I pressed the ocarina and nothing happened. For a second the world felt frozen — then a tomb slid open and my save file whispered, “Now or never.” You know that moment: one song can flip the map on its head.
I’ve replayed The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time more times than I can count, and I wrote this to save you the faff of trial-and-error. You’ll get the inputs, when to play each melody, and a sense of why each tune matters in play and speedruns. Read fast, play faster.
All Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake songs, inputs, and how they work
Observation: Most players keep a mental list of a few songs and hope the rest never come up. That habit costs time and missed secrets.
You’ll learn 12 songs across the map. Each song is a simple button sequence that triggers an in-game effect — warps, puzzles, NPC reactions, and more. Zelda’s Lullaby is a silver key that slides into stone, while The Song of Time is a heartbeat trapped in brass. Those are the two engines you’ll lean on repeatedly.
How do I learn every ocarina song?
You meet NPCs or visit specific locations to learn each melody: Sheik teaches many of the travel songs, members of Hyrule’s families or NPCs hand over others. If you want efficiency, target Sheik sightings after major temples — that’s where the bulk of warp songs appear.
What are the inputs and what will each song actually do?
Below is a compact reference you can scan mid-run. I built this table so you can quickly find a sequence and the effect without paging through wikis or watching a 10-minute tutorial on YouTube or IGN.
| Name | Location | Input | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zelda’s Lullaby | Hyrule Castle, after meeting Princess Zelda | YXAYXA | Activates puzzles and opens passages marked with the Triforce symbol. |
| Epona’s Song | Lon Lon Ranch — speak with Malon in the horse enclosure | XYAXYA | Summons Epona once you have her as Adult Link. |
| Saria’s Song | Lost Woods — meet Saria in the Sacred Forest Meadow | RAYRAY | Communicate with Saria for hints; calms Darunia and helps with Lost Woods obstacles. |
| Sun’s Song | Kakariko Graveyard — play Zelda’s Lullaby at the Royal Family’s Tomb | ARXARX | Toggles between day and night and stuns Gibdos/ReDeads. |
| Song of Time | Return to Hyrule Castle Town after getting all three Spiritual Stones and retrieve the Ocarina of Time | ALRALR | Opens the Door of Time in the Temple of Time; moves special blue blocks marked with the Door of Time symbol. |
| Song of Storms | Kakariko Village windmill — play for the man inside as Adult Link | LRXLRX | Summons rain; drains Kakariko well if played inside the windmill; reveals hidden grottos. |
| Minuet of Forest | Lost Woods as Adult Link — learn from Sheik in Sacred Forest Meadow | LXYAYA | Warp to the Sacred Forest Meadow. |
| Prelude of Light | Temple of Time — learn from Sheik at the Master Sword pedestal | XAXAYX | Warp directly to the Temple of Time. |
| Bolero of Fire | Death Mountain Crater — learn from Sheik after crossing the hookshot gap | RLRLARAR | Warp directly to Death Mountain Crater. |
| Serenade of Water | Zora’s Fountain — learn from Sheik after getting Iron Boots in Ice Cavern | LRAAY | Warp directly to Lake Hylia. |
| Nocturne of Shadow | After completing Fire, Forest, and Water Temples — Sheik teaches it in Kakariko Village | YAALYAR | Warp to the upper parts of Kakariko Graveyard. |
| Requiem of Spirit | Desert Colossus — meet Sheik after entering/exiting the Spirit Temple | LRLARL | Warp directly to the Desert Colossus. |
If you play on Nintendo 3DS or a modern port, the inputs map to the same patterns; check your emulator or controller layout before you muscle a sequence during a tense boss fight. Game Informer and IGN have solid video breakdowns if you prefer visual guides, and speedrunners on YouTube or Twitch often show the most efficient contexts for each song.
Quick tactic: memorize Zelda’s Lullaby, Song of Time, and Song of Storms first — they solve the greatest number of puzzles and save the most backtracking.
Every song teaches you something about the map and the characters — which melody will you master first?