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Ode to Joy on piano: easy notes and tutorial

An easy version of Ode to Joy: melody in the right hand, simple bass in the left, first slow then at full speed.

Video coming soon

Right handLeft handFirst at 60%, then full speed

Piano Learning

Learn it note by note with Piano Learning

With “Wait for the note” the piece stops until you play the right key, on your phone or on your own piano (the app listens). Hands separately, speed from 10%, sheet music always in front of you.

Get it free on Google Play 4 free pieces to try. “Ode to Joy” and the whole catalogue with one single purchase, no subscription.

About the piece

It is the theme of the finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, first performed in Vienna in 1824, on Friedrich Schiller's poem. Today it is also the anthem of the European Union.

The melody moves almost entirely by step: that is why it is one of the first pieces people learn on the piano.

The arrangement was written by us for Piano Learning; the app also has a ★★ version with chords.

The notes of the melody (right hand)

Notes with a coloured border are longer. The video also shows the left hand.

EEFGGFEDCCDEED
DEEFGGFEDCCDED
CC

How to practise it

  1. Read the notes above and find the hand position: most of the time the fingers stay on five neighbouring keys.
  2. Almost all the notes are next to each other: keep your hand still and try not to look at the keys too much.
  3. Add the left hand only when the right hand is secure, first at 60% as in the video.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to read music?

No: the notes are written in letters and the video shows which key to press and for how long.

Can I play it with one hand?

Yes, the right-hand melody alone is already recognisable. In the app, if you practise one hand, the app plays the other.

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