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Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday is now in the Public Domain.

Category: Traditional Instrument: Ukulele Subjects(s): Beginner • Repertoire

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Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to You, also known more simply as Happy Birthday, is a song that is traditionally sung to celebrate the anniversary of a person's birth. According to the 1998 Guinness Book of World Records, "Happy Birthday to You" is the most recognized song in the English language, followed by "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" and "Auld Lang Syne".

Performance Notes for Happy Birthday

Here is how I remember the melody of Happy Birthday:

  • Song starts on the 5th of the key of the song. Plays that note twice and then up a perfect 4th (Here Comes the Bride interval) and down 1/2 step
  • repeat, then up a perfect 5th (Do You Hear What I Here interval and a bell like tone), done 1/2 step) then repeat again and up an octave
  • The octave (8) is the fifth of a descending major triad, the I chord, then descending 1/2 step, then to whole step.
  • up a major sixth. This ones sounds a little dissonant in the context of all the constant melody. Then down 1/2 step and to root of key/scale, up M2 and back - DONE

Happy Birthday…

Happy Birthday is (wikiwand); NOW in the public domain in the United States and the European Union. Warner Chappell Music had previously claimed copyright on the song in the US and collected licensing fees for its use; in 2015 the copyright claim was declared invalid and Warner Chappell agreed to pay back $14 million in licensing fees.

Open Position Chords

Resources & Links

Main Song Download(s)
The main downloads for this song.
WEB_CONTENT_ONLY
Happy Birthday - Key of C, Leadsheet

Chords and melody lead sheet in the key of C. Standard music notation and TAB for C tuning.

WEB_CONTENT_ONLY
Happy Birthday - Key of C, with TAB

Chords and melody lead sheet in the key of F. Standard music notation and TAB for C tuning.

WEB_CONTENT_ONLY
Happy Birthday - Key of F, Melody in Standard Notation and TAB

Chords and melody lead sheet in the key of F. Melody in standard music notation and TAB.

WEB_CONTENT_ONLY
Happy Birthday - Key of G, Leadsheet

Chords and melody lead sheet in the key of C. Standard music notation and TAB for C tuning.

Related Lessons
Related Lessons for Happy Birthday.
UL44
Key Signatures - C Major and A Minor

In music, it is important to learn and recognize the key signature for C Major and A Minor. These two keys have corresponding major and natural minor scales, along with basic ukulele chords that can be used with each scale. The key of C Major, also known as the learning key, is particularly easy to memorize and start using.

UL06m
Playing by Ear - Melodies

Playing Melodies, Licks, Riffs, Motifs, and Single Note Lines by ear is all about getting your ear to recognize intervals and train the fingers to follow your inner ear and play these melodies on demand.

Related Lesson Series
Related Lessons Series for Happy Birthday.
Playing by Ear

Mastering the art of playing music by ear represents the pinnacle of achievement for any aspiring musician. The objective of this lesson series is to guide you towards attaining this goal. Whether it entails mastering melodies or chords, rest assured that it is within your reach.

Understanding Intervals

An interval is the distance between two notes. An interval has a name and a type. Intervals can be played one note (melodic) or two notes (harmonic) at a time, ascending or descending.

Getting Started Series of Ukulele Lessons

The aim of this series of lessons is to provide comprehensive guidance for beginners embarking on their ukulele journey.

Reading Music on Ukulele - Primer

In the realm of music, there are certain aspects that students and players often tend to avoid. These include skills such as learning to read music and familiarizing themselves with the notes on their instrument. While these tasks may seem challenging, particularly on the fretted string instruments, they are comparatively easier on the ukulele. With the appropriate guidance and a well-defined plan, mastering these skills can be a smooth and achievable process.

Related Songs
Related Songs for Happy Birthday.
UL503
Bingo

Bingo, also known as Bingo Was His Name-Oand There Was a Farmer Who Had a Dog, is an English language children's song of obscure origin. In most modern forms, the song involves spelling the name of a dog, and with increasing letters replaced with handclaps on each repetition.

UL533
Oh! Susanna

Oh! Susanna is a minstrel song by Stephen Foster (1826-1864). It was published by W. C. Peters & Co. in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1848. The song was introduced by a local quintette at a concert in Andrews' Eagle Ice Cream Saloon in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 11, 1847. Foster was said to have written the song for his men's social club.

