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“Happy Birthday” is one of the songs that every student should know how to play on the piano! In this post, you’ll learn a fun way to make sure all of your students learn how to play the song “Happy Birthday” on the piano.
Get the Sheet Music
To teach “Happy Birthday” to students of various levels, you will need several different arrangements of varying difficulty. You can find arrangements of Happy Birthday on various sites like Sheet Music Plus. The arrangements of “Happy Birthday” on my site include 10 different arrangements for beginning to advanced students all in one set.
Each arrangement adds a level of difficult. You will be able to teach the song to beginners, intermediate students, and advanced students.
There are 10 arrangements/versions in all:
- Version 1: Teach the melody by rote to beginning students. Beginners can play with just finger 2 or 3.
- Version 2: The melody is split between the hands.
- Version 3: The melody is played in the right hand with only single bass notes in the left hand.
- Version 4: The melody is played in the right hand with blocked chords in the left hand.
- Version 5: Chord inversions are played in the left hand.
- Version 6: Arpeggiated chords are played in the left hand while the right hands plays the melody.
- Version 7: The left hand plays an octave (1-5-8) pattern.
- Version 8: The left hand plays a more elaborate pattern of version 7 arrangement.
- Version 9: This version is similar to version 8, but the right hand plays chord tones underneath the melody. This gives the song a fuller sound.
- Version 10: A version for the advanced students! There are big chords in the right hand and arpeggios in the left hand.
Ideas for Teaching Happy Birthday in Your Studio
Have a “Happy Birthday Challenge” in your studio! Set a time frame (such as 2 or 3 months) for all students to learn “Happy Birthday.” You can use the cake and candles clipart as an incentive in your studio. Hang the cake in your studio. Each time a student learns Happy Birthday, add a candle to the cake with his or her name.
Are you still teaching lessons online? You can still do this challenge. You can include a picture of the cake & candles in your studio emails to keep parents and students updated about the challenge. If you use social media in your studio, you could ask parents and students to post videos of their music and tag your studio page.
Doing the birthday challenge over the summer around the Fourth of July is also an idea since we call this the birthdate of the United States of America.
Downloads for the Challenge
Happy Birthday (C Major) – 10 Different Arrangements for All Levels
Happy Birthday (F Major) – 10 Different Arrangements for All Levels
Lauren teaches piano to students of all ages. She enjoys creating resources for her students and teachers. She is the author of Ready for Theory®. For personalized help, check out the consultations page for teachers.
