List of songs
from Zeldapedia, the Legend of Zelda wiki
Musical instruments and songs are a common part of the gameplay in the Legend of Zelda series, having appeared in the original Legend of Zelda as well as every other one since (with the exception of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures and The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass).
They are most commonly used to teleport or otherwise transport Link from one place to another, but they can also be used for a variety of other tasks, including but not limited to defeating enemies, summoning and awakening characters, and manipulating time. In his various quests, Link comes upon many musical instruments from upon which these songs are played, and several games cannot be completed without their aid. While it may not always be required to learn every song in the game in order to beat it, it is often advantageous to the player.
[edit] Appearances
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
[edit] The Legend of Zelda
Link can play a melody on the recorder. In the Overworld, this summons a whirlwind which can wipe out enemies, or carry Link to a dungeon entrance he's already visited (in numerical order). It must also be used to open one dungeon. Certain dungeon enemies are vulnerable to the sound of the Recorder being played. The notes played are the same as the one heard playing during the intro screen sequence in Ocarina of Time. The notes are just one part of what would become a complete melody. The recorder is also like the ocarina from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of time.
[edit] Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Playing the Recorder will get Link past certain obstacles on the Overworld Map and is also used to open the 6th dungeon.
[edit] The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
In the Light World, the Flute is used to summon a bird that can carry Link to nine different locations. The flute was called a flute in the SNES version of the game, but in the Japanese version of the game, it was always called an ocarina. In the re-release for Game Boy Advance and Virtual Console, it is still labeled as the Flute.
This game also had the first apperances of Ganondorf's Theme.
[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
In the Dream Shrine in Mabe Village, Link obtains an Ocarina. He can play it before he learns any songs but will only produce a flat, tuneless string of notes with no coherent melody and no effect whatsoever. The three songs are the "Ballad of the Wind Fish", "Manbo's Mambo" and the "Frog's Song of Soul".
[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
After Link completes the first dungeon, Link is given a Fairy Ocarina as a memento from his friend Saria. Later in the game, Link obtains the Ocarina of Time. There are twelve songs to be learned in the game; however, it is also possible to play songs of the player's creation, due to the ocarinas requiring the gamer to play each note, instead of just using the instrument as in previous Zelda games. There are two groups of songs, each divided into six separate songs. Many of the song motifs also appear throughout the soundtrack. Some of the songs also reappear in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.
The first group of six songs have various uses, and consist of "Zelda's Lullaby", "Epona's Song", "Saria's Song", the "Song of Time", the "Sun's Song", and the "Song of Storms". A majority of these songs are learned when Link is a child; however, one can only be learned while Link is an adult.
The second group of six songs are teleportation songs, that when played, teleport Link to ornamental platforms in the vicinity of certain areas, for the most part near dungeons. Each song is named after both a different musical style and the respective dungeon where the song teleports the Link to. These songs include the "Minuet of Forest", the "Bolero of Fire", the "Serenade of Water", the "Nocturne of Shadow", the "Requiem of Spirit" and the "Prelude of Light".
There is also an optional song known as the "Scarecrow's Song", which the player must "create" themselves. By playing a tune for the scarecrow named Pierre while Link is a youth, the "Scarecrow's Song" is created. Subsequently, Link can play this song for Pierre in the future, who will become Link's companion throughout his adventure. When played near areas where Navi lights up, Pierre will appear, allowing Link to use his Hookshot or Longshot to grapple himself towards where Pierre is standing, allowing him to reach high platforms.
[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask
Link again uses the Ocarina of Time as his main instrument. Unlike in Ocarina of Time, however, there are ten songs, which again are grouped into two groups of five. When Link is wearing one of the three transformation masks, his current form will produce their own instrument rather than the Ocarina of Time; Deku Link plays on the Pipes of Awakening, Goron Link produces a set of massive percussion drums, and Zora Link plays on Mikau's bonefish guitar.
The first group of five songs have various effects throughout the game and include some songs that were featured in Ocarina of Time. The songs are the "Song of Time", "Song of Healing", "Epona's Song", the "Song of Storms" and the "Song of Soaring", the latter of which is optional.
The second group of songs are special songs, which can again be grouped into two separate groups. The first four must be played in order to access the four dungeons of Termina and have other abilities as well. The fifth song must be used to summon the Four Giants during the battle with the Skull Kid at the top of the Clock Tower. These songs are the "Sonata of Awakening", the "Goron's Lullaby", the "New Wave Bossa Nova", the "Elegy of Emptiness" and the "Oath to Order".
In addition to these ten, the "Scarecrow's Song" appears once again, and has the same function as the one from Ocarina of Time. Also, the "Song of Time", which is used in-game to control time, can be played in different ways with different effects. The "Inverted Song of Time" slows down the passing of time when the notes of the song are played in reverse. The "Song of Double Time" speeds up time and allows Link to skip time until the next dawn or sundown during the three-day cycle.
