Happy Birthday – Mildred J. Hill and Patty Hill

About this piece

The tune of Happy Birthday comes from Good Morning to All, a children's song written by the American sisters Mildred J. Hill and Patty Hill in the late nineteenth century. Birthday words were later sung to the same melody and spread around the world, and today it is probably the tune people are most often asked to play on the spot at a party.

This version is short, about 35 seconds, in 3/4 time at 96 bpm. It is a single line that stays entirely in the right-hand register, from G4 up to G5, so you can learn it with one hand and never worry about a bass part. The moment that needs the most attention is the climb to the top note of the range in the third phrase.

Try Listen mode once to hear the rhythm, then switch to Wait mode so each note waits for you. Select the right hand only and slow the tempo to 60 or 75 % until the three-beat pulse feels natural. A count-in helps you start on time, and the A–B loop lets you drill the high phrase on its own. When you are comfortable, use Play along at full speed and look at the sheet music below the player to see how the tune is written on the page.