Piano chords · Dreamy ballad

How to play Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen on piano

Artist unknown

Tuning the piano…

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Learn Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen in 5 steps

The chords first, then one hand at a time. Each step plays in the player above.

1
Chords: C – C – C#dim – G
How it goes
Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen sits in G major: G is home, where the song ends. It goes round 4 chords: C is C, E and G; C#dim is C#, E and G; G is G, B and D. Play each one as a block with your right hand until the changes feel easy.
CIVCIVC#dim#iv°GI
- CC · E · G
- C#dimC# · E · G
- GG · B · D
2
Left hand: Yo-yo bounce
How it goes
A long high root, a dip down, and back up like a yo-yo. Musicians call it broken chord 8-5-8 (broken chord), an easy pattern heard in 629 songs of the library.
Yo-yo bounceBroken chord · BalladLeft handEasy
3
Right hand: Hand-clap chords
How it goes
Rests on beat 1, then clap-clap on 2 and one more clap on 4. It moves with the chords, so it fits every bar of the loop.
Hand-clap chordsSyncopated chords · PopRight handEasy
4
Both hands at 100 BPM
How it goes
Put the two hands together over the loop. Start at half speed with the player's speed control, and bring it up once every change is easy.
5
Ending: C – D7 – G
How it goes
The last chords are IV – V7 – I, then one chord rolled from the bottom up, left to ring.
CD7G
- D7D · F# · A · C

What chords are in Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen?

The loop is C – C – C#dim – G (IV – #iv° – I – IV) in G major, and the song ends on C – D7 – G.

What key is Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen in?

G major, at about 100 beats a minute in 4/4.

What does the left hand play in Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen?

Yo-yo bounce: broken chord 8-5-8, an easy pattern. It follows the chords, so the same shape works for every bar.

Is Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen easy to play on piano?

Yes. Both hands play easy patterns over 4 chords. Learn the chords first, then add one hand at a time.

Can I hear the real melody of Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen?

Yes: "The part you know" plays the catchy part 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.