Piano chords · Rock drive
Birthday: easy piano accompaniment in letter notes
Written by Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald & others
- C major
- 4/4
- 126 BPM
- 2013
- Easy
The accompaniment with every note named, bar by bar: the bar sheet shows each note as a bar on the staff with its letter inside, so you can accompany Birthday without reading music. The left hand plays heartbeat octaves (rocking octaves) and the right hand freeze-tag chords.
The catchy part of Birthday in letter notes
The real notes from a score, both hands, bar by bar. R is the right hand, L the left; C4 is middle C.
Birthday accompaniment in letter notes
The F – Dm7 – F – Dm – C loop with heartbeat octaves in the left hand and freeze-tag chords in the right. Notes struck together are joined with a plus; C4 is middle C.
How to read the bar sheet
The player above shows the treble staff (right hand) over the bass staff (left hand). Every note is a bar as long as it sounds, at its place on the staff, with its name inside, and the music scrolls past a line that marks now. The chord names run along the top.
Start with the left hand alone at a slow speed, then the right, then both. When the letters feel easy, try the sheet music.
Play next
The same left hand: Heartbeat octaves
Questions about Birthday
What are the letter notes for the Birthday piano accompaniment?
Bar by bar, both hands: the bar sheet on this page names every note of the accompaniment (C4 is middle C) and plays along. The loop is F – Dm7 – F – Dm – C, so the letters repeat with the chords.
What chords are in Birthday?
The loop is F – Dm7 – F – Dm – C (IV – ii7 – IV – ii – I) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Birthday in?
C major, at about 126 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Birthday?
Heartbeat octaves: rocking octaves, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Birthday easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 5 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Birthday?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part 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.