Play Bobby Shafto on Gesture Synth

Map the Eight Bobby Shafto Chord Targets

The route is A–E7–A/C♯–D, followed by F♯m–Bm7–E7–A. In degrees it is I–V–I in first inversion–IV, then vi–ii7–V–I. The tonic appears in two qualities, while the middle pair asks you to enter the minor world without losing the pulse.

Learn the route with both hands centred. Say degree, world and quality before every target: five and four fingers are not interchangeable with a late correction. Hold each recognised label for two clicks at half speed before adding pickup movement.

• Targets 1 and 8: stable A-major home.
• Targets 2 and 7: four-finger E7 tension.
• Target 3: two-finger A/C-sharp inversion.
• Targets 5 and 6: F-sharp minor to three-finger Bm7.

Practise Pickup Preparation at 104 BPM

Begin at 52 BPM with two clicks per target. During the final half of the second click, move the degree hand toward its next zone while the right hand still shows the current quality. Finish the new finger count only as the next click arrives. The live chord label should change once, not flicker through intermediate shapes.

After four accurate runs, use one click per target and raise the tempo by eight BPM. Preparation should reduce rushing, not create an audible early chord. If the sound changes before the beat, delay the quality-hand change and shorten the degree movement.

Build a measured tempo ladder → · Review the complete hand-control map →

Prepare F-sharp Minor and Bm7 Without Losing the Beat

Targets five and six combine a world change with a quality change. Establish F♯ minor with a one-finger triad, keep the wrist direction visible, then prepare degree ii while changing to the three-finger seventh quality for Bm7. Do not fold and reopen fingers behind the other hand.

Loop A/C♯–D–F♯m–Bm7 at 52 BPM. Watch the label rather than guessing from the sound. When all four changes are stable, attach E7–A and listen for the cadence. This isolates the dense middle before the full eight-target run.

Practise chord inversions → · Practise seventh-chord finger counts →

Fix Early Chords, Late Arrivals and Shape Flicker

If a chord fires early, keep the old right-hand quality until the click. If it arrives late, begin only the degree move sooner and keep the total travel compact. If E7 or Bm7 flickers, face the palm toward the lens and separate four or three fingertips before combining the shape with motion.

Keep both wrists inside an evenly lit frame and use a plain background. Close video calls or graphics-heavy tabs when correct labels sound late, and test wired audio before blaming hand tracking. Camera landmarks are processed for the live controller; this lesson does not require a microphone or uploaded performance video.

Fix camera recognition → · Reduce browser audio lag →