Ode to Joy Play-Along Duet Video with first left hand notes for beginner guitar from my Free Classical Guitar Method Volume 1. Ode to Joy by Beethoven is the theme from his 9th Symphony. This one uses new left hand notes on the top three strings and is the 3rd duet in the book for absolute beginners. I’ll play the duet and then play the teacher part so you can play along. Using the YouTube Link might be easier for skipping back for retries.
- 1st Time: Teacher part (includes the melody from the student part)
- 2nd Time: Teacher Part with Counting
- 3rd Time: Teacher Part without Counting
Lesson: Five Melodies & Ode to Joy – The songs covered in this lesson are:
- The Mountain
- Theme by Joseph Haydn
- Lightly Row
- Go Tell Aunt Rhody
- The Fox.
- Ode to Joy (can be played as a solo or duet)
Hello, Professor Bradford! I’d like to know… why do teachers choose “Ode to Joy” for classical guitar beginners? I see this piece all the time and was curious about it. Thank you.
In method books it’s very good for students to sometimes play something they know, as in, they know how it sounds. This can help take their attention away from the notation and just play it the way it should sound. Therefore, finding pieces that everyone knows is tricky but most people know the Ode to Joy theme.
Hello, Professor Bradford! I’m practicing “Ode to Joy.” I decided to start by practicing the entire sequence of notes very slowly—saying each note aloud as I play—several times, and only then using the video to play along with you. I don’t yet have the skill to look at the sheet music, read everything correctly in time, and play along without trying it on my own first; I still get a bit mixed up. Is this the best way to practice the duets from the book (without an in-person teacher)? Thank you.
I would practice them as solos first. You could also try tapping and playing, counting and playing, playing with a metronome, anything really. Then try it with the video. But don’t worry too much, you are still learning the basics and can come back to it later as well.
Hello professor Bradford! After practicing by singing the notes several times over the course of a few days, I played the song along with the video and it was perfectly synchronized—it was really cool. So now, I’m going to spend a little more time practicing with the video before moving on to the next lessons in the book. Thanks for the tips and for always replying to me.
Great to hear it!