Bonus Change The Key To Fit Your Voice
For many people the key of G works for their vocal range. But sometimes youll find that a key is either too low or too high for your voice.
If its too low were going to use something called a capo. A capo lets you raise the pitch of your guitar one fret at a time. You play the chord shapes the same but theyll sound higher in pitch.
If you have a capo, put it on the second fret and play the song. Youre still using the G, C, and D chord shapes. But the actual chords are different since youre a full step up .
But what if the song is too high for you without a capo? You cant make the capo lower than your standard tuning. What youd do is use the capo and sing an octave lower. Keep moving it up until you find a spot that works for your voice.
Try it on the second fret. If singing it an octave lower sounds too low, move it up a couple frets and try that. Keep doing this until you find a key that works for you.
Get The Download Here
Was it helpful to show you how to change the key of the song with a capo? Let me know in the comment field below, and let me know what key works best for your voice!
Also Check: 70th Birthday Celebration Ideas For Dad
Happy Birthday Guitar Chords For Beginners
To start, we are going to learn how to play Happy Birthday on guitar with a chord chart.
- To use the chord chart below, you need to know three chords: E major, A major, and B7.
- B7 looks like a scary and impossible chord for the beginner, but it is a relatively simple chord change, especially when you are coming from the E major chord.
Check out this simple finger swap to change from E major to B7 your middle finger stays in the same place as a pivot point and all you have to do is move the other two fingers.
E major
Happy Birthday Guitar Tabs Piano Sheet Music & Lead Sheets
Happy Birthday, with two new late elementary/ early intermediate arrangements perfect for singalongs, as well as for my favorite student exercise – transposing!
Also:
- guitar tabs in two different keys!
- with an easy chord piano arrangement that uses helper notes – notes with letters inside!
- In addition, other arrangements of Happy Birthday are offered here in multiple keys for all instruments, and with several arrangements for piano.
Your students can learn it with this free, printable sheet music.
Read Also: Birthday Ideas In South Florida
What Is The Strumming Pattern For Happy Birthday On Guitar
What are the chords to the happy birthday song?
Happy birthday is pretty simple to play even for a beginner. All you need to know is 4 simple chords G, D, D7, and C.
How do you play C chord on guitar?
To play the C chord on guitar, place your first finger on the first fret of the B string, your second finger on the second fret of the D string, and your third finger on the third fret of the A string. Try to avoid plucking the low E string when you strum the chord.
How many notes does a major chords have?
A major chord is a triad, which means it is a chord made up of three notes.
The Purpose Of The Initial Rolled Chord
I love to start “Happy Birthday” with a rolled chord as shown above , because it primes everyone to know just when to jump into the song!
The left hand split chords of this arrangement are just the I, IV, and V7 chords. Very basic, and all piano players need to have an understanding of the relationship of these three chords. Here, because we are in the key of C, those chords end up being C, F, and G7.
Read Also: Ice Cream Birthday Party Invitations
Happy Birthday Guitar Chords Made Easy
Copyright © 2022 by GuitarFan.Org. All rights reserved.All articles, images, product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. All company, product and service names used in this website are for identification purposes only.Use of these names, logos, and brands does not imply endorsement unless specified.By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Dont Miss: What Flowers To Get For Birthday
Happy Birthday Chords And Lyrics
Happy Birthday to you
The strumming pattern is also very simple:
Strumming Pattern: DD-UU-DU
Also very easy to play, the melody goes like this:
This video shows it in better detail:
And thats all there is to it! Now you can show off your guitar skills on friends or family members birthdays.
About Andy Fraser
Im Andy and Ive been crazy about music, and specifically the guitar, for longer than I can remember. Its this passion and enthusiasm about all things guitar that drove me to start this website. A place where I could talk about the gear, techniques and general awesomeness that is the best instrument. I began playing somewhat late compared to a lot of people. I was 15 years old as it had taken me a while to find the confidence to believe in myself and take that step to learn to play an instrument. It started my lifelong love of music and playing in general. Since then like so many before me Ive become an addict and gone through more guitars, amps and gear than I care to remember.Guitar Inside Out is my way of sharing hat love and passion with the music community and hopefully inspiring and helping others to enjoy it as much as I do.
Also Check: 21st Birthday Gifts To Be Delivered
Recommended Reading: Happy Birthday Wishes To Dad From Son
How To Figure Out The First Note For Singing
If you wonder how you are supposed to figure out where to begin singing while playing Happy Birthday chords, you are not alone.
- Matching the melody you sing, to the chords you are playing is a skill that takes a while to develop, and playing Happy Birthday on guitar is a classic test.
