Guitartricks How to Play Ode To Joy by Beethoven TUTORIAL
Let’s learn a very simple arrangement of a beautiful melody: Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” theme! We’ll take this one in three steps: first the single note melody, the we’ll learn the theme in two voices, and finally we’ll add a third voice for a full arrangement.
In this intro lesson we’ll go over what is covered in this tutorial.
The melody we are using is from the finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. It’s known as the Ode To Joy theme because Beethoven used the words from Friedrich Schiller’s poem of the same name as the basis of the choral lyrics that are sung with the melody in his symphony finale.
We’ll play it in C major so it will be relatively easy to arrange for solo classical guitar. We’ll start by arranging the theme as a simple, single note melody. Next, we’ll have a play-through of the melody.
Then, we’ll find places to add a bass note or two to each measure until we have a complete bass line; a second voice to accompany our single note melody. We’ll develop a complete two voice arrangement. Then, we’ll have a play-through.
Finally, we’ll find places to add inner voices, or middle voices to flesh out our two voice arrangement. Usually this will involve finding appropriate chord tones to use along with the melody and bass line. Eventually, we’ll have a complete classical guitar style arrangement with a melody completely supported by two other integrated voices, a full three voice arrangement! We’ll end up with a play-through of this full arrangement.
