| LearnJazzPiano.com archives: 'happy birthday' | |
| dreammonk -- 05/01/2005, 09:42:11 -- #13427 | |
| just heard NHOP died - that really really sucks, only 58. On another note - does anyone know any hip reharmonisations of 'happy birthday'- kind of stuck in a rut with my three chords at the moment. Thanks | |
| dreammonk -- 05/10/2005, 09:38:47 -- #13675 | |
| bump. come on guys, someone must have a cool reharmonisation they're just aching to share... | |
| 7 -- 05/10/2005, 12:50:17 -- #13678 | |
| First of all, you have to be aware that "Happy Birthday" is NOT a public domain song. It is not an urban myth that it is copyrighted. * * * * * * * I start out with a slow painful 3/4 dirge once through and then when everyone has almost finished with their unenthusiastic pro forma applause, I launch into a breakneck flashy Boogie-Woogie in 4/4: | G | G | D7 | D7 | | D7 | D7 | G | G | | G | G7/F | C/E | Ebdim7 | | Am Am/B Am/C Am/C# | D7 D7/E D7/F D7/F# | G G/B C C#dim7 | D7(brk) | At that pace it's sung twice, then every band member (except the drummer) gets one solo. When sung out for the last time do a ritard on line 3, ending with the dramatic pause on the Ebdim7. The drummer counts back in a tempo and the 4th line is repeated 3 times. The third and final repeat of line 4 has the "'A Train' ending" beginning from bar 3 of line 4 (bass: G B C C# D E F# G). Hold the final G in a fermata and just as the applause is about to die, tag it with the G7 "And Many More" (melody: D E D F). * * * * * * * The breakdown (lines 3 & 4) that I use on "Happy Birthday" is (not coincidentally) the exact same one that I use for "When the Saints Go Marching In" (which I almost never play anymore). * * * * * * * The computer that I use for my midi stuff fritzed last Friday, so I can't upload my version. But I will one of these days. If you're nice to me, that is. :) | |
| Dr. Whack -- 05/10/2005, 12:54:29 -- #13680 | |
| Wow! Do the candles stay lit through all of that? Don't you get a lot of wax on the frosting? :) | |
| 7 -- 05/10/2005, 13:51:13 -- #13685 | |
| Correction: The drummer counts back in a tempo and the 4th line is repeated 3 times. should read: The drummer counts back in a tempo and the first two bars of the 4th line are repeated 3 times. * * * * * * * RE: the ritard of line 3 on the final chorus: The first time I played that with my drummer (who was a Las Vegas pro for eons), I said "Do a Vegas style slowdown over the breakdown". He looked at me like I was nuts (which I am), and said "I have no idea what you're talking about." When I played it for him, he said "OH! In Vegas we call that a 'Hollywood'". Live and learn... | |
| ziggysane -- 05/10/2005, 14:24:12 -- #13686 | |
| Richard Tee's instructional video (interview by Herbie Hancock!) has him working with Reharmonizations of Happy Birthday for about 20 minutes. If I have time, I might pull some off of the video. | |
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