TonalicsJOURNALOpen Tuner
‹ Ocarina songs
Asounds A4 · 0 of 12 holes open
SongsCanon in D
Play a different song (23)

13 more songs need notes this instrument does not have. Changing the size or key brings some of them into reach.

Play along
  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.

21 notes · A4–F6 sounding · 21 notes · written an octave lower · The standard modern ocarina: ten finger holes, two thumb holes and two subholes that reach the A and B below the C.

Tap a note, or slide along them to slur from note to note without a new breath. On a keyboard the letters on the notes are the ones to press — they run up the ocarina a semitone at a time from the low A.

OcarinaFree · printable · plays in your browser

Canon in D — Ocarina Notes

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

  • Notes17, 10 pitches
  • RangeC4–E5
  • Key hereC major
  • Tempo72 bpm · about 15 s
  • LevelIntermediate

Can a ocarina play Canon in D?

✓ Plays as written Every note of it is on the ocarina, in C major from C4 to E5. The check is made note by note against what the instrument can actually sound.

Canon in D: ocarina 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 — ocarina 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.

  • CC4×1
  • DD4×1
  • EE4×1
  • FF4×2
  • GG4×2
  • AA4×3
  • BB4×3
  • CC5×2
  • DD5×1
  • EE5×1

What to expect on a ocarina

  • It runs from C4 to E5, an octave and a major third, using 10 different notes. That leaves 3 semitones unused below and 1 above.
  • 94% of its moves are a step or a repeated note. The widest is a minor third, F4 to D4, at note 16.
  • Its lowest note covers 10 of the 12 holes and its highest 1; the biggest change between two neighbouring notes moves 2 fingers at once.

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 ocarina

All 24 ocarina songs · Christmas songs for ocarina · The online ocarina on its own

Playing it on a real ocarina?

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

🎙 Open the Ocarina Tuner