Worship Leaders Hand Signals

Be discrete about it

Verse 1: Sign of 1
Verse 2: Sign of 2
Go to Chorus: C Shape sign
Go to Verse: V Shape sign
Go to Bridge: B Shape sign or finger cross
From top or Go to the top: Index finger point sky or taping your head
Go to next song: Twisting or turning the peace or verse sign to and fro
Free worship: Magic Finger. Palm face down and all fingers moving
Tag last line: Last finger sign
End song: Fist
Repeat: Circulating the index pointed finger
Raised key: Moving the thumb up
Build up or louder or higher intensity: Palm face up to sky and move up
Slow down or soften down or lower intensity: Palm face down and move down
Soft Chorus: Palm face down and move down follow by a C Shape
Bridge last time: Last finger and B shape sign
Sing in unison: 2 fingers or 3 fingers closed
Sing in parts: 2 fingers or 3 fingers spread

• 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."

How to use your guitar strumming to talk or give que where to go to?




10 Tips to improve your worship leading

1. Be Prepared
2. Practise
3. Choose easy, familiar songs, songs that you know very well
4. Pick theoretical rich song