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Seven hand positions, one for each scale degree.
Also known as: Kodály hand signs, Tonic sol-fa hand signs, Solfège hand signs, Hand shapes for notes
Curwen's hand signs give each degree of the scale a hand shape held at a height matching its pitch, so a teacher can indicate a melody silently. Kodály adopted them and they are now generally known by his name rather than Curwen's.
Denote seven hand shapes, one for each degree of the movable-doh scale, held at a height corresponding to pitch.
Contexts: Music
Were devised by John Curwen in the nineteenth century as part of the tonic sol-fa teaching system.
Contexts: Music
Are widely attributed to Zoltán Kodály, who adopted and adapted them, so the signs are usually met under his name rather than their originator's.
Contexts: Music
A series of distinct hand positions — a closed fist, a flat downward palm, an upward-pointing finger, an open upward palm — held at successively higher levels.