17.62Apply it to “Happy Birthday”

Play the melody plainly.

Then on repeated notes, try tiny neighbor decorations.

Before important arrivals, use approach notes.

At the end of phrases, delay one resolution.

For example, if an important chord tone is E, try:

F → E

or:

E♭ → E

Do not obscure the famous contour.

The exercise is to transform while preserving identity.