Nathaniel School of Music

The Chord Progression Behind Hundreds of Songs (Pachelbel's Canon)

The Pachelbel's Canon progression in D major is D, A, Bm, F#m, G, D, G (or Em/G), A, which is I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV (or ii)–V. On piano you invert each right-hand chord so the violin melody note sits on top, then arpeggiate it with a high–low–middle–low pattern.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 30 min

Can't see the video? Watch it on YouTube.

Key points

What this lesson teaches

Jason Zac calls the Pachelbel's Canon progression the mother of all chord progressions, because so many pop, rock, country and gospel progressions are just smaller pieces of it. The goal is not only to learn the Canon. It is to grow as a piano player by learning one large progression, the theory behind it, and a melodic arpeggio technique that plays the melody and the accompaniment in one hand. It suits intermediate players who already know basic major and minor triads.

The progression in D major

The original key is D major. The eight chords are:

  1. D major (I)
  2. A major (V)
  3. B minor (vi, the relative minor)
  4. F# minor (iii)
  5. G major (IV)
  6. D major (I)
  7. G major (IV), or E minor over a G bass (ii)
  8. A major (V)

In a major key, chords I, IV and V are major, ii, iii and vi are minor, and vii is diminished. This progression uses all three major chords and all three minor chords. That makes it an excellent study of one key. Familiar progressions hide inside it: D A Bm G is I–V–vi–IV, D Bm G A is I–vi–IV–V, and the ii–V–I is there too. The G to D move is a IV–I, the plagal or amen cadence.

Em/G is a slash chord. The right hand plays the E minor triad and the left hand plays a different bass note, G.

Melodic chord inversions

The simplest violin line of the Canon steps down F#, E, D, C#, B, A, then rises to B and C#. Each melody note belongs to its chord. To make the melody heard, invert each right-hand chord so that note is on top. A handy trick for finding inversions is to write the triad's notes in a circle and read them clockwise. D F# A gives root position D F# A, first inversion F# A D and second inversion A D F#.

The left hand simply plays the root of each chord, or G under the E minor. Start by holding each chord for a semibreve, counting four beats.

Fingering: the organ technique

The HLML arpeggio pattern

Arpeggiate each right-hand chord as High, Low, Middle, Low. Hold the high note down while the other fingers move, so the melody keeps singing like the violin. This also builds finger independence.

Play it in eighth notes, counting 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and. Use the pedal only for resonance, lifting it before each chord. Try octaves in the left hand for a richer, cello-like bass. Now the keyboard works in three layers: violin melody on top, arpeggiated backing in the middle, and bass below.

For a faster version in sixteenth notes, play the pattern twice per chord. Do not strike the top melody note twice, because the original melody does not repeat. On the second pass, replace the high note with the same note an octave lower.

How to practise

Learn the chords and their Roman numerals first. Then play the inversions as block chords, four beats each, with roots in the left hand. Next, smooth out the fingering without pedal. Finally, add the HLML arpeggio in eighth notes, then move to sixteenth notes.

Questions about this lesson

What are the chords of Pachelbel's Canon in D?

The chords are D, A, Bm, F#m, G, D, G and A. In the original, the seventh chord is often E minor over a G bass. In Roman numerals that is I–V–vi–iii–IV–I–IV (or ii)–V.

Why is it called the mother of all chord progressions?

It uses every major chord (I, IV, V) and every minor chord (ii, iii, vi) in the key. Common progressions such as I–V–vi–IV, I–vi–IV–V and ii–V–I are all contained within it.

Which inversions keep the melody on top?

Choose the inversion whose top note is the melody note. For example, play D as A D F# to put F# on top, Bm as F# B D for D on top, and A as E A C# for C# on top.

What is the HLML arpeggio pattern?

You play the chord's high note, then the low note, then the middle note, then the low note again. Hold the high note down so the melody sustains above the moving arpeggio.

Practise it

Related lessons