How to Play Happy Birthday on Piano
A guide for all levels of experience 🎂 🍰 🍓
Why should I learn how to play happy birthday on piano anyway?
Learning how to play “Happy Birthday” on piano is a great entry point into playing piano because it’s a familiar tune. It’s also an apt challenge because learning how to play “Happy Birthday” on piano is actually really hard!!! More on why is it so hard to play “Happy Birthday” on piano (or why is it so hard to sing “Happy Birthday,” for that matter!) later in this post.
The other treat of learning how to play “Happy Birthday” on piano is that it is such a cool party trick to have in your back pocket. The next family celebration, or when you want to give someone a digital gift that’s a smidge more personal than your usual combination of a silly meme and a Facebook post. Being able to play someone a song just for them is really personal, meaningful, and fun. I want you to have this.
Why is Happy Birthday so hard to play on Piano?
Okay, this is what you really want to know. Why is “Happy Birthday” so hard to play on piano??! Let alone, why is it so hard to sing “Happy Birthday?” Why does it sound sooooo bad when we sing “Happy Birthday” at work for a coworker?
My answer is not going to be some cop out about the state of arts funding and music education in the U.S. Although it could be…
There is an actual musical reason that no one can seem to sing “Happy Birthday” together. It’s also the reason that it is so hard to play “Happy Birthday” on piano, if you’re just trying to pick the melody out by ear.
If you look at the music for “Happy Birthday,” it is pretty misleading.
Basically, “Happy Birthday” is kind of in two different keys. The melody (the part we sing) starts somewhere unusual, and it goes somewhere unexpected. If our first note is on C, you half expect this song to be in the key of C, and to outline a C chord. But by the end of the song, we are moving down an F major chord, and resolve on- yep, you guessed it- F. So we’re really in F. There are some other unexpected leaps and twists and turns in here, too.
So yeah, it’s not your fault that “Happy Birthday” is difficult to play on piano. But that’s why I made this freebie for you! You don’t even have to try to figure it out on your own. You can learn how to play “Happy Birthday” on piano for free!
What’s the best arrangement to play “Happy Birthday” on piano?
I collected three arrangements of “Happy Birthday” for this resource, so that you can learn how to play “Happy Birthday” on piano for free.
🍓 The first is the bare bones version- the absolute easiest way to learn how to play “Happy Birthday” on piano. But also, a blank template and lead sheet if you are looking to embellish the tune on your own. This is a guide for how to play “Happy Birthday” on piano for beginners. In the recording, I show you where to notes are on the keyboard and how to play “Happy Birthday” on piano.
🍰If you already know a little bit about how to play piano, then the intermediate version is perfect for you. This adds in the harmonies and left hand chords for “Happy Birthday,” and if you are more experienced this gives you the opportunity to vary the left hand rhythms as you see fit. This is the best version of how to play “Happy Birthday” on piano for leading a sing along.
🎂If you are an experienced piano player, then you should give the most advanced arrangement a whirl. I consider this version of how to play “Happy Birthday” on piano for advanced players the most fun option for recording a video to send a friend on their birthday. It’s fun and flashy, and adds some fun effects throughout.
So… How do I Learn How to Play “Happy Birthday on Piano??”
Learn how to play “Happy Birthday” on piano for FREE with this guide from me for you! It includes all three versions of music, PLUS videos I made for whatever level of experience you have.
A preview of how to learn “Happy Birthday” on piano for free
As you can see… this course has big birthday energy, since I made this course over my own birthday weekend in sort of an excited frenzy. What can I say? I’m a gemini. I have no chill.
What do I do now that I’ve learned how to play “Happy Birthday” on piano?
It’s time to celebrate!!! Some ideas for sharing “Happy Birthday” on piano include…
-make a video of you playing “Happy Birthday” on piano to send friends and family on their birthday
-make a custom video for someone playing “Happy Birthday” on piano and sing their name
-keep the music for “Happy Birthday” on piano handy and pull this out at your next celebratory birthday party
-memorize the simple version of “Happy Birthday” for piano so that you can play it on a piano app at work when it’s your coworkers birthday!
-now that you really know how to play “Happy Birthday” on piano, be sure to sing it the right way when you get the chance, and hope some others will follow your lead
-play yourself the melody of “Happy Birthday” on piano at your next birthday, and know that you are committed to learning new things and enjoying the little things in life!
