About Beethoven's Seventh

Beethoven's Seventh is a free, browser-based rhythm game built on one of the most powerful movements in all of classical music: the Allegretto (second movement) of Ludwig van Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A major, completed in 1812 and premiered in Vienna in December 1813. From its very first performance the Allegretto was a sensation — the audience demanded it be encored on the spot — and it has remained one of Beethoven's most beloved and instantly recognizable creations ever since. In this game, its solemn, marching theme moves toward you, and you play it note by note, feeling the relentless rhythm that drives the music forward.

The Allegretto is famous for being built on a single, steady rhythmic pattern — long, short-short, long, long — that repeats and grows by accumulation, layer by layer, from a quiet statement in the low strings into a thunderous full-orchestra climax. That hypnotic, processional pulse makes it a wonderful piece for learning steady timing and rhythmic control. It's ideal for music students, orchestra and band players, and anyone who wants to internalize one of the most famous rhythms ever written.

Three difficulty levels

• Beginner — the core theme is thinned to its essential notes at a relaxed tempo, perfect for learning the melody.
• Intermediate — more of the line is filled in at a moderate pace.
• Expert — the fuller, faster theme with more of Beethoven's texture for advanced players.

How to play

Notes fall in four lanes mapped to the D, F, J, and K keys, or tap the lanes on a touchscreen. Press each lane's key as its note reaches the strike line — long glowing notes are holds you sustain. Accurate hits build your combo and score, and you can save a shareable score card to challenge friends.

Did you know? — Beethoven & the Seventh

• Beethoven conducted the symphony's 1813 premiere himself — even though he was by then seriously deaf, famously crouching and leaping at the podium to convey the dynamics.
• Composer Richard Wagner called the Symphony No. 7 the "apotheosis of the dance" because of its overwhelming rhythmic energy.
• The Allegretto was such an instant hit that audiences often demanded an encore of the movement before the symphony could continue.
• The movement is built on one simple repeating rhythm, yet it has appeared in countless films and soundtracks, making it one of Beethoven's most widely heard creations today.
• The premiere was a benefit concert for soldiers wounded in the Napoleonic Wars — Beethoven shared the program with an array of famous musicians of the day.