Canon, << KAN uhn, >> is a musical composition in which two or more voices or instruments repeat a melody. One begins the melody and one or more others imitate it. The additional voices or instruments join in at slightly different times and overlap as a result. Songs that are called rounds are the simplest kind of canon. The song “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” is a popular example of a round. Rounds are called perpetual canons because they can go on indefinitely. A canon is a type of counterpoint (see Counterpoint ). A canon is one of the most difficult types of counterpoint to compose because the voice or instrument can enter at any interval or on any rhythmic beat.
The earliest known canons date from the 1200’s. Johann Sebastian Bach of Germany was perhaps the greatest composer of canons. Bach’s finest canons appear in the Goldberg Variations (1742), Musical Offering (1747), and other collections.
