Within Five Notes
One of the most memorable details in Close Encounters of the Third Kind is not the UFO itself but the way Claude Lacombe raises his hand and answers the aliens with a sequence of gestures. The moment lasts only seconds, yet it changes the meaning of first contact.
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Introduction
One of the most memorable details in Close Encounters of the Third Kind is not the UFO itself but the way Claude Lacombe raises his hand and answers the aliens with a sequence of gestures. The moment lasts only seconds, yet it changes the meaning of first contact. Instead of presenting communication as an incomprehensible miracle, Steven Spielberg makes it look like something that can be taught, practised and learned. The famous five-note exchange becomes visible through hand signs, turning an abstract musical pattern into a lesson that both characters and viewers can follow. The result is a rare science-fiction scene that feels less like a diplomatic summit and more like the first day of class. [Cabinet]cabinetmagazine.orgCabinetThe Scale and the Spectrum | James PeelIn Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Steven Spielberg uses a hand-sign system for…
Curwen Signs and Solfège
The gestures Lacombe uses are not invented alien symbols. They come from a real music-teaching system based on solfège and Curwen hand signs, later popularised through the Kodály method of music education. Each hand position corresponds to a note in the scale, allowing singers and students to connect pitch with a physical gesture. The signs used in the film correspond to the famous five-note phrase associated with the aliens. [Ars Nova]ars-nova.comArs NovaWhere do the 5 tones with hand symbols in the movie "…I haven't watched this movie for a long while, but I believe the hand si… [picryl]picryl.comClose Encounters of the Third KindCurwen hand signs16 May 2017 — Curwen hand signs that correspond to the five-note alien tonal phras (Re - Mi - Do - Do - Sol) used by the… This educational origin matters. Spielberg could have relied entirely on sound, lights or technology. Instead, he incorporates a system already associated with teaching children how to understand music. Viewers do not need formal musical training to grasp what is happening. The hand positions make the notes visible. A communication system that might otherwise seem mysterious suddenly appears structured and learnable. [Cabinet]cabinetmagazine.orgCabinetThe Scale and the Spectrum | James PeelIn Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Steven Spielberg uses a hand-sign system for…
Because the gestures are tied to specific notes, they also reinforce the idea that the five-tone motif is more than a tune. It behaves like a vocabulary. The audience sees a direct relationship between sound, movement and meaning, creating the impression that a language is being demonstrated rather than merely performed. [Google Groups]groups.google.comGroups Close Encounters?Google GroupsClose Encounters? - Hand signalThe hand gestures a simply the corresponding hand signs for each note, says so in the movie…
Gesture as a Bridge
The hand signs solve a practical storytelling problem. Music is audible, but communication becomes clearer when it can also be seen. By translating the notes into gestures, Spielberg gives the audience two channels of information at once: hearing and sight. The exchange no longer belongs exclusively to musicians or scientists.
This visual layer is especially important because the film’s central question is whether humans and aliens can share a common framework. The gestures act as a bridge between different forms of expression. Notes become movements; movements become recognisable responses. When the alien returns Lacombe’s gesture, the audience understands instantly that recognition has occurred. No translation device is needed. [Birth.Movies.Death.]birthmoviesdeath.comBirth.Movies.Death.Did Lacombe Get It Wrong?: Three Recent ObservationsNovember 3, 2015 — 3 Nov 2015 — The French scientist looks upon him with awe and raises his hand to deliver the friendly “re-mi-do-do-sol… [Cinephilia & Beyond]cinephiliabeyond.orgClose Encounters of the Third Kind': Steven Spielberg's…“For the alien that would exchange hand signals with Lacombe (François Truffa…
The sequence also mirrors how people often learn. Teachers demonstrate, students imitate, and understanding emerges through repetition. Throughout the final encounter, the humans play the motif, the aliens answer, and the pattern grows more complex. The hand signs make that process visible. Communication is shown as participation rather than revelation. [Reading Sounds]readingsounds.netReading SoundsSonic Allusions and Cultural Literacy in CaptioningIn this frame from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Claude Lacombe (F…
Why First Contact Looks Like School
A striking line during the climactic encounter compares the event to “the first day of school.” That comparison captures the role of the hand signs perfectly. The scene does not portray humanity as conquering the unknown or decoding a secret message through superior technology. Instead, humanity appears to be learning. The visitors and the scientists share a structured lesson in mutual understanding. [Cabinet]cabinetmagazine.orgCabinetThe Scale and the Spectrum | James PeelIn Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Steven Spielberg uses a hand-sign system for…
The educational associations surrounding the gestures reinforce several ideas:
- Knowledge can be shared across differences.
- Communication depends on pattern recognition rather than shared culture.
- Learning begins with simple demonstrations before moving to complexity.
- Understanding is achieved through participation, not domination.
These themes fit Spielberg’s broader approach to UFOs. The unknown is frightening at first, but fear gradually gives way to curiosity and wonder. The classroom atmosphere created by the hand signs helps make that transition believable. Rather than depicting aliens as entirely beyond human comprehension, the film suggests that understanding starts with basic lessons anyone can follow. [Cabinet]cabinetmagazine.orgCabinetThe Scale and the Spectrum | James PeelIn Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Steven Spielberg uses a hand-sign system for…
Making Alien Contact Feel Human
The genius of the hand-sign sequence is that it scales cosmic communication down to a recognisable human experience. Most people have learned something by watching a teacher demonstrate a movement, whether in music, sport, language or mathematics. Lacombe’s gestures draw on that familiar memory.
