I would love people to sing an octave instead of a major 6th in the third line of happy birthday to you

[Lio]

I'm sure I'm not the only pedant to care about music as well as grammar. Got to go and have a bath now, but I look forward to checking on this tomorrow to meet the hundreds of others who agree with me.

I think I do. Doesn't everybody?

i blame marilyn monroe

I have never sung happy birthday to a major in my life. How dare you.

I have had a major strop at a birthday though, does that count?

I would be grateful if DH could manage not to sing the entire tune a random and ever changing number of semitones away from the actual tune all the way through (varies +3 to -3.

catinthehat are you married to Christina Aguilerelereaaa?

She sings ever blardy note but the one on the page in front of her.

I've never heard anyone sing a major 6th on the 3rd line of HB.

I have no idea what's going on.

I don't understand the question.
Can you explain as though to a dimwitted child?

i haven't a clue what either of those are so might be doing it or might not and don't really care

I think what the OP means is...

You know the third line of Happy Birthday... Where it goes "Happy birthday dear bla-ah"...

Well the leap between Happy and Birth is supposed to be an octave, a full 8 notes. However Lio seems to think that lots of people only sing a leap of 6 notes.

I've never noticed, tbh.

I think it's because it's usually small children and drunken relatives who sing Happy Birthday.

Unlike most people, who's singing gets worse the more the drink, mine actually gets better.

Thank you - I'm with you now. And while I don't care which is chosen, there probably should be a consensus on the matter :o.

A 6th is like the first two notes of "My bonny lies over the ocean".

Sing "My" and "bon" and that's a major 6th.

An octave is like "Hi - Hoh!"

So a Major 6th is any leap of six notes, from anywhere to anywhere? But not including flats and sharps? Is that what the Major bit means?

MMOC- truly inspired!

I've just checked, and I don't think it's Christina Aguilera.

Don't think I've ever heard anyone singing it a major 6th above, always an octave. Often badly! :)

I knew what the OP meant in theory, but couldn't sing the two versions to myself...and was just going to heave myself to the piano....a whole three steps away, when MMOC saved me the bother with her brilliant example. Bravo, MMOC, and I DO sing it right. or right according to Lio.

I really should be in bed.

All I know is that I really struggle to hit the note in that line. So does this mean I am doing it right?

Yes, that's pretty much it.

But there's a major sixth and a minor sixth.

So let's say you started on C, the major 6th would be A.

For a minor 6th, the note would be Aflat.

Minors sound sadder, they're just half a note lower.

SAme with major 3rds and minor 3rds. From C, you'd be looking at E on a major third, but Eflat on a minor third.

It's about the number of half notes between the two notes.

This isn't helping the OP is it

Not helping the OP, but helping me. I have quite musical piano-playing DC, and know nothing myself - so thanks :).

No, but it's an education for lots of other people!

This might help for those who aren't familiar: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interval_(music)
...or it might confuse them further!

catinthehat you must be quite relieved. But if i were you I would check the wardrobes for crackwhore basques, and closely inspect his face for plastered on three-year-old-found-mummy's-make-up-bag type look, not properly washed off.

It's all down to the starting note. Typically people start optimistically high, hit the 3rd line and realise there is NFW they are going to make the octave, so it slips to a less than optimistic 6th.