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Happy Birthday Song Player With Lyrics, Piano Notes and Sheet Music

SongGiftly plays the Happy Birthday song in your browser, free: type a name and it drops into the lyrics, then each line lights up as the melody plays. Choose piano, music box, ukulele or marimba, set the tempo and key, follow the letter notes on a piano keyboard, print the sheet music with chords and download the backing track as a WAV. No sign-up, nothing to install. Want their name actually sung? Try a custom birthday song: your first one plays 60 seconds free.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Piano, music box, ukulele, marimba
  • Letter notes and printable sheet
  • WAV download

Happy Birthday to You

Piano · F major · 104 BPM

0:00 / 0:16

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday dear friend

Happy birthday to you

The key lights up as the melody plays. Tap a key to hear it.

Instrument
104 BPM · Medium
SlowLively
Key
F majorOriginal key

Starting note: C.

Sound

Melody with soft waltz chords underneath.

This tool plays the melody. It doesn't sing the name.

Add a name above to see it in the lyrics. To hear their name sung, make an original birthday song about them in about 3 minutes: your first song plays 60 seconds of each version free.

Hear it sung with their name

"Happy Birthday to You" (melody and lyrics) is in the public domain: a US federal court ruled in 2015 that the copyright claim was invalid, the case settled in 2016, and EU protection ended in 2017. Everything you hear here is synthesized in your browser.

Happy Birthday Song Lyrics, Ready for Any Name

The Happy Birthday to You lyrics are four short lines, and only the third one changes: "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear Emma, happy birthday to you." Type a name in the player and it fills that line, then each line lights up in time with the melody, so a whole room can follow along without missing the big moment.

  • The line being sung is highlighted as the tune plays
  • The name goes into the third line, nicknames and all
  • Works the same on a phone, a tablet or a laptop
  • The melody and the words are in the public domain, free to sing anywhere
Type a name and play

Why Play the Happy Birthday Song Here

A free player built for the moment the cake comes out, and for anyone learning the tune.

Four sounds

Piano for a classic feel, music box for a little one, ukulele for a backyard party, marimba for a bright, bouncy sound.

Tempo and key

Pick any tempo from 60 to 160 BPM, and move the key a half step at a time until it sits comfortably in everyone's voice.

Letter notes

Every note is shown by its letter on an on-screen keyboard, so beginners can play along on a real piano.

Printable sheet

Print one page with the letter notes, the chord names and the lyrics for a lesson, a class or the fridge door.

WAV backing track

Download the full mix, the melody alone or just the chords as a WAV file to sing over or drop into a birthday video.

Free and private

The music is synthesized right in your browser, so there is no account to make, no app to install and nothing to upload.

How to Play the Happy Birthday Song in 3 Steps

From a name to a sing-along in under a minute.

  1. 1

    Type their name

    Enter the name or nickname you will sing. It appears in the third line of the lyrics right away.

  2. 2

    Pick a sound

    Choose piano, music box, ukulele or marimba, then set the tempo and the key to suit the singers.

  3. 3

    Play, print or save

    Press play and follow the highlighted line, print the sheet music, download the WAV or copy a share link.

Everything You Need to Sing, Play or Teach It

Sing it, play it or teach it, all from one page.

Lyrics that light up as the tune plays

The current line is highlighted in time with the melody, so nobody comes in early on "dear..." and the name lands on the beat. Turn on the count-in so everyone starts together, or loop it for a second round.

Start the sing-along

Happy Birthday song piano notes on a keyboard

Each note is labeled with its letter, one box per sung syllable, and its key lights up on the on-screen keyboard as it plays. Tap any key to hear it, then follow along on a real piano, a keyboard or a recorder.

Show the piano notes

Happy Birthday song sheet music to print

Print one page with the letter notes, the chord names above them and the lyrics, in the key and tempo you picked. It is an easy letter-note sheet rather than staff notation, which most beginners read faster.

Print the sheet

A WAV backing track to sing over

Choose the full mix with soft waltz chords, the melody alone or just the chords so you sing the tune yourself, then download it as a WAV in your sound, tempo and key.

Download the WAV

Happy Birthday Song Piano Notes, Line by Line

The four lines in letter notes, in the player's starting key of F major and in C major for white keys only.

F major, from middle C: C C D C F E, then C C D C G F, then C C C (high) A F E D, then Bb Bb A F G F. C major, all white keys: G G A G C B, then G G A G D C, then G G G (high) E C B A, then F F E C D C. The tune is in 3/4 time and opens with a short pickup on "Hap-py". In the third line the melody leaps a full octave on "birth", just before "dear" and the name, so pick a key where that top note feels easy.

The Origin of the Happy Birthday Song

The melody comes from "Good Morning to All", a classroom song credited to the sisters Mildred J. Hill and Patty Hill and published in 1893, though some historians dispute who first wrote it. The birthday words and the tune first appeared together in print in 1912. A company registered a copyright in 1935, and for decades the song earned licensing fees, until a US federal court ruled in 2015 that the copyright claim over the lyrics was invalid.

  • 1893: "Good Morning to All" is published, with the same melody
  • 1912: the birthday lyrics and the tune appear together in print
  • 2015: a US federal judge rules the copyright claim over the lyrics invalid
  • 2016 and 2017: public domain in the US, and in the EU from January 1, 2017
Play the song

Ways to Get the Happy Birthday Song

A quick look at the usual options and what each one is good for.

