If your friends or family know that you own a guitar, at some point, someone is going to ask you if you can play ‘Happy Birthday’ on guitar.
So brush up on the chords you need to know and you’ll be comfortable playing ‘Happy Birthday’ when the inevitable moment arrives.
So we’ll look at a simple way to play “Happy Birthday” using open chords, then we’ll look at ways to spice up your guitar arrangement. We’ll also look at how to sing and play Happy Birthday simultaneously and pick out the melody.
Composing A Bass Line And Harmony For Happy Birthday
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.
(If you don't understand the above image please read our article How To Read Guitar Chordboxes In 60 Seconds. It will make everything clear!)
To go from E major to B7, your first finger goes from the D string down to the A string first fret, and your ring finger goes from the A string to the D string second fret. Add your fourth finger to the high E string (first string) second fret, and you’ve got yourself a B7!
Happy Birthday Flatpicking Guitar Lesson: Guitarnick.com
Take a look at the last line of chords: There is a quick chord change, two beats of E major followed by one beat of B7, and then land the song right back on E major.
If you wonder how you are supposed to figure out where to begin singing while playing Happy Birthday chords, you are not alone.
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.
Happy Birthday Free Sheet Music For Guitar, Piano, & Lead Instruments
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 you’ll be up and running.
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.
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.
How To Play Happy Birthday
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!
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.
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.
Happy Birthday Easy Guitar
If you know how to make barre chords, it is even easier to play Happy Birthday on guitar. All you have to do is convert the chords we are using into numbers according to the chart above.
E major is the I chord and A major is the IV chord, so if you use the open E major shape chord as your I chord, then the A major-shaped barre chord located at the same fret is the IV chord. You don’t even have to move your hand up the neck!
Using those barre chords, follow the chord progression, and you will be able to play Happy Birthday on guitar in any key you like.
Happy Birthday Guitar Chords (how To Play It)
Here is the chord progression for Happy Birthday, expressed in numbers (these are called ‘degrees’ of a scale): I V V I I IV [I V] I
The D major triad, if moved up five frets on the guitar, makes a D-shaped G chord (the IV), and if moved up two more frets, makes a D-shaped A chord (the V).
The A major triad, if moved up five frets on the guitar, makes an A-shaped D chord (the IV), and if moved up two more frets, makes an A-shaped E chord (the V).
Loog Guitars: Gift #1: How To Play Happy Birthday On Your Loog Guitar
The E major triad, if moved up five frets on the guitar, makes an E-shaped A chord (the IV), and if moved up two more frets, makes an E-shaped B chord (the V).
Try practicing moving the D, A, and E chord triads up the neck of the guitar. You will start hearing other songs in there! Plenty of songs use the moveable D, A, and E shapes.
Now that you have learned a few ways to play Happy Birthday on guitar, you can teach it to a friend and form your power duo!
Funny Happy Birthday Learning The Electric Guitar Special Song Hallmark Card
To deepen your understanding of the terminology and ideas used to play Happy Birthday on guitar, as well as to work with chords and to figure out melodies by ear, check out these other lessons!
Learn how everything fits together quickly, easily and effectively. We share ninja tips (for instant fun!) but also timeless fundamentals that will deepen your understanding.
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