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SongsCanon in D
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  1. 3
  2. 2
  3. 1
  4. 7,
  5. 6,
  6. 5,
  7. 6,
  8. 7,
  9. 1
  10. 7,
  11. 6,
  12. 5,
  13. 4,
  14. 3,
  15. 4,
  16. 2,
  17. 1,

Johann Pachelbel, c. 1680. Public domain.

4 strings · C2–A3 open · E5 up the A string in thumb position · Perfect fifths, exactly an octave below a viola. The C string is the deepest note in a string quartet.

Tap a string, or slide along a string and the pitch follows your finger, under a bow that never stops. On a keyboard the letters on the strings are the ones to press — they run down the strings, the A at the top — hold a key and the note holds.

CelloFree · printable · plays in your browser

Canon in D — Cello Notes

Canon in D (the opening line), written out for the cello as every note with its string and how far up it. Press Play to hear it, Practice to learn it one note at a time — the cello waits for you — or Play along to keep time with it.

  • Notes17, 10 pitches
  • RangeC3–E4
  • Key hereC major
  • Tempo72 bpm · about 15 s
  • LevelIntermediate

Can a cello play Canon in D?

✓ Plays as written Every note of it is on the cello, in C major from C3 to E4. The check is made note by note against what the instrument can actually sound.

Canon in D: cello notes

The large line is the note; the small line under it is the string, and how many semitones above its open note to stop it. A dash holds the note another beat, an underline is half a beat, and a dot beside a note makes it half as long again. Each line is one phrase.

▶ Play it above

Canon in D — cello notes · tonalics.com

The 10 notes it uses

Lowest to highest, with how many times each is played. Learn these 10 and you can play the whole tune.

  • CG·5×1
  • DD·0×1
  • ED·2×1
  • FD·3×2
  • GD·5×2
  • AA·0×3
  • BA·2×3
  • CA·3×2
  • DA·5×1
  • EA·7×1

What to expect on a cello

  • It runs from C3 to E4, an octave and a major third, using 10 different notes. That leaves 12 semitones unused below and 12 above.
  • 94% of its moves are a step or a repeated note. The widest is a minor third, F3 to D3, at note 16.
  • It is played on 3 strings (G, D and A), crossing between strings 4 times.
  • 4 notes are an open string, and the highest stop is 7 semitones above the open string — it never leaves the bottom of the neck.

About the tune

Pachelbel wrote the Canon and Gigue in D for three violins and bass around 1680. It was almost forgotten until a 1968 recording made it one of the most played pieces of baroque music and a fixture at weddings.

Johann Pachelbel, c. 1680. Public domain. More about Canon in D →

Canon in D on other instruments

The same melody, in each instrument’s own notation. It is not offered for the guzheng or handpan, which do not have the notes.

More songs for the cello

All 36 cello songs · Christmas songs for cello · The online cello on its own

Playing it on a real cello?

If it sounds wrong, check the instrument before the notes. The cello tuner listens through your microphone and names what each note is actually sounding.

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