There are also some songs that Link cannot learn, but which are notable in their own right. The "Ballad of the Wind Fish", its title being a reference to the song from Link's Awakening is a song that Toto, manager of The Indigo-Gos, asks Link to perform for him as a means of testing the sound system in the Milk Bar. The various musical tracks of the song must be played by the different forms that Link can assume. The "Melody of Darkness" is a song that the composer Sharp conducts in order to kill Link when he attempts to break the curse placed on him. Another notable song is "Farewell to Gibdos", a song which destroys all Gibdos in the Ikana area.
Just outside North Clock Town there is a wall with notes on it. Playing the songs produce Rupees. The songs composed on the wall are some of the songs in Ocarina of Time that did not reappear as learnable songs in Majora's Mask.
[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
In both The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons Link gets a flute called the Strange Flute. It is used to summon his animal companion once he gets them, at which point the name will change to <name of companion> Flute.
[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages
In The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages Link is given a harp called the Harp of Ages which is able to manipulate time. He learns 3 songs for it, each of which enables him to travel through time in a particular way.
[edit] Tune of Echoes
This is used to activate Time Portals to travel between the past and the present. Time Portals are only found in certain locations so at first Link's time-traveling ability is limited.
[edit] Tune of Currents
This allows Link to travel from anywhere in the past to the present without finding a Time Portal, but not the other way around. It does however, leave a small portal on the ground in the present that allows Link to travel back to the same point in the past.
[edit] Tune of Ages
This is the final song Link learns and is like the "Tune of Currents" except that it allows travel freely between the past and present.
[edit] The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker
In The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker Link receives a conductor's baton called the Wind Waker that can be used to control the wind to play magical songs. Although played with the C-Stick like the Ocarina of Time, Link must also match the tempo displayed on screen. He can also change between 3/4, 4/4, and 6/4 time using the Analog Stick.
Below is a table of the note translations to actual pitches in relation to each C-Stick position in each meter.
| Meter | Analog Stick Position | Unmoved | Right-C | Left-C | Up-C | Down-C |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/4 Time | Center | Low C | A | F | High C | D |
| 4/4 Time | Left | B | A | F | C | D |
| 6/8 Time | Right | D | F# | E | A | G |
[edit] Wind's Requiem
"Wind's Requiem" is the first song Link learns on Dragon Roost Island. It is used to change the direction of the wind. By doing this Link can create winds to power King of Red Lions and bear him to his destination.
[edit] Ballad of Gales
Link learns the "Ballad of Gales" after defeating Cyclos in a cyclone area of the Great Sea. This song is used to summon cyclones to instantaneously teleport him to select areas around the Great Sea, greatly reducing his traveling time. The larger of Mother and Child Isles can only be reached via this song. A bit of Minuet of Forest from Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is mixed into this song at the end.
[edit] Song of Passing
This is identical to the "Sun's Song" from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time that is used to change day to night and vice versa. Although it sounds the same as its counterpart, it is played differently.
[edit] Command Melody
This is used within dungeons to take control of other characters to perform specific tasks. In Tower of the Gods it controls the statues, while in the Earth and Wind Temples it is used to take control of Link's companions, Medli and Makar respectively.
[edit] Earth God's Lyric and Wind God's Aria
These two songs are both associated with a dungeon and sage in the game: "Earth God's Lyric" with Medli and the Earth Temple, and "Wind God's Aria" with Makar and the Wind Temple, similar to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's transport songs. They are used to awaken their sages and open the inner entrances to the dungeons, as well as clear obstacles inside them. The Earth God's Lyric is taught to Link by Laruto, the former Sage of Earth and the Wind God's Aria is taught to Link by Fado, the former Sage of Wind. The title theme of the game incorporates both songs.
[edit] The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
This game contains only one song (The same song played by the recorder in The Legend of Zelda) and one instrument: the Ocarina of Wind. It is almost identical to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past's Flute, being used to summon a transport bird. However this one can only take you to Wind Crests scattered around Hyrule, all but one of which must first be found and activated by Link before they can be used, similar to the "Song of Soaring" and owl statues in The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. It also sounds like the tune played on the flute in Super Mario Bros. 3 to summon tornadoes to carry you to the warp zones.
[edit] The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Link can pick a plant referred to as horse grass and play "Epona's Song" to summon his horse. Later in the game, Link is given a whistle that can call Epona at any given time. At other times, he picks a similar plant called hawk grass to summon a hawk.
Wolf Link also has the ability to howl in three different pitches (low, regular, and high). In order to unlock seven sword maneuvers, Link must visit six (The first one starts automatically) special stones throughout the game as a wolf, and play a song. Other songs that Link must learn (although the player isn't given the name of these songs, and they aren't used for any other purpose) that are taken from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time are the "Prelude of Light" and the "Requiem of Spirit". Some other songs are the "Song of Healing," the "Oath to Order" and the main theme music to The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess itself.
"Zelda's Lullaby" is also used to gain access to the Master Sword, as well as a dungeon towards the end of the game. The "Serenade of Water" is heard whenever the player encounters Rutela and plays when Ralis gives Link his earring to be used as a fishing hook.
Spoiler warning: Spoilers end here.
