Ode to Joy original rhythm vs long notes
Found in: Foundation Songs
Marsha L., Virginia
In Ode to Joy, does anyone ever teach the original rhythm rather than holding the long notes? Several of my children have already learned to play it the original way and we all listen to the original song quite frequently. I’m trying to figure out why the SM version has them hold the long notes. Does it make it easier to play because you don’t have that one dotted rhythm at the end of the phrase?
Karolee G., Idaho
The long notes are just a simplification to keep too many thought processes from happening at once. Once a student understands the sentences, many times they will just add that second E at the beginning. For the ones in the tailpieces, putting BH together should already be in place or the original rhythm can be difficult to process. It tends to happen naturally after students have the structure of the song in their hands.
Leeanne I., Australia
The long notes are a learning tool, so it’s important to teach this concept. Once students have mastered a song, I let them play it their way. A lot of students have Ode to Joy pre-programmed on their keyboards and will play the first note twice instead of the long note.
Laurie Richards, Nebraska
If a student knows the original rhythm and brings it up, I just tell them to go ahead and play the note twice rather than holding it.
Gabrielle K., Iowa
Everything I have learned so far has a reason for the way it is taught, so I encourage you to try and learn it with just the provided material. It will help you be in your students’ shoes later and help you in the teaching process by keeping true to the curriculum.
Kerry H., Australia
The main reason Neil Moore uses that rhythm in Ode to Joy is because he wants to have a bunch of pieces in the early levels that have rhythms that can be used as part of the Reading Rhythm program. I always insist that students use the rhythm as we teach it, for that reason. If students play it the way they have played or heard previously, I simply explain that I need them to learn it our way, because it’s going to help them with something further down the track, and that the SM program is very cleverly designed to have every step building on a previous step, and is always setting up something for the future.