Ways to Get the Happy Birthday SongSongGiftly playerA YouTube videoA sheet music PDFA custom birthday song
Plays the melody
Their name on screenIn the lyricsOnly if a video exists for itIn the lyrics
Sings their nameSome videos
Change tempo and keySpeed only
Letter notes and keyboardSome tutorialsSome PDFs
DownloadWAV backing trackPDFMP3 of the full song
PriceFreeFreeFree or paidFrom $19.99

Want Their Name Actually Sung?

This player plays the melody; it does not sing. For a custom birthday song that sings their name, with lyrics about them in the style they love, we write and record one in minutes, from $19.99. We make a custom song for any other occasion too.

Play the free version first

When to Use This Happy Birthday Song Player

Anywhere people gather around a cake, a screen or a piano.

At the party

Put the lyrics on a TV or a phone, press play and let the room sing together on the beat.

On a video call

Share your screen so remote family sees the same highlighted line and nobody sings out of sync.

In the classroom

Teachers print the sheet with the class birthday name, set a slow tempo and use the music box for little ones.

Piano practice

Learn the piano notes for the Happy Birthday song one line at a time, then play it for real at the next party.

Birthday videos

Use the WAV backing track under a slideshow or a video message, and open with a fun fact from the number one song on my birthday lookup.

A playlist starter

Open with the classic, then keep the party going with our list of birthday songs for every age.

Happy Birthday Song FAQ

Lyrics, notes, history and how the free player works.

What are the lyrics to the Happy Birthday song?

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, dear (name), happy birthday to you. Those are all the words to the Happy Birthday song. Many families add a line such as "How old are you now?" sung to the same tune.

What are the original Happy Birthday to You song lyrics?

The tune began as "Good Morning to All", with the words "Good morning to you, good morning to you, good morning, dear children, good morning to all." So the original Happy Birthday song lyrics were a good-morning greeting for a classroom. The birthday version swapped in the words people sing today, and the two were printed together by 1912.

Who wrote Happy Birthday to You?

The melody is credited to Mildred J. Hill and Patty Hill, two sisters from Louisville, Kentucky, who published "Good Morning to All" in 1893. Who wrote the birthday words is unknown, and some historians question whether the sisters wrote the tune or adapted an older one.

Is Happy Birthday in the public domain?

Yes. In 2015 a US federal judge ruled that the copyright claim over the lyrics was invalid, and in 2016 the court declared the song public domain after a settlement. In the EU the copyright expired on January 1, 2017. That is why this player can show the full lyrics and play the melody for free.

What are the Happy Birthday song piano notes?

In F major, the player's starting key: C C D C F E, then C C D C G F, then C C C (high) A F E D, then Bb Bb A F G F. In C major it is G G A G C B, G G A G D C, G G G E C B A, F F E C D C. The player spells the notes in whatever key you pick.

Where can I get sheet music to the Happy Birthday song?

Right here. Pick the key, then print the sheet: letter notes, chord names and the lyrics with the name you typed, on one page. It is an easy letter-note sheet, not staff notation, and it is free with no account.

What key should we sing it in?

Whatever suits the group. The player starts in F major, from middle C up to the C above it, which is comfortable for most voices. If the high note in the third line feels like a stretch, lower the key a half step at a time and keep the one that feels easy.

Why is Happy Birthday so hard to sing?

It spans a full octave, and the biggest leap comes in the third line, on "birth", right before "dear" and the name. Starting too high is the usual problem. Play it once in a lower key first and everyone will find the note.

Can I make a free happy birthday song with their name sung?

Not with this player: it plays the melody and shows the name in the lyrics, with no singing voice. For the name sung, a custom birthday song is written and recorded for that person in about 3 minutes, and your first song plays 60 seconds of each version free after you sign in. The full song is $19.99.

Can I download the music?

Yes, as a WAV file without vocals: the full mix, the melody alone or just the chords, in the sound, tempo and key you chose. Sing over it or use it in a video.

How do I make a silly happy birthday song?

Push the tempo up to 160 BPM, switch to the music box and raise the key a few half steps for a squeaky version. For songs that are funny on purpose, browse the funny picks in our birthday songs playlist.

Is Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday" the same song?

No. Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday" (1980) is a different song with its own melody and words. This page plays the traditional "Happy Birthday to You". You can find Stevie Wonder's song and other classics in our birthday songs list.

Does it work on my phone?

Yes, in any modern browser on iPhone, Android, tablets and computers. If you hear nothing on an iPhone, check that the silent switch is off and the volume is up.

Can I share it with someone?

Yes. Copy the share link and it opens the player with the same name and settings, ready to press play.

Where do the happy birthday to you song words come from?

From a long folk tradition. The words appeared in print as early as 1901, before they were set to the "Good Morning to All" tune, and children's songbooks spread the combination in the 1910s. Today it is often called the best known song in the English language.

More Free Birthday Song Tools

Number 1 Song on My BirthdayBest Birthday SongsCustom Birthday SongAI Lyrics GeneratorSong Name GeneratorRap Lyrics Generator

After the Happy Birthday Song, Make It Personal

Custom songs and song ideas for the people you celebrate.

Songs for MomSongs for Mom, from birthdays to Mother's Day.Songs for DadSongs for Dad, from birthdays to Father's Day.Songs for Your Best FriendFriendship songs for your best friend.Songs for My SonSongs that say what you feel for your son.Songs for My DaughterSongs that say what you feel for your daughter.Songs for GrandmaSongs to honor your grandmother.Anniversary SongsSongs for every anniversary year.

Play the Happy Birthday Song Now

Type a name, pick a sound and press play: the lyrics light up line by line, with piano notes, printable sheet music and a WAV to keep. Free, in your browser, no sign-up.

Start playing