- Never fear! You are about to be able to find your starting note for singing within the very first chord you play, the B7.
In the key of E major, the melody to Happy Birthday starts on a B, and when you play a B7, you are playing two Bs: on the A string second fret, and on the open B string.
To play Happy Birthday chords and sing as well, all you have to do is strum the B7 chord, match the pitch of your voice to one of those two Bs, and sing the word Happy on that pitch. Then youll be up and running.
- Its a familiar melody, so once you have that initial pitch, the melody practically sings itself!
- If you have taken the firm stance that you are not a vocalist under any circumstances, now is the time to reconsider. You can easily sing and play Happy Birthday on guitar with this tip, you will sound great, and your birthday person will be thrilled.
Top Tip: When you play the B7 chord, be sure to hit one of the Bs a few extra times so that you and the other singers know which note to begin on.
Free Printable Pdf With Guitar Chords Tabs And Sheet Music
If youd like to download a printable PDF file with Guitar Chords, Tabs and Sheet Music with Notes, Chords & Tablature for this song, click on the button above or on the following link.
Click on the button to watch a sing-along video with lyrics and download a sing-along audio mp3 file of this song for free.
Please click on the button to watch a karaoke videowith lyrics and download a karaoke audio mp3 file of this song for free.
You can click on the button to watch a piano tutorial video and download a PDF file with music score of this song for free.
Click on the button to watch a glockenspiel / xylophone tutorial video and download a free printable PDF file with glockenspiel / xylophone Music Sheet and Note Chart of this song.
You May Like: Free Birthday Build A Bear
If The Key Doesnt Suit Your Voice Use A Capo
If you have been playing and singing Happy Birthday on your guitar as you follow along this lesson, you will know by now whether you are comfortable singing the song in the key of E major.
- If you are uncomfortable singing this song in the key of E major, dont give up! You can easily play Happy Birthday on guitar in any key.
- All you need is a capo, and a little trial and error, and you will quickly find a comfortable vocal range and the key you should use.
The beauty of the capo is that it allows you to change the key of the song without having to change any of the chord shapes you are making. A capo gives you a super-power!
No capo? No worries! You can play Happy Birthday on guitar using a type of chord conversion called transposing.
It sounds scary, but its pretty easy.
- Happy Birthday, like many songs, follows an I-IV-V chord progression, and to convert, all you have to do is replace the E major with another I chord and follow the musical alphabet to find the IV and V7 or V chords. V and V7 are interchangeable, so use the one you know!
- Find and play the root of whichever V chord you select in order to find your initial singing note.
Here is a handy I-IV-V chart in the guitar-friendly keys of C, A, G, E, and D. Choose your I chord to replace the E major, and follow that row to convert the A and B7 chords.
Lets Play The Melody To Happy Birthday On Guitar
Can you hear the melody to Happy Birthday in your head? Of course you can.
If you can hear a melody in your head, you can recreate it on the guitar. Playing the melody to Happy Birthday on guitar is no more complicated than matching the pitch on the guitar to the pitch in your head.
Here is a tablature version of Happy Birthday on guitar to get you started.
Recommended Reading: Birthday Party For 5 Year Old Boy
Encountering Black Notes In The Easy Arrangements
The version in G may be easier for your students to play, because with the key of F version, each hand has to deal with a Bb note. In the key of G version, only the right hand has a black note.
However, the G arrangement uses several bass clef ledger line notes! You will have to decide. I think the G version is easier.
About ‘happy Birthday To You’
Happy Birthday, or Happy Birthday to You, was written 1893 by Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill who were sisters and American kindergarten school teachers. The original version, Good Morning to All, was written as a song that would be easy for children to sing. Their students enjoyed the song so much that they would spontaneously begin singing it at birthday parties. Eventually the lyrics were changed to Happy Birthday. “Happy Birthday to You”, or “Happy Birthday”, is now considered to be the most recognized song in the English language according to the 1998 Guinness World Records.
You May Like: Mafia Themed Birthday Party Invitations
Easy Happy Birthday For Guitar
Happy Birthday is a great song to learn, and one that everyone can put to use.
Begin with an easy version like the one presented here, then add bass-line runs or additional chords as your skills improve.
The chord forms are shown at the top of the music. If they dont make sense to you, read an explanation at Common Guitar Chords.
The G chord used here is a simplified version that uses only two fingers. The chord diagram shows the fifth string muted, but you can also let it ring. It sounds fine either way.
The melody is shown in the musical notation. For a quick intro to reading music, the article on Basic Music Theory might help.
