What are some common hand signals for communicating within a small ensemble?
Playing in a small group, I already know and use the gesture of pointing to my head to indicate "play the head" or "go back to the beginning".
If the ensemble is playing songs containing intro, verse, chorus and bridge sections, is there any widely understood set of gestures that mean "at the end of the current phrase, go to the chorus" or "at the end of the current phrase, go to the bridge" or "do verse 1 again".
I have seen some videos (Snarky Puppy) where the end of an extended solo is indicated by a raised fist, but there seems to be prior agreement about where the music will go to immediately afterwards.
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I have seen
a circular hand movement used to indicate a repeat
both hands palms forward to indicate stopping/end of song/silence
index fingers together, hands in a pyramid shape - softer/slower/legato (finger to the lips was also used on occasion, mostly for "softer/more quiet")
However, that was a conductor in front of a choir - a distinct person with his hands free. A small ensemble will be playing (hands busy, as Areel says) and I'm not sure you have one dedicated signaler.
When it's time for a jazz tune to end, the bandleader may raise their index finger in the air which means "Play the melody one more time and then end."
In string bands, raising a foot means, "When you finish this time through the tune, end the tune or start the next tune in the medley."
If a group is playing a medley and a number of the members are playing the medley for the first time, the bandleader may show 3 fingers up which means the next tune has 3 sharps or 2 fingers down which means the next tune has 2 flats as @LaurencePayne says in his answer. The bandleader may then signal the changes to rest of the band using the number of fingers to signify the scale degree of the root of the chords.
In my band either the fiddler or the guitar player will signal tempo by moving the neck of their instrument. Side-to-side means "Go slower" and up-and-down means "Go faster."
If I'm sitting, then standing up means "Watch me." If we're doing a big splashy rock finish, I'll take a hop or jump off of a chair to signal the final "thump" of the ending.
Staring or pointing at a musician means "Take a solo". Rotating a hand towards the end of the solo means "Solo another time through."
Staring and nodding in time at the drummer means, "Go at this exact tempo."
In folk ensembles often a foot in the air means, "End at the end of this section."
In my band, me laughing means "I have totally screwed up. Cover me."
Generally, groups I've been in have very limited signals to go to a specific place in a piece. Those are:
Go to the top (tap head, point up)
Go to whatever part we agreed should follow the solo (closed fist or a particular musical phrase signals the end of the solo)
Go to another solo (nod at the new soloist or point)
Go to the coda (closed fist)
This is the last verse (closed fist)
Oops, we need to end this piece now! (very emphatic closed fist and desperate eye contact, with a wild hope that we all roughly land on the same chord :-) )
Do a turnaround (finger swirls around in air)
End the final note (instrument raises, fist closes, jump in air)
Depending on the situation, these can either be prearranged for a specific performance or just part of your group's everyday operations.
You can also use signals to make minor modifications to what you're playing. For example: once upon a time, in a drum section, we had signals to throw in one of a predetermined set of fills for a given piece. Those were simply indicated by number: 1, 2, 3, 4.
As well as the 'stirring' gesture for 'keep going' there's the 'cut-throat' for 'end it!' Also the 'three fingers up' (three sharps, A major) 'two fingers down' (two flats, Bb major) etc. indications for a key change.
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