Beginner guitarists should find learning to play Happy Birthday simple; only needing basic chords and the appropriate strumming pattern to do it correctly.
Start off your learning of acoustic guitar basics chords by mastering these basics chords. Later on, experiment with different strumming patterns for added style in your playing.
G Major
Happy Birthday is one of the first songs a new guitar player should learn, as its straightforward melody and beautiful tone work great on both acoustic and electric guitars. Additionally, it provides a great opportunity to practice barre chords and rhythm.
For this song, G major will be the best choice. Since 3/4 time has three beats per bar, strum the chords with an alternately strumming pattern to achieve an authentic sound.
If the key of G is too low for your vocal range, using a capo will allow you to raise its pitch by one fret – while still sounding similar, but higher pitched chords.
For G Major, simply place your index finger on the fifth string, ring finger on third string, and pinky on second string – with fifth and sixth strings muted while strumming. Experiment by moving D, A, E chord triads up your guitar neck so you can hear how they sound in different keys.
D Major
Beginner guitarists should learn Happy Birthday as an early song to master. It’s simple, straightforward and an excellent way to practice moving between chords while honing your picking hand skills!
You can play this song using either a standard strumming pattern, or by employing fingerpicking melody styles. To do this, focus on each chord’s bottom string before using your thumb and index, middle, and ring fingers to pluck higher strings rhythmically with plucking fingers.
Add an jazzy flair by including a D major seventh chord into the progression – it will give the chords an richer sound while fitting perfectly with Happy Birthday’s vocal melody!
C Major
Few people in the world have not heard or had Happy Birthday sung to them, making it one of the first songs novice guitarists should learn to play as it helps practice transitioning from chord to chord and matching lyrics with chords they are playing.
This song’s chord progression is very straightforward, making it an effective way to familiarize yourself with changing chords. Additionally, its rhythm is easy to follow as it uses a 3/4 beat with two chords per bar; this allows you to practice counting three downstrokes for every measure.
This song’s chords are relatively easy to play, consisting of only open major chords. However, the most challenging aspect of them may be matching them correctly to the melody; with practice this should become less challenging.
E Major
As an easy way to add some flair and emotion to your rendition of Happy Birthday, try playing it in E major with a slide. This will create an original, soulful sound reminiscent of Derek Trucks Bandis serenading the celebrant! To play E major with a slide, use your thumb to pluck the low strings while moving index, middle and ring fingers up and down in rhythmic patterns across higher strings with index, middle, and ring fingers alternating their plucking on higher strings with rhythmic plucking techniques until all high strings have been plucked plucked – giving a unique and soulful sound to any rendition. To play E major this way, use your thumb to pluck low strings while simultaneously moving index, middle, and ring fingers up and down at higher strings alternating in rhythmic pattern while moving index finger from string to string in E major.
Your Happy Birthday performance can also stand out by including jazz chords. Start with basic E, A and D chords before adding just enough dissonance by changing to major seventh chords as you sing the person’s name; this will create a jazzy sound!
There are certain essential songs every guitarist must know, and “Happy Birthday” should certainly be among them! With only four simple chords required for its playing, practicing this song before your next party can give you confidence to sing along with everyone present and feel proud singing with your ensemble.