Jazz chord progression adds an extra flair when performing “Happy Birthday”, beginning each line’s first pickup eighth note on ‘birthday” and playing D major chord.
This easy version works well on both acoustic and electric guitars, thanks to a straightforward strumming pattern that follows the rhythm of the song.
E Major
Chords are arranged in a circle and placed next to one another so they’re relative – for example 12B = E Major is adjacent to 12A = D Flat Minor. This method of learning chords can help you understand their use within progressions as well as hearing how individual notes sound when combined.
Repetition will help develop muscle memory and become effortless when playing these chords and their related scale patterns on guitar. Experimentation is also key; try playing them in fourth or fifth position to expand your understanding of these chords and scale patterns across the fretboard.
G Major
G Major is one of the most frequently used keys among musicians for playing songs in. It serves as the official key of both British and New Zealand national anthems and can be found across country, rock, classical, metal music genres – famous songs include Sweet Home Alabama and Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door in G major’s key signature (with only one sharp: F sharp), making it relatively straightforward for beginners to read and use.
Major scales are an excellent place for beginners to begin when starting to learn music, as they usually feature fewer difficult notes and are more familiar to untrained ears. Practice each scale slowly and cleanly until each note can be played without mistakes or tension; once this has become second nature, try playing them both together simultaneously.
D Major
Understanding this song begins with its chord progression. We’ll walk through each chord on the guitar fretboard so you can start learning it right away!
Once you’ve mastered basic guitar chords, begin practicing this song using its fingerstyle pattern. At first, it may be helpful to learn a small section at a time until it feels effortless.
Practice chords using a metronome set at a slow tempo; this will allow you to develop an understanding of song’s rhythm as well as improve timing and accuracy.
C Major
C Major is one of the easiest and most versatile guitar scales to learn, consisting of the notes C, D, E, F G A B. This scale contains no sharps or flats and will open up a world of opportunities when applied to chords in any major key.
Chords can be named according to various intervals within each chord, so don’t just learn their names; learn their function too – for instance a major seventh chord would feature a C-E interval while minor seventh chords may include C-Eb intervals.
Major scale notes always sound “round,” as their final note (B in this example) is repeated at its conclusion one octave higher (C). Thus, there are never any accidentals in major keys.