More Ode to Joy - Lesson 9

In the previous lesson we learnt the first half of Ode to Joy. Now we will learn the second half.

Firstly, there is a small exercise to practice, namely breathing in one hole, then blowing into the next hole down. Try these two notes, 4D 3B. They should sound like this

Practice this exercise until you can play it cleanly. You will need these notes for Ode to Joy.

Now for the second half of the tune. Play this first pattern 4D 4D 5B 4B 4D 5B 5D 5B 4B It should sound like this

Practice it many times.

Now play this second pattern 4D 5B 5D 5B 4D 4B 4D 3B It should sound like this

When you can play both patterns, then play them one after the other, like this

When you can play this well, then try with the accompanyment only

We are almost finished. The second half ends with the second part of the first half, which is 5B 5B 5D 6B 6B 5D 5B 4D 4B. followed by 4B 4D 5B 4D 4B 4B. You practised this in the last lesson, it sounds like this

Now, if we put all of these patterns together, we have the second half of Ode to Joy. It sounds like this

Note that there is a jump from 3B to 5B before the last pattern. Again, when you can play this, then try with the accompanyment only

To make this easier, here are the notes for the second half of the tune, all together.

4D 4D 5B 4B 4D 5B 5D 5B 4B

4D 5B 5D 5B 4D 4B 4D 3B

5B 5B 5D 6B 6B 5D 5B 4D 4B

4B 4D 5B 4D 4B 4B

Now we put the first half, which you learnt in the previous lesson, together with this half, to get the whole tune. It sounds like this

The accompanyment only is this

Here is the entire tune

First half

5B 5B 5D 6B 6B 5D 5B 4D 4B

4B 4D 5B 5B 4D 4D

5B 5B 5D 6B 6B 5D 5B 4D 4B

4B 4D 5B 4D 4B 4B

Second half

4D 4D 5B 4B 4D 5B 5D 5B 4B

4D 5B 5D 5B 4D 4B 4D 3B

5B 5B 5D 6B 6B 5D 5B 4D 4B

4B 4D 5B 4D 4B 4B

Finally, we try the tune a little faster, like this

with the accompanyment only being this

Please do not try the faster version until you can play the slow one perfectly.

This tune is actually sung by a choir, along with the orchestra at the end of Beethoven's 9th symphony. I was lucky enough to sing this in Australia, many years ago, with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

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