How do you play Canon in D on the piano?

Canon in D piano notes

The Canon in D melody starts F# E D C# B A B C#: it walks down the D major scale and back up. It uses two black keys, F# and C#. The next line is D C# B A G F# G E, then two lines of quick notes, and a slow end on D.

Play it on the virtual piano

The notes, line by line

Each line shows the letters to play, then each key with its octave: C4 is middle C. The box under a key is the computer key that plays it on the virtual piano.

F# E D C# B A B C#
F#5=E5PD5OC#59B4UA4YB4UC#59
D C# B A G F# G E
D5OC#59B4UA4YG4TF#45G4TE4E
D F# A G F# D F# E
D4WF#45A4YG4TF#45D4WF#45E4E
D B D A G B A G
D4WB3MD4WA4YG4TB4UA4YG4T
F# E D
F#45E4ED4W

How to play it

Start with your little finger on the high F#, and walk down one finger at a time: F# E D C# B. For the A after it, move your hand down one key.
The second line, D C# B A G F# G E, keeps walking down, to the F# below.
The third and fourth lines are quick notes that skip around, such as D F# A G F# D F# E. Learn them slowly, two beats at a time.
End with F# E D, slow and quiet.

Fingers have numbers: 1 is the thumb, 2 the index finger, 3 the middle finger, 4 the ring finger and 5 the little finger. In the virtual piano, press Listen to hear the rhythm first, and pick a slower speed while you learn.

Key facts

Level	Hard
Notes in the melody	35
Keys	11: B3 D4 E4 F#4 G4 A4 B4 C#5 D5 E5 F#5
Black keys	F#4 C#5 F#5
Lowest and highest note	B3 – F#5
First note	F#5
Melody by	Johann Pachelbel, before 1706

The notes in do re mi

In fixed do, C is always Do, as in Spanish, French and Italian.

Fa# Mi Re Do# Si La Si Do#
Re Do# Si La Sol Fa# Sol Mi
Re Fa# La Sol Fa# Re Fa# Mi
Re Si Re La Sol Si La Sol
Fa# Mi Re

About the song

Johann Pachelbel wrote the Canon for three violins and basso continuo, at some time between 1680 and 1706. The bass repeats the same eight notes 28 times, while the violins play the same tune, one after the other: that is what a canon is.

The piece was first printed in 1919. A 1968 recording by the orchestra of Jean-François Paillard made it famous.

Questions

Is this the full Canon in D?

No. It is the most famous part of the violin melody, in one line for the right hand. The full piece has three violins over a bass line that repeats.

What are the bass notes of Canon in D?

D, A, B, F#, G, D, G and A. The bass repeats these eight notes through the whole piece.