Quick answer: Ocarina of Time has 12 taught songs plus the Scarecrow's Song, which you compose yourself. On Switch 2 the five ocarina notes sit on L, R, A, Y and X, so Zelda's Lullaby is Y X A Y X A and the Song of Time is A L R A L R. To hum instead, sing the five notes D, F, A, B and high D into the microphone. The remake launches November 5, 2026, and the full button chart is below.
Checked on November 1, 2026, four days before launch. The Switch 2 buttons come from Nintendo's official screenshots, the melodies and locations come from the 1998 and 3DS versions, and we will re-check every row against the released game.
How many songs are in Ocarina of Time?
There are 13 in total: 12 taught songs plus the player-made Scarecrow's Song. Six are utility songs, and each of those is exactly 6 notes long. The other six are Sheik's warp songs, which run from 5 notes (Serenade of Water) to 8 notes (Bolero of Fire).
They all come from just five pitches, which composer Koji Kondo described in a 2005 Nintendo Power interview, quoted here by Dan Bruno: "I had to create all of those memorable tunes with only five tones of the classic do-re-mi scale. Specifically: re, fa, la, and ti (and the higher-scale re)."
| Song | Switch 2 buttons | Notes to hum or play |
|---|---|---|
| Zelda's Lullaby | Y X A Y X A | B, High D, A, B, High D, A |
| Epona's Song | X Y A X Y A | High D, B, A, High D, B, A |
| Saria's Song | R A Y R A Y | F, A, B, F, A, B |
| Sun's Song | A R X A R X | A, F, High D, A, F, High D |
| Song of Time | A L R A L R | A, D, F, A, D, F |
| Song of Storms | L R X L R X | D, F, High D, D, F, High D |
| Minuet of Forest | L X Y A Y A | D, High D, B, A, B, A |
| Bolero of Fire | R L R L A R A R | F, D, F, D, A, F, A, F |
| Serenade of Water | L R A A Y | D, F, A, A, B |
| Nocturne of Shadow | Y A A L Y A R | B, A, A, D, B, A, F |
| Requiem of Spirit | L R L A R L | D, F, D, A, F, D |
| Prelude of Light | X A X A Y X | High D, A, High D, A, B, High D |
Nintendo's screenshots confirm the Zelda's Lullaby and Song of Time rows. The other 10 rows are converted from the original melodies, assuming they stay the same. "D" means the low D in every row. Each song starts as soon as the last note lands, so you only ever play this opening part.
What are the ocarina buttons on Switch 2?
The five notes map to L, R, A, Y and X, from lowest to highest. Nintendo's Ocarina of Time store page shows two songs played on the staff, Zelda's Lullaby and the Song of Time, and a "Play a note" prompt listing the same five buttons. Those two songs use all five notes, so the other ten convert directly.
| Note | Switch 2 | N64 | 3DS |
|---|---|---|---|
| D (low) | L | A | L |
| F | R | C-Down | R |
| A | A | C-Right | Y |
| B | Y | C-Left | X |
| High D | X | C-Up | A |
The catch for returning players is the A button. On N64 it was the lowest note, but on Switch 2 the lowest note is L and A plays the middle note. Muscle memory from 1998 or 3DS will produce the wrong tune, so use the table above for your first few songs.
To take the ocarina out, a Basic Controls screen from preview footage shown by Nintendo Everything puts Play Ocarina on the left of the D-pad and Talk to Navi on the right. That was a preview build, so we will confirm it after launch.
How do you hum Ocarina of Time songs into the Switch 2 microphone?
Turn on mic input in the game's settings, take the ocarina out, then hum the notes from the first table while the "Inputting audio..." prompt is on screen. Nintendo Wire's look at the options describes the mic input as a setting you turn on, and it covers humming or whistling. Nintendo's store page says you can play "with traditional button controls or try humming, or even playing your own instruments into the Nintendo Switch 2 microphone!"
Nintendo's official screenshot shows four useful controls during audio input:
- Practice audio input (Minus): Going by the label, this lets you test your humming, so try it before you need a song in a hurry.
- Reset audio input (Plus): Going by the label, this clears a bad attempt.
- Check songbook (ZL): Opens the songbook, so you can check a song mid-attempt.
- Play a note (L, R, Y, X, A): The buttons still work, so you can finish a song by hand.
Humming is optional, because buttons stay available. It also won't skip any progress: Nintendo's overview trailer post says to "hum a melody Link has learned," so a song you haven't been taught shouldn't do anything. Nintendo hasn't said how exact your pitch must be, or whether a different key works. We will test both on launch day.
Where do you learn every Ocarina of Time song?
This table follows the usual order through the 1998 game, which also answers "what order do you learn the songs in?" Your exact order will vary, because Epona's Song and the Sun's Song are optional and the adult temples are flexible. The Thonky song list and the IGN songs list cover the same steps in more detail.
