Ode to Joy
The 'Ode to Joy' theme from the finale of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is one of the simplest, most singable melodies in the repertoire — which is exactly why it's a first piece for almost every instrument.
The opening, in notation
The first bars of Ode to Joy, rendered from a public-domain score. As a public-domain work, you're free to play, arrange and share it — or transcribe your own recording below.
Playing Ode to Joy
The melody moves mostly by step within a small range, so it works on nearly any instrument and is ideal for beginners. Great for checking how a clean, monophonic line transcribes.
How to get Ode to Joy sheet music
LoveMyScore transcribes audio into notation, so you can turn a recording — or your own performance — of Ode to Joy into a playable score. Choose piano, violin, flute and you get sheet music plus MIDI and MusicXML you can edit in any notation app or DAW. As a public-domain work, you're free to arrange and share it.