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SongsCanon in D
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1 more song needs notes this instrument does not have. Changing the size or key 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.

29 notes · C4–E6 · 29 notes in three rings · The lead pan of a steel band, in the fourths-and-fifths layout almost every tenor is built in today.

Tap a note, or drag across them to roll from note to note. On a keyboard the letters on the notes are the ones to press — they climb the pan a semitone at a time from the low C.

Steel DrumFree · printable · plays in your browser

Canon in D — Steel Drum Letter Notes

Canon in D (the opening line), written out for the steel drum as letter notes, phrase by phrase. Press Play to hear it, Practice to learn it one note at a time — the steel drum waits for you — or Play along to keep time with it.

  • Notes17, 10 pitches
  • RangeF4–A5
  • Key hereF major
  • Tempo72 bpm · about 15 s
  • LevelIntermediate

Can a steel drum play Canon in D?

✓ Plays as written Every note of it is on the steel drum, in F major from F4 to A5. The check is made note by note against what the instrument can actually sound.

Canon in D: steel drum letter notes

The large line is the note stamped on the pan; the small line under it is its number in the scale. 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 — steel drum letter 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.

  • F1×1
  • G2×1
  • A3×1
  • B♭4×2
  • C5×2
  • D6×3
  • E7×3
  • F1×2
  • G2×1
  • A3×1

What to expect on a steel drum

  • It runs from F4 to A5, an octave and a major third, using 10 different notes. That leaves 5 semitones unused below and 7 above.
  • 94% of its moves are a step or a repeated note. The widest is a minor third, B♭4 to G4, at note 16.
  • Its notes sit in 2 of the pan’s three rings, so the stick moves in and out as well as around.

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 steel drum

All 36 steel drum songs · Christmas songs for steel drum · The online steel drum on its own

Playing it on a real steel drum?

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

🎙 Open the Handpan Tuner