UCL1 - WEEK 6
"ODE TO JOY"​

In this module you will have a go at playing the melody line to a fantastic song arrangement by Beethoven, called, ODE TO JOY, which is 4/4 time. 
"ODE TO JOY," or as it is known in German, "An die Freude" was originally  written as a poem by  German poet/playwright Friedrich Schiller in the summer of 1785. Over 30 years later, it was rearranged into music as part of Beethovens final movement in his Ninth and last Symphony after spending seven years on it from 1818 to 1824. The symphony is one of the best known works of the Western classical repertoire and is considered one of Beethoven's masterpieces. 

Some fun facts about the piece:
  • This is the most requested piece of music on the BBC Radio show, Desert Island Discs, which has been broadcast since 1942. Over 60 guests have chosen this tune.
  • The piece was used in the 1988 film Die Hard, when the crooks crack the safe and get the money.
  • The song was adopted as the organisational anthem of Europe — not to overrule national anthems but to celebrate shared values between nations in 1972.
  • In 1985 it became the official anthem of the European Community, then the European Union, from 1993.

ODE TO JOY

Let's break down the arrangement into bite sized chunks before playing them all together. 
EXERCISE: Once you feel confident playing each line separately, have a go playing along to parts at 70BPM with the video below:

16 FRET STRETCH @ 90BPM​

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