What the Canon progression sounds like
Stately and emotional. Borrowed from Pachelbel and reused in countless songs. In C major it's C G Am Em F C F G.
Heard in: Canon in D (Pachelbel).
You'll find it in Pop songwriting.
Scales that fit Canon
Over this progression in C, the best-fitting scales are C Major (Ionian), G Mixolydian, C Lydian. Put your own chords into the scale finder to see more.
Canon in every key
| Key | Chords |
|---|---|
| C major | C G Am Em F C F G |
| G major | G D Em Bm C G C D |
| D major | D A Bm F#m G D G A |
| A major | A E F#m C#m D A D E |
| E major | E B C#m G#m A E A B |
| B major | B F# G#m D#m E B E F# |
| F# major | F# C# D#m A#m B F# B C# |
| Db major | Db Ab Bbm Fm Gb Db Gb Ab |
| Ab major | Ab Eb Fm Cm Db Ab Db Eb |
| Eb major | Eb Bb Cm Gm Ab Eb Ab Bb |
| Bb major | Bb F Gm Dm Eb Bb Eb F |
| F major | F C Dm Am Bb F Bb C |
Browse by genre
PopRockBluesJazzCountryFolkSoul and R&BPunk and pop punkMetalLo-fi and chillGospel and worshipMinor-key songwriting
Common questions
What are the chords in the Canon progression?
In C major the Canon progression is C G Am Em F C F G. The pattern is the same in every key; the table above lists all 12.
What scale goes with Canon?
In C, the C Major (Ionian) fits best. G Mixolydian and C Lydian add different colors.
Last updated November 14, 2026.