Happy Birthday to You
About this arrangement
The melody started life in 1893 as 'Good Morning to All', a kindergarten greeting song by Mildred and Patty Hill - and only became public domain in the US after a 2016 court ruling.
The first two phrases share one rhythm; get that steady, then the only real challenge left is the octave leap on the third phrase.
Start with short loops.
Use the section list as a practice map. Start at 50% tempo, loop one section, then return to the full piece once the hand shape feels stable.
Choose Right or Left to focus on one hand. Wait for note checks the highlighted notes as you play them on the screen or a connected MIDI keyboard.
Before you practice.
01 What are the notes for Happy Birthday on piano?
Right hand in C major, starting on G: G G A G C B, G G A G D C, G G G(up) E C B A, F F E C D C. The third phrase jumps up a full octave on "birthday".
02 What key is Happy Birthday in?
This arrangement is in C major, so there are no sharps or flats. F major and G major are also common, but C keeps everything on white keys for beginners.
03 Is Happy Birthday copyrighted?
Not anymore. A US federal court invalidated the copyright claim in 2015, a settlement followed, and a 2016 final judgment declared the song public domain in the US; in the EU it has been public domain since 2017.