As a result, the audience does not merely observe first contact. They feel as though they could learn it themselves. The five notes become visible, repeatable and teachable. In a film famous for enormous spacecraft and dazzling visual effects, one raised hand quietly delivers the most reassuring message of all: even an encounter with an alien intelligence can begin with the kind of lesson taught in a classroom. [Cabinet]cabinetmagazine.orgCabinetThe Scale and the Spectrum | James PeelIn Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Steven Spielberg uses a hand-sign system for… [Reading Sounds]readingsounds.netReading SoundsSonic Allusions and Cultural Literacy in CaptioningIn this frame from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Claude Lacombe (F…
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Endnotes
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Source: ars-nova.com
Link: https://www.ars-nova.com/Theory%20Q%26A/Q35.htmlSource snippet
Ars NovaWhere do the 5 tones with hand symbols in the movie "...I haven't watched this movie for a long while, but I believe the hand si...
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Source: picryl.com
Title: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Link: https://picryl.com/media/close-encounters-of-the-third-kind-curwen-hand-signs-b49128Source snippet
Curwen hand signs16 May 2017 — Curwen hand signs that correspond to the five-note alien tonal phras (Re - Mi - Do - Do - Sol) used by the...
Published: May 2017
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Source: groups.google.com
Title: Groups Close Encounters?
Link: https://groups.google.com/g/rec.arts.sf.movies/c/HboUkzgKA44Source snippet
Google GroupsClose Encounters? - Hand signalThe hand gestures a simply the corresponding hand signs for each note, says so in the movie...
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Source: cabinetmagazine.org
Link: https://www.cabinetmagazine.org/issues/22/peel.phpSource snippet
CabinetThe Scale and the Spectrum | James PeelIn Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Steven Spielberg uses a hand-sign system for...
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Source: readingsounds.net
Link: https://readingsounds.net/chapter7/Source snippet
Reading SoundsSonic Allusions and Cultural Literacy in CaptioningIn this frame from Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Claude Lacombe (F...
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Source: birthmoviesdeath.com
Title: Birth.Movies.Death.Did Lacombe Get It Wrong?: Three Recent Observations
Link: https://birthmoviesdeath.com/2015/11/03/did-lacombe-get-it-wrong-three-recent-observations-regarding-close-encounte.htmlSource snippet
November 3, 2015 — 3 Nov 2015 — The French scientist looks upon him with awe and raises his hand to deliver the friendly “re-mi-do-do-sol...
Published: November 3, 2015
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Source: cinephiliabeyond.org
Link: https://cinephiliabeyond.org/close-encounters-of-the-third-kind-steven-spielbergs-gamble-that-paid-off-generously/Source snippet
'Close Encounters of the Third Kind': Steven Spielberg's...“For the alien that would exchange hand signals with Lacombe (François Truffa...
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Source: Wikipedia
Title: Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Close_Encounters_of_the_Third_KindSource snippet
Close Encounters of the Third KindEn route, Roy experiences a close encounter with a UFO, and when it flies... extraterrestrial that...
Additional References
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Source: medium.com
Title: an event sociologique truffaut in 1977 6a2644160c4a
Link: https://medium.com/%40michaelbrakemeyer/an-event-sociologique-truffaut-in-1977-6a2644160c4aSource snippet
An Event Sociologique: Truffaut in 1977François Truffaut was pursued by a young Steven Spielberg to accept the role of a French scientist...
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Source: scifi.stackexchange.com
Title: Lacombe, the UFO expert, is shown in a conference
Link: https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/20564/what-is-the-point-of-the-hand-signals-in-close-encountersSource snippet
is the point of the hand signals in "Close Encounters"?15 Jul 2012 — In "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", the aliens communicate with...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/aliens/comments/ozpabx/whats_the_meaning_of_the_five_tones_from_close/Source snippet
t, the researcher uses his hand to sign the five tones and...Read more...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/hd86mz/coloured_lights_in_close_encounters_of_the_third/Source snippet
ch guy, but it demonstrates that they understand humans...Read more...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/167557516969142/posts/893769267681293/Source snippet
ured in Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).Read more...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (8/8) Movie CLIP
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeeZA4B1qyISource snippet
Contact...... musical language to communicate with alien visitors. Lacombe's... Arrival Scene | CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (197...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Communicating with music
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkykqyMEarASource snippet
"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" alien hand signs Close Encounters of the 3rd kind Signs Language iclmo...
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Source: didyoublankthat.wordpress.com
Link: https://didyoublankthat.wordpress.com/2020/05/04/the-meaning-of-the-five-music-tones-close-encounters-of-the-third-kind/Source snippet
Meaning of the Five Music Tones [Close Encounters of...4 May 2020 — These tones establish contact with the aliens in the closing scenes...
Published: May 2020
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Close Encounters of the Third Kind: He leaves Earth with the aliens
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6cix9o0w-ISource snippet
Learn the Curwen/Solfege handsigns in minutes...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Learn the Curwen/Solfege handsigns in minutes!!
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLtpE9mUn60Source snippet
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Communicating with music...
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