Keyboard letters you can play right now
Each letter is a key on the on-screen piano below. Lowercase letters are white keys, capital letters are black keys. Open the piano and press them in order — no sheet music needed.
Melody: F#5 E5 D5 C#5 B4 A4 B4 C#5 · Bass: D A B F# G D G AWhy this piece works for practice
The Canon is one eight-note bass pattern and a melody that walks down a scale one step at a time. Because the bass never changes, you can practise the melody alone and it already sounds complete. It is also the clearest example in all of classical music of a chord progression repeating while the tune evolves.
How to practise it
- Learn the bass first: 9 e r Q w 9 w e. Eight notes, one bar each, repeated for the entire piece.
- Then the melody: G f d S a p a S — a descending scale fragment. Play it over the bass in your head.
- Finally alternate hands: bass with the left, melody with the right, keeping the tempo identical.
Frequently asked questions
What is the main theme of Canon in D?
A descending melody: F sharp, E, D, C sharp, B, A, B, C sharp — played over the eight-note bass sequence D, A, B, F sharp, G, D, G, A.
Why is Canon in D so popular at weddings?
Its eight-note bass repeats without changing, which creates a calm, endless feeling — and it is easy to arrange for any combination of instruments.
Keep learning
- Piano chords chart — every triad and seventh chord
- Piano scales — major and minor scales with fingerings
- Piano keys explained — how many keys, note names, layout
- Easy piano songs for beginners — the full list
- MIDI piano recorder — record your take and listen back