Official preset
Easy C-major chords
A forgiving Gesture Synth setup with major triads locked in, so finger count selects the chord while your other hand shapes volume and tone.
C major · 96 BPM · 2 bars
Gesture Synth, a browser-native musical instrument
Gesture Synth: Control Music With Your Hands
Open Gesture Synth. Move your hands. Make music.
Gesture Synth
Ready to make music
Performance view · optional
Camera and face tracking stay on this device.
Ready-to-play setups
Featured Gesture Synth presets
Choose a ready-made setup while the instrument prepares, then play it immediately.
Official preset
Dreamy D-minor sevenths
A slower Gesture Synth loop and minor seventh voicings make it easy to build an atmospheric progression one layer at a time.
D minor · 78 BPM · 4 bars
Official preset
Free-motion theremin
Gesture Synth maps one hand to continuous pitch and the other to volume, letting you play without fixed notes or chord shapes.
Theremin · 90 BPM · 4 bars
Gesture Synth runs on the browser tools already in front of you
Web camera
Hand tracking
Web Audio
Media recording
What it is
What is Gesture Synth?
Gesture Synth translates natural hand motion into a playable, recordable performance without hiding the music behind setup screens.
Two-hand expression
Gesture Synth follows both hands in real time, separating note choice from volume, tone, and expression.
Scale degreesC major
I
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IV
V
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VII
Chords, theremin, or drums
Play scale-aware chords, shape continuous theremin pitch, or strike a six-piece air drum kit with natural hand movement.
Track 1
Track 2
Track 3
Track 4
Four-track loop pedal
Gesture Synth records layers to a beat grid, then lets you mute, solo, mix, and edit each track while playing.
Performance recording
Record the whole performance
Gesture Synth captures the camera canvas and synthesized audio together, then saves the finished performance from the browser.
Built beyond the demo
Why choose Gesture Synth?
Unlike a one-sound gesture demo, Gesture Synth combines playable instruments, expressive visuals, loop production, and finished performance capture in one browser product.
New capability
Play Air Drums with hand gestures
Both index fingers control a six-piece virtual drum kit. Tap down to play, and strike faster for louder drum sounds.
New capability
Perform with face-tracked 3D avatars
Replace the live camera view with Moon Panda, Ember Fox, Mint Lynx, or Nova Cat while the 3D face follows your expressions.
A growing Gesture Synth instrument library
Gesture Synth already includes chords, Air Theremin, and Air Drums. More instruments can join the same webcam performance workflow over time.
From movement to sound
How Gesture Synth turns movement into sound
Gesture Synth turns live camera input into musical decisions locally in the browser, then sends them straight to the audio engine.
Camera input
Hand landmarks
Music engine
Live sound
After you press Start, Gesture Synth requests camera access and downloads the tracking models it needs.
3
instrument modes
4
loop tracks
7
scale degrees
0
apps to install
Sources and ownership
Built on documented browser standards
Gesture Synth uses MediaPipe hand landmarks for movement input and the Web Audio API for real-time sound. The processing path stays inside the browser session.
“user permission is always required”— MDN Web Docs on camera and audio input
Three steps
How to use Gesture Synth
With Gesture Synth, the whole path is simple: grant camera access, play, and layer the moments you want to keep.
Open the instrument- 01
Allow camera access
Choose a 3D avatar or your real camera view, press Start, then approve the browser camera request.
- 02
Shape the music with both hands
Shape chords and theremin tones with both hands, or strike the air drum pads to play them directly.
- 03
Layer, mix, and export
Gesture Synth lets you build four loop tracks, edit the beat grid, and record the finished performance.
Frequently asked questions
Practical answers about setup, privacy, gestures, and recording.
Do I need MIDI hardware or an app?
No. Gesture Synth runs in the browser with a webcam, speakers, and a modern desktop browser. There is nothing to install.
Does my camera video leave the device?
No. Hand tracking and sound generation run locally in the browser. The camera feed is used for the live instrument and is not uploaded by Gesture Synth.
How does Gesture Synth use hand gestures to control music?
In Gesture mode, one hand selects scale degrees and chord shapes while the other controls volume and tone. Theremin mode maps one hand to pitch and the other to volume.
Can I record and download a performance?
Yes. You can build four loop tracks, export the loop audio, or record the camera canvas and synthesized sound together as an MP4 performance. Older browsers that cannot record MP4 fall back to WebM.
Which devices work best?
A desktop or laptop with a webcam gives the most reliable playing space. Chrome or Edge is recommended; camera, Web Audio, and MediaRecorder support are required.
Your next instrument is already here
Ready to hear what your hands can do?
Use Gesture Synth with the webcam you already have to play, loop, and record a complete performance directly in your browser.
Start playingFree to use · No download required