The lines and numbers under the lyrics are guitar TAB for playing the melody if you would like to, otherwise you can simply strum the chords where shown. See the Guitar TAB Guide for a complete explanation of TAB.
In October of 2010 I updated the song and used the key of C. This simplified the song, and allows you to expand the song without worrying about sharps and flats. In addition, a PDF version of the Easy Happy Birthday song is available for download, simply click on the image to open a dialog box that will allow you to save the PDF file to your computer .
The F-Chord is optional, but does add a nice touch to the song as you sing the persons name.
Finally, insert your favorite name in place of Jimmy -)
Guitar Chords To Happy Birthday In G
You can play this song in many different keys. Most people will choose the key that fits their voice better.
I like playing it in the key of G, I think this is the classic version:
You can transpose these chords to different keys if you wish, I’ll give you the chords in other keys as well in a second.
You can also use a capo to create a higher voicing.
| G major |
|---|
Now let’s learn to simultaneously sing AND play Happy Birthday on the guitar.
Keep in mind that Happy Birthday is in 3/4 time, which means that there are 3 beats to a measure.
Happy birthday to youHappy birthday to youHappy birthday dear YOUR_NAMEHappy birthday to you
There you have it, nice and easy.
The “secret” to getting the singing and melody of Happy Birthday right is the timing!
Notice that with each line, the first chord starts after the word “Happy”, when you sing “birthday”. If you start the chord at the beginning of the line when you sing “Happy”, your melody will be off. I made this mistake for ages, before finally realizing what was wrong.
Here are some more voicings if you don’t like the key of G.
Read Also: What To Do For A 21st Birthday For A Guy
Happy Birthday Guitar Melody Notes + Chords
Here is a real treat for you if you want to learn a nice fingerpicking melody version to Happy Birthday.
This one is in the key of C, meaning you’ll be playing the chords from the key of C, and add melody notes that mimic the lyrics you would sing. Don’t worry, you’ll find the exact tabs below.
I really think you’ll love this, it is a wonderfully full-sounding version that is easy to learn. Learn it, play it to your little ones on their birthdays, and watch their faces light up.
Remember that the song is in 3/4 time, and notice that the initial 2 plucks at the open G string don’t start on the 1st beat of the measure, rather on the 3rd beat. Also, be mindful of the chords you’re playing over. Even though you don’t play entire chords, you’re outlining them. Being aware of this makes the song easier to learn.
Here is the tablature to Happy Birthday, enjoy!
E|———————-|————-|———————-|————-|
Happy Birthday On Guitar For The Beginner Guitarist
To start, we are going to learn how to play Happy Birthday on guitar with a chord chart.
- To use the chord chart below, you need to know three chords: E major, A major, and B7.
- B7 looks like a scary and impossible chord for the beginner, but it is a relatively simple chord change, especially when you are coming from the E major chord.
Check out this simple finger swap to change from E major to B7 your middle finger stays in the same place as a pivot point and all you have to do is move the other two fingers.
Also Check: Birthday Care Package Ideas For Best Friend
How To Play Happy Birthday On The Guitar
Here is how to play happy birthday on guitar. It only requires four chords, all of which are very common. The four happy birthday guitar chords are G, D, D7, and C, and they are played in this order.
G D D7 G
C G D7 G
Its that simple! The only part that can challenge people is the last chord switch, where you quickly go from the D7 to the G, but with enough practice, you will get that quick switch down easily!
Happy Birthday Guitar Chords
Happy Birthday Guitar Chords Step by Step Tutorial on how to play the happy birthday song on the guitar. Easy guitar lesson for beginners, tabs included.
Almost everybody knows the happy birthday song regardless of their age. This is the first song you might have heard in a party since birthday parties are the only parties you attended as a child. The first sing-along song you might have learned as a kid is the birthday song. The song brings fond childhood memories and is associated with a happy time.
Going to a birthday party as a child was one of the happiest memories. As it involved spending time playing games with the neighborhood children and you got to eat candy, cake and sweet goodies all day. This was the only time your parents couldnt restrict you on the amount of sugar you took in a day.
The happy birthday guitar chords are four which makes it easy to play for any beginner. Additionally, since song is among the first songs you learned to sing along as a kid, this makes it even more exciting and fun to play. This is because you dont have to spend time learning the lyrics and you are familiar with the rhythm and tune of the song.
1. Happy birthday song lyrics
Verse one
Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday, dear Happy birthday to you
Part two: History of the happy birthday song
1. The beginning of the song
Dont Miss: Free Baby Shark Birthday Invitations Online
Also Check: Kids Birthday Party Food Ideas Budget
