Piano chords · Blues & boogie
Birthday: piano accompaniment sheet music
By Dmitri Shostakovich
- A major
- 4/4
- 138 BPM
- I7–IV7–I7–V7 loop
- Medium
Play the full song with sheet music
Birthday written out as piano music: the I7 – IV7 – I7 – V7 loop in A major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays boogie walker (boogie-woogie line) and the right hand pumping chords.
Birthday chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in A major. The roman numeral says the chord's place in the key, so the same chart works in any key.
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A7 | I7 | A C# E G |
| 2 | D7 | IV7 | D F# A C |
| 3 | A7 | I7 | A C# E G |
| 4 | E7 | V7 | E G# B D |
What the sheet music shows
The grand staff: the right hand on the treble staff, the left hand on the bass staff, with the chord names above and a finger number on each note (1 is the thumb). It is the accompaniment: boogie walker (boogie-woogie line) in the left hand and pumping chords in the right, over the A7 – D7 – A7 – E7 chords.
Press play and a cursor follows the music. Above it, Colours paints each note in its key’s colour and Note names writes its letter on its head.
To see the real melody written out, play “The part you know”: the sheet music changes to it.
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Questions about Birthday
Does the sheet music for Birthday have finger numbers?
Yes: every note of both hands has its finger number, 1 being the thumb. To read the notes alone, turn Fingers off above the music.
What chords are in Birthday?
The loop is A7 – D7 – A7 – E7 (I7 – IV7 – I7 – V7) in A major, and the song ends on D – E – A.
What key is Birthday in?
A major, at about 138 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Birthday?
Boogie walker: boogie-woogie line, a medium pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Birthday easy to play on piano?
It is a medium one: learn the 4 chords as blocks first, then add the left hand, then the right, slowly.
Can I hear the real melody of Birthday?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the intro of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from one arrangement of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.