Canon in D Playing Notes
Background
I initially came across this little arrangement of this classic tune in a guitar magazine and have since adapted it and played it at
countless weddings and other gigs. This song has truly put bread on my table. Originally written by the baroque composer
Johann Pachelbel around 1680 as a string quartet, this, his only Canon, was largely ignored until the 1970s when it began to be a
staple classical standard at weddings. It’s popularity continues to grow.
Harmonic Explanation
This song is in the key of D, hence the name. It is basically an 8 chord progression which is repeated and developed. The chords
are D - A - Bm - F#m - G - D/F# - G - A. The pattern of the bass notes of this progression remains consistent throughout the
whole song with mainly the melody being developed in various forms. The chord names above the music for the Canon in D are
meant to show the harmonic structure of the song and to loosely be used as a guide for knowing where to begin learning the
fingering for the passage. Generally, if you take the general shape of the chord given as a guide, with the adjusting of a finger or
two to accommodate the melody, you can play the particular section.
Technical Explanation
The first four measures are simple arpeggiations of the chords. They are D (open chord form pg.31), A (open chord form), Bm
(5th string barre form pg.48), F#m (6th string barre form pg.44), G (open chord pg.31), and D/F# (pg.103). Not all the notes of
each chord form are used so be careful to play only the ones needed at the time. In measures 5-8 the chord forms are fingered
the same as the first four bars, just with different combinations of notes being played. The half note notes are meant to remain
ringing for the full 2 beats. So, be very accurate in your fingering so that the notes that need to ring out are holding out for the
correct amount of time. Don’t let your fingers mute the notes that need to be held out. This can be tricky, but with attention to this
detail of ringing notes the song really comes alive.
The first 2 measures of line three I play in the second position. Pay attention to the TAB to see where to play some of the notes
because some notes that normally would be played open are played with a finger since we are in the second position.
Remember, the Bm is basically a fifth string barre form and the F#m is based off of a sixth string barre form. So, once I hit the 5
string barre for the Bm it remains intact until beat 3 when the 6 string F#m barre takes over and it remains intact for the
remainder of the measure. But the last three sixteenths in the 2nd measure of line 3, I play with my third finger on the D going
back to the C# in the barre then back to the last D with the third finger. This frees up my second finger to play the low G in the
next bar. On beat three of the 3rd measure of line 3 I play the low F# with my first finger and the A with my second finger. In the
last measure of that line, I again use my second finger to play the first low G. In the second beat I play the low B with my first
finger and the high D with my third finger. On the third beat I play the high C# with my first finger the fourth beat low C# with my
third finger leaving my first, second, and fourth fingers to cover the upper notes. It's requires a little bit of a stretch to hold that
low C# while playing the other notes and hitting the high A but this fingering works best for me.
On line 4, the first measure beat 1 is in 2nd position again, but on beat 3 where it goes to A, I move to 5th position. In the next
measure, go back down to 2nd position for the Bm. The F#m on beat 3 is played by one straight bar with the 1st finger over all 6
strings, then I play the B and the G with my 2nd & 3rd finger.
Closing Thoughts
This piece is, by far, the most complex song you have come across so far in the course. It’s not impossible but plan on it taking
weeks to work out all of the parts to it. Tackle it one line at a time. Don’t go fast. Whatever tempo you can play the 3rd line is the
tempo you should start and play the whole song at. Don’t start at one tempo then slow down at the 3rd line. Each fingering
move on the 3rd and 4th line is critical and is probably going to be unfamiliar to you. Work them carefully out one at a time until
you can play them with the correct fingering motions. When you have worked out all of the numerous fingering issues then put it
all together. Make sure the bass notes are holding out for the proper amount. Don’t cut them off early. When I am performing
this song I usually do each line twice. This is a great song that is worth the effort in learning. You will be playing it for years to
come and, who knows, you might even play it at a wedding or two. Keep Learning and Growing! - Steve Krenz