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SongsCanon in D
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  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.

61 keys · C2–C7, five octaves · The usual home keyboard — five octaves, enough for nearly everything written for two hands.

Tap a key, or slide along them for a glissando. On a keyboard the letters on the keys are the ones to press — Z to M are the white keys from middle C with S, D, G, H and J the black ones between them, and Q to P are the octave above; the arrow keys move both rows an octave, and Space is the sustain pedal.

PianoFree · printable · plays in your browser

Canon in D — Piano Letter Notes

Canon in D (the opening line), written out for the piano as easy letter notes for the right hand, with do-re-mi under every note and set up above on the 61 keys. Press Play to hear it, Practice to learn it one note at a time — the piano 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 piano play Canon in D?

Yes — every size 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.

  • 49 keys✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, C4–E5 · load it
  • 61 keys✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, C4–E5 · loaded above
  • 88 keys✓ Plays as writtenIn C major, C4–E5 · load it

Canon in D: piano letter notes

The large line is the key’s letter; a dot over it is the octave above middle C’s, a dot under it the octave below; the small line under it is the same note in do-re-mi. 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 — piano letter notes (61 keys) · tonalics.com

Canon in D letter notes as text

The same notes as plain text, one phrase to a line, to copy into a message or a document. A letter on its own is in the octave that starts on middle C (C4). A letter with a number is in that numbered octave: C5 is the C above middle C. A comma marks a long note.

E5 D5 C5 B A G A B C5 B A G F E F D C

Is there a both-hands version?

Not of Canon in D, on this page. The left hand here is made by rule — three chords, one hand position — and it is only offered where that rule can be checked against a published harmonisation and agrees with it on most bars. This melody has no barred score in its sources to hang the chords on. The right hand above is the whole tune.

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.

  • CDo×1
  • DRe×1
  • EMi×1
  • FFa×2
  • GSol×2
  • ALa×3
  • BSi×3
  • C•Do×2
  • D•Re×1
  • E•Mi×1

What to expect on a piano

  • It runs from C4 to E5, an octave and a major third, using 10 different notes. That leaves 24 semitones unused below and 20 above.
  • 94% of its moves are a step or a repeated note. The widest is a minor third, F4 to D4, at note 16.
  • It is played on the white keys only.
  • It covers 10 white keys, more than the five a hand rests on, so the right hand has to move or stretch — more than 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 piano

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

Playing it on a real piano?

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

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