Pierre Rode was born in Bordeaux, Aquitaine, France, and moved to Paris in 1787, where he quickly became a favorite student of Giovanni Battista Viotti, who thought the boy was so gifted that he didn't charge him for the lessons. His teacher influenced Rode's style, but he perfected it and brought more mildness and refinement. He also allowed heavy use of portamento, according to records. He worked on the official Violin Method of the Conservatoire de Paris, which was published in 1802. He partnered with Baillot and Kreutzer on the official Violin Method of the Conservatoire de Paris, published in 1802.

Rode traveled widely in the Netherlands, Germany, England, and Spain as a violin soloist for Napoleon, remaining with François-Adrien Boieldieu in Saint Petersburg from 1804 to 1809 and later more time in Moscow.

As he moved to Paris, he discovered that the audience had lost interest in his performances. Rode's playing had been "cold and full of mannerism," according to Spohr, who heard him both before and during his Russian sojourn. According to some accounts, he had a lymphatic infection triggered by streptococcus bacteria in his right arm, which limited his capacity to bow with any force or speed.

As Rode visited Vienna, Ludwig van Beethoven composed his last violin sonata (Op. 96). He often played chamber music, yet Viotti's concertos constituted the core of his repertoire, and they acted as templates for his concertos. These, as well as the 24 Caprices in both major and minor keys, were published in Berlin between 1814 and 1819.

Rode gave one last public performance in Paris in 1828. It was such a disaster that many thought it hastened his demise, which occurred on November 25, 1830, at Château de Bourbon near Damazan, Lot-et-Garonne, in his native Aquitaine (as stated by Schuenemana in the citation above).