HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU

Beginner                            BA1 - Unit 1         (Featured) Song-Melody 
Probably Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill, 1893
See historic link at bottom of page.
Return to BA1 - Unit 1
Button-Accordion Notation  (for beginners who know the melody)
Although you may be a "beginner" on the button accordion, you already know lots of melodies, one of which is likely to be "Happy-Birthday".   Thus, chances are, you already know how long to hold each note and where to put the emphasis.  You just need to get use to it on the button accordion.

General version:​

   5    5       5*     5      6     6*
Hap-py   birth-day   to   you,

  5    5       5*     5     7*     6
Hap-py   birth-day  to    you,

   5    5        8      7       6     6        6*     5*
Hap-py    birth-day   hap-py    birth-day

   8*  8*       7      6      7*      6
Hap-py    birth-day   to     you.

​
Specific version (for someone named "Mary"):​

   5    5       5*     5      6     6*
Hap-py   birth-day   to   you,

  5    5       5*     5     7*     6
Hap-py   birth-day  to    you,

   5    5        8      7        6       6*    5*
Hap-py    birth-day   dear  Mar - y
​
   8*  8*       7      6      7*      6
Hap-py    birth-day   to     you.

Embedded youTUBE  VIDEOS

Seven videos in the keys:   A=1  (outside row of an A-D accordion)  
                                               C=2  (inside row of a G-C accordion)
                                               D=2  (inside row of an A-D accordion)
                                               G=2  (outside row of a G-C accordion)

​These are included mainly for the benefit of anyone not familiar with the melody.  As well, some of you may want to try playing along with the video that best matches your accordion.

As recorded here, some videos may be rather fast for beginners to play along with, although you can select slower playback speeds from youTube's "Setting" menu (75% or  50% or even the terrible 25%).
Key:  A

Guitarist:  Martin Ludenhoff

​Posted by:  Martin Ludenhoff
Key:   C

Pianist:  ?

​Posted by:  tubescore.net
Key:   C
​
This matches the inside row of a G-C button accordion
​
Players:  ? & ?

Posted by Yuri Charyguine

​Interesting.
Key:  D

Pianist:  ?

Posted by:  The Suntrees Sky - Topic
Key:   D

​Guitarist:  Markus Jimi Ivan

Posted by:  THECRAESH

​Excellent.
Key:   G

Play on the outside row of your G-C accordion.

Player:  ?

Posted by:  Senor Parrandas

Cross-playing on a Hohner Corona II.
Key:   G

Play on the outside row of your G-C accordion.

Posted by:  Happy Birthday

​
​Background:
​Click HERE for Wikipedia background information on Happy Birthday to You.  This will open in a new window, so you can easily move back and forth between the two sites.