When beginning strumming, try beginning with either all downstrokes or alternating between up and down strokes to establish rhythm. This will help ensure a good strumming experience!
Keep in mind that the song is in 3/4 time, which means each syllable gets one beat and allows you to sing along easily!
Key of E
One thing is certain; we’ve all sung “Happy Birthday” at some point or another. This lesson demonstrates how to play it on guitar using just basic chords and fingerpicking techniques.
Matching up the melody you sing with the chords you play can be a challenging endeavor for guitarists, and this song presents no exception. Therefore, it is vitally important that guitarists practice both sets of chords and melody line separately prior to attempting to put everything together at once.
Keep in mind that this song is in 3/4 time, which means there are three beats per measure and that each quarter note receives one count. This is particularly relevant when considering the opening two plucks on an open G string at the start of measure one; they don’t fall on beat like they would if played using standard 4/4 time.
Melody
“Happy Birthday” features a song that must be sung, not played on guitar, so before beginning this tradition you must learn to sing its melody first.
Timing this song requires keeping in mind that its beat is three counts long; also note that its melody runs longer than usual so each syllable should be stretched out more.
If you’re having difficulty singing the song in its key, a capo may help lift up some notes to suit your vocal range more comfortably. Once this step is accomplished, find your melody by following a picking order; often the melody will reside on one or two strings at once.
Chords
Everyone knows the song Happy Birthday to You, but did you know that it can be played easily on guitar? All it requires are two major chords and four minor ones; adding bluesy 7 chords into the third and seventh measures gives the tune even more vibrance!
Beginners may benefit from practicing their first measure with a simple down-strum for every quarter note – this will help sync up the rhythm of chords with singing; it may take some practice before finding your perfect match between vocal pitch and chords.
After the second measure, use a Cmaj7 chord on “birth” syllables and Gmaj7 on “you.” Additionally, an open Cmaj7 might add another level of flavor; let the chords ring out for added emotional resonance by leaving space between notes on “you.” This technique will heighten the impact of singing this song to someone special.
Fingerstyle
Chord melodies provide an effective way to practice moving inner voices (notes played on the strings that neither highest nor lowest in tone). Begin each sequence slowly until it feels natural to play at speed.
Strumming chords comes in various forms; choose one that feels natural for you. We advise using a strumming pattern consisting of either all downstrokes, or at least an equal mix of down and up strokes.
As part of the first measure of “Happy Birthday”, play two pickup eighth notes. This technique allows you to add some flair without altering chords; once done a few times it becomes second nature – eventually even without looking!