UL414
Old MacDonald Had a Farm

Old MacDonald Had a Farm is a children's song and nursery rhyme about a farmer named MacDonald (or McDonald, Macdonald) and the various animals he keeps on his farm. Each verse of the song changes the name of the animal and its respective noise. In many versions, the song is cumulative, with the noises from all the earlier verses added to each subsequent verse. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 745.

UL516
This Train

This Train (is Bound for Glory) by Woody Guthrie.

UL578
The Lion Sleeps Tonight

The Lion Sleeps Tonight, also known as "Wimoweh", "Wimba Way" or "Awimbawe", is a song written and recorded originally by Solomon Linda with the Evening Birds for the South African Gallo Record Company in 1939, under the title "Mbube". Composed in Zulu, it was adapted and covered internationally by many 1950s pop and folk revival artists, including Pete Seeger, the Weavers, Jimmy Dorsey, Yma Sumac, Miriam Makeba and the Kingston Trio.

Related Books & Charts
Related Books for Happy Birthday.
BC1GTR
A Guide to Guitar Chords

Covers basic guitar chords for beginning to intermediate guitar students. These are the chords that ALL guitar should know - regardless of style.

BC1UKE2
A Guide to Ukulele Chords, 2nd Edition

A Guide to Ukulele Chords, Second Edition is designed as a guide to ukulele chords. Covering the basic ukulele chords that ALL ukulele players SHOULD know. A Guide to Ukulele Chords covers movable chord forms, rock chords, how to transpose chords, learning the ukulele fingerboard and includes an introduction to 4-part, a.k.a jazz chords and more...

A Selection of Books & Reference Charts that are recommended for creating a solid foundation with your chosen instrument and music in general.
These are books & reference charts that apply to a majority of all lessons on LearningUkulele.com / Learning Ukulele with Curt.
Learning the Ukulele Fingerboard – C Tuning

Finally, learn the names of the notes of the fingerboard.

Six Secrets of the Ukulele Fingerboard – C Tuning

Learn the six fingering principles to navigating the ukulele fingerboard. Fingering is one of the most universal topics.

Harmonic Analysis for Scale Selection and Chord Substitution

Harmonic Analysis is the understanding of the functional sequence of chords. It is the process used to analyze the harmonic structure of a progression, song or composition.

Ukulele – Reading Music Series – Primer

Learn to read single note melodies in the first/open position is a lot easier than you might think.

Daily Practice Material for the Contemporary Ukulele

An organized collection of daily practice and reference material for the contemporary ukulele player for developing the vocabulary and knowledge necessary for single note playing.

Checkout the Books for additional Handy, Dandy Reference Charts.

Reference Charts
Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for C Tuning, Low or High G - G C E A

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for C Tuning, Low or High G – G C E A

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for G Tuning, Low or High A – D G B E

Ukulele Fingerboard Chart for G Tuning, Low or High A – D G B E

Circle of Fourths and Fifths – ANSI A & A4 sizes

A handy reference chart of all 15 major and relative minor key signatures. US Letter 8.5 x 11 sized (ANSI-A), A4

Checkout the Books for additional Handy, Dandy Reference Charts.

Related Song Files, Resources and Assets
Related Assets for Happy Birthday.
WEB_CONTENT_ONLY
Happy Birthday - Key of C, with TAB

Chords and melody lead sheet in the key of F. Standard music notation and TAB for C tuning.

WEB_CONTENT_ONLY
Happy Birthday - Key of C, Leadsheet

Chords and melody lead sheet in the key of C. Standard music notation and TAB for C tuning.

WEB_CONTENT_ONLY
Happy Birthday - Key of F, Melody in Standard Notation and TAB

Chords and melody lead sheet in the key of F. Melody in standard music notation and TAB.

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On the web since 1992 and a Mac since 1987 (Mac II) • Serving up Ukulele content since 2003 ( 22 years ago )Lets Kanikapila!!! v12.13.0 (8.2.23) • And, since Sept 2020, happily on Pop!_OS Linux and a System76 Thelio. Half the cost of the iMac and a real treat to use. I use it for ALL development work. Only wish the Affinity Suite of apps by serif where available on Linux (and I do know you can run them in Wine with a few hacks).
This sit has ben profesionaly red. awl tpyos aree free and no aditonal chrge • I'm blaming it on “jazz” fingers. “Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
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