| Song | Age | Where you learn it | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zelda's Lullaby | Child | Impa, after you meet Zelda at Hyrule Castle | Activates Triforce symbols |
| Epona's Song | Child | Malon at Lon Lon Ranch | Calls Epona as an adult, gets milk from cows |
| Saria's Song | Child | Saria in the Sacred Forest Meadow | Contacts Saria for hints |
| Sun's Song | Child | Wall inside the Royal Family's Tomb, Kakariko graveyard | Swaps day and night, freezes ReDeads and Gibdos |
| Song of Time | Child | Zelda, after you pull the Ocarina of Time from the moat | Moves blue Time Blocks |
| Minuet of Forest | Adult | Sheik in the Sacred Forest Meadow | Warps to the Forest Temple area |
| Bolero of Fire | Adult | Sheik in Death Mountain Crater | Warps to the Fire Temple area |
| Song of Storms | Adult | Man in the Kakariko windmill | Makes it rain, reveals some hidden spots |
| Serenade of Water | Adult | Sheik in the Ice Cavern | Warps to Lake Hylia |
| Prelude of Light | Adult | Sheik in the Temple of Time, after the Forest Temple | Warps to the Temple of Time |
| Nocturne of Shadow | Adult | Sheik in Kakariko, after the Forest, Fire and Water Temples | Warps to the Kakariko graveyard |
| Requiem of Spirit | Adult | Sheik at the Desert Colossus | Warps to the Desert Colossus |
Warp songs have one trap. IGN's 3DS guide warns that using them during the Biggoron Sword trade leaves a single second on the timer, so travel on foot for that quest.
Which Ocarina of Time songs do you actually need?
On the normal route through the 1998 game, six songs gate your progress, and the rest save time. Speedrun routes can bypass some of these. Gamertag Mythras lists the same six:
- Zelda's Lullaby: Opens the way to Zora's Domain and sets the water level in the Water Temple.
- Saria's Song: Gets you the Goron Bracelet from Darunia and past Mido as an adult.
- Song of Time: Opens the Door of Time, so there's no Master Sword without it.
- Song of Storms: Play it as a child in the windmill to drain the Kakariko well, where you find the Lens of Truth.
- Nocturne of Shadow: The only way to reach the Shadow Temple.
- Requiem of Spirit: The only way for child Link to reach the Desert Colossus.
Skip Epona's Song and the Sun's Song on your first run if you like, but don't skip the Prelude of Light. It drops you beside the Master Sword pedestal, which makes swapping ages much faster.
What is the Scarecrow's Song?
It's an 8-note tune you make up yourself. In the 1998 game, you play it as a child to Bonooru, the lower scarecrow on the east shore of Lake Hylia, then play it back as an adult. After that, the song summons Pierre as a Hookshot target at certain spots.
Thonky notes that the song is recorded in real time, including your pauses, so use something simple and write it down. Nintendo hasn't said how this song works with the microphone, so buttons are the safe choice until we can test it.
What are the N64 and 3DS buttons for every song?
The melodies are identical across versions, and only the buttons change. Use this table for the original on Nintendo Switch Online or for Ocarina of Time 3D.
| Song | N64 | 3DS |
|---|---|---|
| Zelda's Lullaby | C-Left, C-Up, C-Right, C-Left, C-Up, C-Right | X A Y X A Y |
| Epona's Song | C-Up, C-Left, C-Right, C-Up, C-Left, C-Right | A X Y A X Y |
| Saria's Song | C-Down, C-Right, C-Left, C-Down, C-Right, C-Left | R Y X R Y X |
| Sun's Song | C-Right, C-Down, C-Up, C-Right, C-Down, C-Up | Y R A Y R A |
| Song of Time | C-Right, A, C-Down, C-Right, A, C-Down | Y L R Y L R |
| Song of Storms | A, C-Down, C-Up, A, C-Down, C-Up | L R A L R A |
| Minuet of Forest | A, C-Up, C-Left, C-Right, C-Left, C-Right | L A X Y X Y |
| Bolero of Fire | C-Down, A, C-Down, A, C-Right, C-Down, C-Right, C-Down | R L R L Y R Y R |
| Serenade of Water | A, C-Down, C-Right, C-Right, C-Left | L R Y Y X |
| Nocturne of Shadow | C-Left, C-Right, C-Right, A, C-Left, C-Right, C-Down | X Y Y L X Y R |
| Requiem of Spirit | A, C-Down, A, C-Right, C-Down, A | L R L Y R L |
| Prelude of Light | C-Up, C-Right, C-Up, C-Right, C-Left, C-Up | A Y A Y X A |
The Switch 2 version also adds a separate phone instrument. Nintendo says ZELDA NOTES in the Nintendo Switch App lets you "even play an ocarina on your smart device," but that's a companion feature and doesn't replace playing in the game.
Still deciding on the game itself? Our Ocarina of Time Switch 2 preorder guide covers price, release time and download size, and our Zelda Switch 2 restock tracker covers the 40th Anniversary console.
FAQ
How many songs are in Ocarina of Time? There are 12 taught songs plus the Scarecrow's Song, which you compose yourself, for 13 in total. Six are utility songs and six are warp songs taught by Sheik.
What are the notes for Zelda's Lullaby? The notes are B, high D, A, B, high D, A. On Switch 2 that's Y X A Y X A, as shown in Nintendo's own screenshot. On N64 it's C-Left, C-Up, C-Right, repeated.
What are the notes for the Song of Storms? The notes are D, F, high D, D, F, high D. On Switch 2 that's L R X L R X. On N64 it's A, C-Down, C-Up, repeated.
What are the notes for the Song of Time? The notes are A, D, F, A, D, F. On Switch 2 that's A L R A L R, and on N64 it's C-Right, A, C-Down, repeated.
Are the songs the same in the Switch 2 remake? Zelda's Lullaby and the Song of Time keep their original melodies in Nintendo's screenshots. Nintendo hasn't published a full song list, so we will confirm the other 10 and the Scarecrow's Song after launch.
Do you have to hum in the Switch 2 version? No. Nintendo says you can play with traditional button controls, and the microphone is an alternative.
