Guidonian hand
The Guidonian hand is a medieval memory aid: each joint of the left hand stands for a note of the system, together with its solmization syllables. It covers 20 positions, from the lowest note, gamma ut, up to ee la. It is named after Guido of Arezzo, who may already have used such an aid; its final form is documented from the 12th century on.
- Meaning
- memory aid: notes and syllables on the finger joints
- Range
- 20 positions, from Γ ut (G2) to ee la (E5)
- Name
- after Guido of Arezzo; final form from the 12th century on
- In teaching
- The teacher points to a joint, the pupils sing the note.
A hand as a note system
In the Middle Ages singers learnt the notes with the help of their left hand. Each finger joint was assigned a note, together with the solmization syllables under which that note was sung in the hexachords. The hand thus served as an aid for finding your way around the note system and as a memory aid. By pointing to a spot on the hand, the teacher could set out a sequence of notes exactly, much as people solmize with hand signs today.
Whether Guido of Arezzo (11th century) himself already used such a hand is not certain. Its final form is found from the 12th century on. It was in use from the Middle Ages into the early modern period.
Twenty positions
The hand covers 20 positions. The lowest note is called Γ ut, after the Greek letter gamma; it is G2. The highest is called ee la, that is E5.
The lower ten positions: Γ to B3
The lowest note, Γ (gamma), is G2. From there the line rises step by step.
The upper ten positions: C4 to ee (E5)
The highest note of the hand is ee, that is E5. Together with the first line that makes 20 notes. The lines show B; in the hexachord molle, B♭ is sung at this position.
Three hexachords
Three kinds of interlocking hexachords are spread across these 20 notes: durum on G, naturale on C and molle on F, each in several registers. A note can therefore belong to two or three hexachords and then has several syllables. Changing from one hexachord to another is called mutation; there is more on the hexachords on the page Hexachord.
| Hexachord | Starts on | ut re mi fa sol la |
|---|---|---|
| durum | G2 (Γ), G3, G4 | G A B C D E |
| naturale | C3, C4 | C D E F G A |
| molle | F3, F4 | F G A B♭ C D |
Common mistakes
- Taking the hand for Guido’s invention: Whether Guido used it is an open question; it is documented in its final form only from the 12th century on.
- Taking Γ for the note G4: Gamma is G2, the lowest note of the hand.
- Expecting every joint to have a name of its own: The names of the positions are made up of a letter and syllables, such as Γ ut or ee la.
Continue on Maikstrings
Related terms
HexachordSolmizationMutationMovable DoFixed DoMusica fictaChurch modeScale
Editor: Maik Krohm · reviewed on 4 October 2026
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