Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel is one of the most recognizable pieces of classical music, often heard at weddings, graduations, and other special occasions. What makes this piece so captivating is its repeating bass line and chord progression, which provide a steady foundation while the melody evolves beautifully throughout.

In this lesson, we’ll break it down step by step starting with the guitar chords, moving through the chord progression, and finally diving into a finger-style arrangement.

Grab your guitar and let’s get started.

How to read the guitar chord charts

To clarify how to read the chord charts, the top horizontal line represents the high E string and the bottom horizontal line represents the low E string. The vertical lines separate each fret. The numbers in the blue dots tell you which fingers to use on the fretting hand. 

For example, on the D Major chord, you use the:

• 1st finger on the 3rd string, 2nd fret
• 3rd finger on the 2nd string, 3rd fret
• 2nd finger on the 1st string, 2nd fret
• 4th string is open (circles represent open strings)
• X means to avoid a string

You can check this link for more on how to read guitar notation symbols.

Canon in D guitar chords

The basic chords for Canon in D are D Major, A Major, B minor, F# minor and G Major. You can click on these chords with links to learn different ways of playing that chord on guitar.

Try the following chords one at a time until you feel comfortable switching between them.

Here are some other resources on chords:

• Master the basic chords on guitar
• 6 tips to get better at switching between chords on guitar
• How to play barre chords and 5 tips to get better at playing them
  

Canon in D chord progression

Canon in D is based on the following chord progression which repeats throughout the piece: D Major, A Major, B minor, F# minor, G Major, D Major, G Major, and A Major.

See the progression below which includes a chord analysis (a written number above each chord to shows its relation to the key center of the song).

Canon in D guitar arrangement

Here’s the finger-picking guitar arrangement for Canon in D. You can refer to this guide to understanding music symbols if needed.

Backing Track

🎶 Want to practice along with an audio track? Get the Canon in D guitar track here!

You can also learn more about how to harmonize a melody on guitar using 3rds and 6ths, which are used in this song arrangement.

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Want to learn more songs? Check out the sheet music with guitar tabs resource on this site.

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