Ode to Joy – easy piano
To play Ode to Joy on piano, press Start below and play each key as it lights up; the next key lights when you hit the right one. Press Listen first to hear the tune. The melody is for the right hand and the notes are also written out as letters further down.
Tip: turn your phone sideways for more keys.
Play along
Pick a song and press Start. The next key lights up.
The notes
E4 E4 F4 G4 G4 F4 E4 D4 C4 C4 D4 E4 E4 D4 D4 E4 E4 F4 G4 G4 F4 E4 D4 C4 C4 D4 E4 D4 C4 C4 D4 D4 E4 C4 D4 E4 F4 E4 C4 D4 E4 F4 E4 D4 C4 D4 G3 E4 E4 F4 G4 G4 F4 E4 D4 C4 C4 D4 E4 D4 C4 C4
The number after each letter is the octave: C4 is middle C, C5 is the C above it. ♯ means the black key just to the right.
About the music
Ode to Joy is the main melody from the last movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, first performed in 1824. The words come from a poem by Friedrich Schiller. An arrangement of the melody is the anthem of the European Union and the Council of Europe.
Why it is a good song to learn
The melody moves almost entirely by step, which means each note is next to the one before. Apart from one low G near the end, it uses five notes, C to G, so your right hand can stay in one position.
How to practise
Rest your thumb on C4. The song has four lines, and lines one, two and four start the same way. Notice how line one ends on D and line two ends on C. For the low G in line three, move your thumb down to the G below middle C, then back again.