How to play Ode to Joy on piano and recorder

Ode to Joy is one of the first real tunes a child can play. Most of it moves by step and fits under five fingers. This page gives the whole tune in letter notes for the piano and for the recorder, with the fingers to use and the rhythm to count.

About the tune

Ludwig van Beethoven wrote Ode to Joy for the last movement of his Ninth Symphony, which was first played in 1824. A choir sings it with the orchestra. Read Ode to Joy for kids.

The rhythm

The tune has four beats in a bar. Almost every note lasts one beat. Only the end of each line is different.

Say this for the end of a line: “long-short, looong.”

• The first of those notes lasts a beat and a half.
• The second lasts half a beat.
• The third lasts two beats.

In the lines below, those three notes are written like this: E. D D-

On the piano

Where to put the hand

Put the right thumb on middle C. Each finger gets one white key.

Finger	1, the thumb	2	3	4	5
Key	C	D	E	F	G

The whole tune

Line 1

E E F G, G F E D, C C D E, E. D D-

Line 2

E E F G, G F E D, C C D E, D. C C-

Line 3

D D E C, D E F E C, D E F E D, C D G-

Line 4

E E F G, G F E D, C C D E, D. C C-

Lines 2 and 4 are the same.

The tricky spots in line 3

• “E F” is fast. In the second and third groups, the E and the F share one beat. Play them twice as fast as the notes around them.
• The last G is low. It is the G below middle C. Reach down for it with the left hand.

Fingers for line 1

Note	E	E	F	G	G	F	E	D	C	C	D	E	E	D	D
Finger	3	3	4	5	5	4	3	2	1	1	2	3	3	2	2

A simple left-hand part

When the right hand is steady, add the left hand. Play one long note at the start of each group of four.

• Play C below middle C under most of the tune.
• Play G below that C whenever the right hand ends a group on D.

In line 1, that gives: C, G, C, G.

On the recorder

On the recorder, the tune starts on B. It uses G, A, B, high C, and high D, and one low D in line 3.

Line 1

B B C’ D’, D’ C’ B A, G G A B, B. A A-

Line 2

B B C’ D’, D’ C’ B A, G G A B, A. G G-

Line 3

A A B G, A B C’ B G, A B C’ B A, G A D-

Line 4

B B C’ D’, D’ C’ B A, G G A B, A. G G-

The last note of line 3 is low D. Cover the back hole, all three holes for the left hand, and the first three holes for the right hand. Use soft, slow air.

For the fingering of every note, read easy recorder songs with letter notes.

How to learn it in a week

Day	What to do
1	Sing line 1 on “la.” Then play it three times.
2	Add line 2. Notice the one place where it differs from line 1.
3	Play lines 1 and 2 without stopping.
4	Learn line 3, slow. Clap the fast “E F” first.
5	Play lines 3 and 4.
6	Play all four lines with a steady beat.
7	Play it for someone.

Set a slow, steady beat with the metronome for kids.

Common slips

• Rushing. The tune is a walk, not a run. Count “1, 2, 3, 4” out loud.
• Skipping the long note. The last note of each line lasts two beats. Hold it.
• Line 2 for line 1. Line 1 ends by stepping down to D. Line 2 ends by stepping down to C.
• Flat fingers on the piano. Curve the fingers, as if you were holding a small ball.

Play it together

One player takes the piano, and one takes the recorder. The piano version here is in C, and the recorder version is in G, so the two do not match. To play together, the pianist moves the hand up: put the thumb on G, and play the same finger numbers.

Things to do together

Loud and soft. Play line 1 soft and line 2 loud.

Sing and play. One person sings on “la” while the other plays.

Hear the real thing. Play the last movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony from about three minutes in. The cellos and basses play the tune first, soft and low. Raise a hand when you hear it.

Change the mood. Play the tune slow and sad, and then quick and bright.

Print and play

Find the keys on the piano keyboard chart. Track the week on a weekly practice chart. Read easy classical piano pieces for beginners and Beethoven for kids.