I - V - vi - iii - IV - I - IV - V

Also known as Pachelbel's Canon in D.

The eight chord ground bass from Pachelbel's best known piece, walking down the scale in steady steps while the upper voices weave above it. Three centuries later the same loop underpins countless pop songs, which is why the whole thing can sound familiar even on a first hearing.

Hear it in different keys

In D major

I D V A vim Bm iiim F#m IV G I D IV G V A

Download MIDI

In C major

I C V G vim Am iiim Em IV F I C IV F V G

Download MIDI

Each key above has a MIDI download with every chord played back to back, ready to drop into any DAW or notation program.

Roman numerals show scale degree and quality: uppercase for major, lowercase for minor, a small circle for diminished. Tap any chord above to open its full page, with a diagram and playback.