Dhun
Happy Birthday
Here is Happy Birthday written the way we write a tune on the board in class: the rhythm on top, the scale degree under it, then the swara. 1 is Sa, an apostrophe after a number takes it up an octave (5’) and a comma in front takes it down (,5). Read it, sing it, and you have the song in every key at once.
- 3/4
- Major
- 8 bars
- 25 notes
- Free to use
Read it in three languages
Scale degrees
5 5 6 5 1' 7 5 5 6 5 2' 1' 5 5 5' 3' 1' 7 6 4' 4' 3' 1' 2' 1'Swaras (sargam)
p p d p s' n p p d p r' s' p p p' g' s' n d m' m' g' s' r' s'Movable-do solfège
so so la so do' ti so so la so re' do' so so so' mi' do' ti la fa' fa' mi' do' re' do'A line under a swara means it is komal (flattened).
Happy Birthday note names, key by key
The numbers never change. Only the letters do. That is the whole point of learning a tune by its degrees.
| Key | Notes |
|---|---|
| C major | 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 |
| G major | D D E D G F# D D E D A G D D D B G F# E C C B G A G |
| D major | A A B A D C# A A B A E D A A A F# D C# B G G F# D E D |
| F major | C C D C F E C C D C G F C C C A F E D Bb Bb A F G F |
The app has all twelve keys, and it will also turn this tune into natural minor, harmonic minor, Dorian, Mixolydian or Mayamalavagowla while you listen.
The Joker’s clue: “The one song everybody sings badly on purpose. Then somebody blows on the food.”
How to practise it
- Guess it by reading. Sing the numbers in your head before you play a single note.
- Hear it. Play it back and check whether what you sang matches what it does.
- Play it in all twelve keys. Same numbers, twelve sets of letters.
- Write it out. In each key, name every note. That is when it sticks.