Rest stroke melody over a bass: Ode to Joy on classical guitar
Beethoven's Ode to Joy on the top two strings, played with rest strokes, i and m in turn, over a free-stroke bass from the thumb on C and G. A rest stroke lets the finger come to rest on the next string down, which gives the melody a fuller, louder tone than the accompaniment: the classical guitarist's way to make a tune sing over its own bass.
Opens in the player looped and counted in, with the metronome on, and speeds up 5 % every 2 loops to 90 bpm. No account or microphone needed.
- Goal tempo
- 90 bpm
- Starts at
- 54 bpm
- Length
- 8 bars, looped
- Tuning
- E standard
- Time
- 4/4
- Level
- Beginner
- Plays with
- A metronome
How to play it
Melody fingers push through to rest on the next string; the thumb plucks out and up, clear of the fingers.
The melody is Beethoven's Ode to Joy, eight bars in quarters on the high E and B strings: E, F and G at the open string and the 1st and 3rd frets of the top string, C and D at the 1st and 3rd frets of the B. The bass is the C at the 3rd fret of the A string or the G at the 3rd fret of the low E, held under the melody.
Play every melody note with a rest stroke: the finger pushes through the string and comes to rest against the next string down. Index and middle take turns throughout, carrying on across the bar lines, so the second half of the tune starts with m.
The thumb plays the bass with a free stroke, out and upwards, so it doesn't stop the melody's strings. Let the bass ring for its whole length while the melody moves.
Mistakes to watch for
- A rest-stroke finger landing on the next string so hard it buzzes, or resting on a string that should still be ringing.
- The bass as loud as the melody. The rest stroke should make the tune stand out over it.
- Lifting the bass finger as the melody moves, so the whole note stops early.
- Rushing the dotted quarter and eighth at the end of each phrase: the dotted note takes a beat and a half.
A speed plan
The player starts at 60 % of the goal and plays each tempo twice before stepping up:
- 54
- 59
- 63
- 68
- 72
- 77
- 81
- 86
- 90
That's 16 loops and about 8 minutes before you're playing at 90 bpm. If it stops being clean on the way, stop the ramp there and loop that tempo until it is. With a microphone or an audio interface you can record while you play instead: Demiurg checks every loop and steps up only after two clean ones in a row, and back down after a poor one.
Questions
How fast should I play Rest stroke melody over a bass?
The goal is 90 bpm in quarter notes, which is 1.5 notes a second. Start wherever every note is clean: the player begins at 54 bpm. Signed in, you can set a goal of your own, slower or faster, on the Exercises page.
When do classical guitarists use rest strokes?
For melodies and scales that need a full, singing tone, mostly on the treble strings. Arpeggios and chords use free strokes, because a rest stroke would stop the next string from ringing.
Why does the rest stroke sound louder?
The finger pushes the string down towards the soundboard rather than across it, which makes the top vibrate more. It also gives a firmer, more controlled attack.
More classical exercises
All 12 classical exercises · Fretboard notes trainer · All 107 exercises