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left handright handfoot jointB♭T123G♯B♭1D2D♯3E♭C♯Chead joint · left handright hand · foot jointB♭T123G♯B♭1D2D♯3E♭C♯C
C4concert pitch1st octavegentle air: the bottom of the tube
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.

37 notes · C4–C7 · three octaves · 37 notes · The standard concert flute: the foot joint ends at middle C.

Tap a note, or slide along them to slur from note to note in one breath. On a keyboard the letters on the notes are the ones to press — Q is the D above middle C and they climb a semitone at a time.

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Canon in D — Flute Notes

Canon in D (the opening line), written out for the flute as letter notes with the fingering drawn under each one and set up above on the C foot. Press Play to hear it, Practice to learn it one note at a time — the flute waits for you — or Play along to keep time with it.

  • Notes17, 10 pitches
  • RangeG4–B5
  • Key hereG major
  • Tempo72 bpm · about 15 s
  • LevelIntermediate

Can a flute play Canon in D?

Yes — every one on this page plays it. The check is made note by note against what each one can actually sound. Where the tune does not fit as the library writes it, another key or octave is tried, and the table says which; where nothing fits, it names the notes that are missing.

  • C foot✓ Plays as writtenIn G major, G4–B5 · loaded above
  • B foot✓ Plays as writtenIn G major, G4–B5 · load it

Canon in D: flute notes

The large line is the note, and the drawing is its fingering — a filled hole or key is one that is down. 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 — flute notes (C foot) · 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.

  • GG4×1
  • AA4×1
  • BB4×1
  • CC5×2
  • DD5×2
  • EE5×3
  • F♯F♯5×3
  • GG5×2
  • AA5×1
  • BB5×1

What to expect on a flute

  • It runs from G4 to B5, an octave and a major third, using 10 different notes. That leaves 7 semitones unused below and 13 above.
  • 94% of its moves are a step or a repeated note. The widest is a minor third, C5 to A4, at note 16.
  • It is played on gentle air and faster air, and the air speed changes 1 times — a flute’s octaves are a speed of air, not a key.

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 flute

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

Playing it on a real flute?

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

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