The player is at the top of this page (and on the Gestune home page). Desktop Chrome, Edge or Safari work best. Phones work too; turn yours sideways so both hands fit in the picture.

2. 2

   Press Start Playing

   Press Start Playing. The sound turns on and your browser asks for camera permission. Allow it to play with your hands, or skip it and use the keyboard or pads.

3. 3

   Follow the short tutorial

   The first-run tutorial shows you four things: pick a chord with your left hand, tilt for major or minor, raise your right hand for volume, and use right-hand fingers for voicing. It moves on by itself as you do each step.

4. 4

   Pick a key and a sound

   Choose one of the 12 keys, major or minor, and one of the four sounds. Chord Harp is a good pick if you like a bright, plucked sound.

5. 5

   Try a song or record a clip

   Open Learn a song to play along with a guided lesson, or press Record to capture a short clip you can download. See the recording guide for tips.

Tips for a smooth start

• Use good, even light and a plain background. The hand model sees your fingers more clearly that way.
• Sit about an arm’s length from the camera so both hands fit in the frame.
• Hold each chord shape for a moment. Shapes are smoothed over a few frames so shaky hands do not flicker, which means a very quick flash may not register.
• If chords feel jumpy, set Response to Stable in the settings. If they feel slow, try Fast.
• Start with an easy song like Creep or Duvet from the song list before trying a longer one.
• No camera? Hold keys 1 to 7 to play chords, hold Shift to flip major and minor, and use Q, W, E and R for voicing.

Frequently asked questions