The hand signs are essentially for enhancing better sight-singing skills. He never really emphasize the chromatic alteration but mostly focused on the seven diatonic pitches, the Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti. The solfege hand sign was invented by John Curwen in the 19th century, a choral director and then British Minister. It will in the same vein make work easier for the teacher and even more motivating. They can be led through many different patterns and pitches with the knowledge of the hand signs. The hand signs can help learners and even musicians sing in harmony once they all get familiar with the movement of the signs.

Moreover, the solfege hand signs can serve as a useful conducting tool. For instance, a learner can get hold of a new melody and sing it within herself from getting only the hand signs. One can easily visualize the movement and identify the pitch accurately in one’s mind. Inner hearing encompasses being able to internalize the pitches one is reading or that come to mind. Moreover, the hand sign, especially the Curwen hand sign helps encourage inner hearing and improve aural skills in music education. Since it gives a visual effect, it helps to easily recollect certain pitches. The hand signs help to connect their skill and make it easier to learn by being able to easily identify changes in pitches. Typically, it is difficult for some learners to sing and identify pitches in major scale musical components. Some music teachers prefer to use it because they supply pitch intervals with their own movements. The ‘Sol’ sign takes the shape of a handshake with the thumb folded back inside, the ‘La’ sign takes the shape of slightly opened fingers as if to pick something, the ‘Ti’ sign involves pointing the index finger into the air with other fingers folded inside and the high ‘Do’ involves the partial fisting of the hand into the air. The ‘Do’ sign include the total fisting of the hand, the ‘Re’ sign include the raising of the four fingers without the thumb, the ‘Mi’ sign include the lowering of the four fingers without the thumb, the ‘Fa’ sign takes the shape of a thumbs-down with the hand fisted and the thumb facing down. The solfege hand sign is not strenuous to learn and can be learned easily with enough practice. High Do = a little bit above the head level.

Solfege hand signs for chromatic scales