How to Play Happy Birthday on Guitar (With Bluesy Ending)

Today I want to share with you how to play “Happy Birthday” on guitar. Plus as a bonus at the end I will also share how to add a cool bluesy ending to it.

Playing “Happy Birthday” for your friends and family can mean a lot to them. Therefore, it’s a great one to know. You want to be able to pull it off at the drop of a hat.

So in this lesson, I am going to cover everything you need to know to do exactly that. 

So get tuned up, and let’s get started!

What are the chords for Happy Birthday?

To play “Happy Birthday” on guitar you will only need to know 3 chords. The chords we are going to play are G, C, and D. Here is how I would play each shape. 

For G, I would play all 6 strings and use 4 fingers in the fretting hand like this: 

D is the next chord we will move to in the progression, and this one is played from the 4th string down like this:

And finally, C is the last we will use and this one is played from the 5th string down like this:

What is the strumming pattern for Happy Birthday on guitar?

The strumming pattern for “Happy Birthday” is going to be a quarter note downstrum. This means we will use all downstrums (with the strum hand) and let each strum last one beat. “Happy Birthday” is in a 3/4 time signature so this means that we will be counting 3 beats per bar like this:

1 2 3

DDD

Each strum should be even and keep the beat of the song. 

Try it first just on the G chord and count out loud 1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3

And so on.

Ok. Now that you know the 3 chord shapes you’ll need. 

Let’s next talk about the chord progression. This is going to be the order of the chords, and how long we stay on each chord. Each “/” below represents one strum or one beat. 

Chord Progression: 

G

/ / /

D  

/ / /

D  

/ / /

G

/ / /

G

/ / /

C

/ (hold and then cue)

G D

/ / /

G

/

Important tip: When you sing and play “Happy Birthday” the guitar isn’t going to come in at the same time as the vocal. The vocal is going to sing a pickup with the word “Happy” and then the first guitar chord should come in on ”Birthday”. The vocal starting note is the note D and can be played as the open 4th string to give yourself the starting pitch.

6th string 

5th string

4th string = 0 (starting note)

3rd string

2nd string

1st string 

Happy Birthday Lyrics and Chords

          G                 D

Happy Birthday to You

                              G

Happy Birthday to You

                                    C

Happy Birthday Dear (name)

           G            D  G

Happy Birthday to You.

Adding a Bluesy Ending 

Once you strum the final G chord, you can add a bluesy ending by playing the 2nd string on the 3rd fret (this is still part of the G chord). Then lift off the pinky finger in the fretting hand to play an open 1st string. Then come back to the 3rd fret on the 2nd string, and end the whole piece by strumming a G7 chord using the top 4 strings like this:

What are the chords for Happy Birthday in a Girl’s key?

The above key is probably best for a guy’s key. But if you want another key (that will be better for girls to sing) try it in the key of D. Here we will need to know how to play the A chord like this:

And then “Happy Birthday” in D would go like this: 

D

/ / /

A  

/ / /

A  

/ / /

D

/ / /

D

/ / /

G

/ (hold and then cue)

D A

/ / /

D

/

The vocal starting note is the note A and can be played as the open 5th string to give yourself the starting pitch.

6th string 

5th string = 0 (starting note)

4th string 

3rd string

2nd string

1st string 

          D                 A

Happy Birthday to You

                              D

Happy Birthday to You

                                    G

Happy Birthday Dear (name)

           D            A  D

Happy Birthday to You.

The blues ending in the key of D can be played like this:

How To Play Happy Birthday On Guitar (Fingerstyle)

Now that you know the chords. Try playing the melody and chords together with this fingerstyle arrangement of Happy Birthday.

Conclusion:

And that’s all there is to it! Playing "Happy Birthday" on the guitar can be a wonderful way to celebrate special occasions for your loved ones. By teaching yourself these three simple chords - G, C, and D - and employing a quarter note down-strumming pattern, you can confidently play this song. 

Remember to pay attention to the vocal pickup and the timing of the guitar chords to sync with the singing. To add a bluesy twist, try dropping in that bluesy ending. 
For a key that better suits a female vocal range, transpose the chords to the key of D. With these chords and variations, you can create a heartfelt rendition of "Happy Birthday" that will bring joy to those you're celebrating. Happy Playing! And for another great lesson check out How to Play the Blues Scale on Guitar next!