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SongsCanon in D
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8 more songs need notes this instrument does not have. Changing the tuning brings some of them into reach.

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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.

2 strings · D4–A4 open · A5 at the octave · D key · 1 = D · A perfect fifth, the same interval a violin uses between neighbours. Those two notes are the entire tuning; everything above them is your hand.

Tap a string, or slide along a string and the pitch follows your finger, under a bow that never leaves the strings. On a keyboard the letters on the strings are the ones to press — the inner string is the upper key — hold one and the note holds.

ErhuFree · printable · plays in your browser

Canon in D — Erhu Notes

Canon in D (the opening line), written out for the erhu 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 erhu waits for you — or Play along to keep time with it.

  • Notes17, 10 pitches
  • RangeD4–F♯5
  • Key hereD major
  • Tempo72 bpm · about 15 s
  • LevelIntermediate

Can a erhu play Canon in D?

✓ Plays as written Every note of it is on the erhu, in D major from D4 to F♯5. The check is made note by note against what the instrument can actually sound.

Canon in D: erhu 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 — erhu 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.

  • DD·0×1
  • ED·2×1
  • F♯D·4×1
  • GD·5×2
  • AA·0×2
  • BA·2×3
  • C♯A·4×3
  • DA·5×2
  • EA·7×1
  • F♯A·9×1

What to expect on a erhu

  • It runs from D4 to F♯5, an octave and a major third, using 10 different notes. Its lowest note is the lowest this instrument has, and 3 semitones of range are left above it.
  • 94% of its moves are a step or a repeated note. The widest is a minor third, G4 to E4, at note 16.
  • It is played on 2 strings (D and A), crossing between strings 1 times.
  • 3 notes are an open string, and the highest stop is 9 semitones above the open string.

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 erhu

All 35 erhu songs · Christmas songs for erhu · The online erhu on its own

Playing it on a real erhu?

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

🎙 Open the Erhu Tuner