Piano chords · Dreamy ballad
Happy Birthday: piano accompaniment sheet music
- C major
- 4/4
- 100 BPM
- 1980
- Easy
Play the full song with sheet music
Happy Birthday written out as piano music: the I – vi7 – I – vi7 – I – vi7 – I – vi7 loop in C major for both hands, with chord names and finger numbers. Press play and follow the cursor. The left hand plays hop-back bounce (broken chord 8-5-8-8) and the right hand steady chords.
Happy Birthday chord chart
The loop once round, bar by bar, in C 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 | C | I | C E G |
| 1 | Am7 | vi7 | A C E G |
| 2 | C | I | C E G |
| 2 | Am7 | vi7 | A C E G |
| 3 | C | I | C E G |
| 3 | Am7 | vi7 | A C E G |
| 4 | C | I | C E G |
| 4 | Am7 | vi7 | A C E G |
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: hop-back bounce (broken chord 8-5-8-8) in the left hand and steady chords in the right, over the C – Am7 – C – Am7 – C – Am7 – C – Am7 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 Happy Birthday
Does the sheet music for Happy 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 Happy Birthday?
The loop is C – Am7 – C – Am7 – C – Am7 – C – Am7 (I – vi7 – I – vi7 – I – vi7 – I – vi7) in C major, and the song ends on F – G – C.
What key is Happy Birthday in?
C major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.
What does the left hand play in Happy Birthday?
Hop-back bounce: broken chord 8-5-8-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.
Is Happy Birthday easy to play on piano?
Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 8 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.
Can I hear the real melody of Happy Birthday?
Yes: "The part you know" plays the main tune of the song from a score, with both hands.
Made from 2 arrangements of this song: the left and right hands are the patterns these scores repeat most.