Playing happy birthday

[leschirons]

Just out of curiosity, when your doing a function of some sort and you get the call for Happy birthday, what key do you go for? Unless you have a regular planned key for this as a function band, I usually find that it'll just be either the guitarist or the keyboard player for a simple sing-along. Now, if it's me, I'll usually play a C chord on guitar or a high C bass chord just to give everyone a pitch. However, last week when this happened, the guitarist I was with shouted READY? and hit a G# chord.

Just thought that was a bit weird.

[iamapirate]

well, if you start on C, then you're playing in F I think. It definitely doesn't start on the root note, though!

[leschirons]

[quote name='iamapirate' post='579631' date='Aug 24 2009, 10:17 PM']well, if you start on C, then you're playing in F I think. It definitely doesn't start on the root note, though![/quote]

If the song is in C, the first sung melody note will be G, a 5th above.

Simple chord progression is

C, G, G, C, C, F, C, G, C

This is in the key of C

Edited August 24, 2009 by leschirons

[whynot]

Usually in C for most bands I've played with, starting G as mentioned.
We will do in a various styles, Status Quo styli etc.

[The_D]

We do the Ramones happy birthday from the Simpsons if ever asked for it. If anything it makes sure they dont ask for it again.

[bassace]

We always play it in F, that's if we do it at all.

[lemmywinks]

Just do Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday", that's ace! It's one of my guilty pleasures and is guaranteed to make people dance like idiots

[PapillonIrl]

The Beatles FTW

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_1PAx5Ycwo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_1PAx5Ycwo[/url]

[teej]

guitarist plays it on slide

[Bilbo]

We do it as a samba. In F.

[Sibob]

Just don't do what our drummer did once and start it in 4/4

Si

[chris_b]

I refuse to play Happy Birthday. The keyboard player usually knows it but no one else does. It's always a shambolic mess and if the band plays it I stand there not playing! That's how much I hate it!

The better thing to do is to dedicate a number to someone for their birthday.

[The Funk]

I normally take the opportunity to have a little break and leave it to the others, like Chris.

[casapete]

We usually do it in G, in whatever style takes our fancy but often swing for some reason...

[farmer61]

We just sing it.....badly!

[Cat Burrito]

We've played it in D before - we like to be different!