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NotePlayMusic

Ode to Joy — first eight bars

A familiar five-note melody to read, listen to, and try at the keyboard. This short version simplifies the rhythm for a first reading session.

First notesLudwig van Beethoven · Simplified melody excerpt · piano right handPiano · Right hand · C major · 4/4

80 beats per minute. Changing speed stops playback; press Play to start again.

Try it at the keyboard

  1. Place your right thumb on middle C and your other fingers on D, E, F and G. The melody starts on E.
  2. Say the note names before playing. Count 1, 2, 3, 4 through every bar, including the longer notes.
  3. Listen once, then try the first four bars slowly. Stop playback before trying them on your own.

About this score

NotePlayMusic adaptation of the first eight soprano bars: transposed from G major to C major, accompaniment omitted, and the dotted-crotchet/quaver endings in bars 4 and 8 replaced by two crotchets. This is a teaching excerpt, not the complete work or the original rhythm.

Source edition typeset by Peter Chubb; melody by Ludwig van Beethoven. The source edition is marked Public Domain by its typesetter.

Source notation · Source score & rights notice