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Arirang on the ocarina

Arirang starts on three D's, then rises G, G, A to B and comes back down to D. It is the Korean folk song in the version a 1926 film made famous, in a gentle 3/4. Here it is in G major as it was printed in 1929, 16 bars from D up to high D with no sharps or flats. The second and fourth lines are the same, and the first and third end alike, so there is less to learn than it looks.

Updated 2026-10-29Public domainEasy47 notes · 16 barsG major · 3/4Fits 12-hole and 6-hole
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What are the notes for Arirang on the ocarina?

Arirang, played here in G major, 3/4 time, bar by bar: D, D, D | G, G, A | B, A, B, G, E | D | G, G, A | B, A, G, D | G, A, G | G | high D, high D, high D | high D, high C, B, A | B, A, B, G, E | D | G, G, A | B, A, G, D | G, A, G | G. Pick your ocarina to see its fingerings. To hear the tune, press Play in the player further down.

CoveredOpen

Goes up to high D, so it does not fit a 4-hole.

    1. D
    2. D
    3. D
    1. G
    2. G
    3. A
    1. B
    2. A
    3. B
    4. G
    5. E
    1. D
    1. G
    2. G
    3. A
    1. B
    2. A
    3. G
    4. D
    1. G
    2. A
    3. G
    1. G
    1. high D
    2. high D
    3. high D
    1. high D
    2. high C
    3. B
    4. A
    1. B
    2. A
    3. B
    4. G
    5. E
    1. D
    1. G
    2. G
    3. A
    1. B
    2. A
    3. G
    4. D
    1. G
    2. A
    3. G
    1. G
The 7 notes here, on a 12-hole
NoteHoles to coverPicture
DCover every main hole but the right pinky
GCover every main hole but the right index, right middle, right ring and right pinky
ACover the left pinky, left middle, left index, left thumb and right thumb
BCover the left pinky, left index, left thumb and right thumb
ECover every main hole but the right ring and right pinky
high DCover the left pinky and right thumb
high CCover the left pinky, left thumb and right thumb

What is the tricky spot in Arirang?

The start of the third line, where the tune jumps from G up to high D, the highest note in the song, and stays there for four notes. On a 12-hole, Arirang goes from G to high D: you lift the left ring, left middle, left index and left thumb.

The long G that ends the second line is the place to breathe before the jump. Blow a little faster for the high D's and tongue each one, then let the line fall back step by step, high C, B, A, to the same ending as the first line. Singers today often decorate the opening "a-ri-rang" with a quick upper note on each of the repeated notes; the 1929 printing has the plain notes, and our tabs follow it. Once the tune is under your fingers, add those turns by ear if you like.

Which ocarina can play Arirang?

A 4-hole ocarina cannot reach high D, so play Arirang in this key on a 12-hole or 6-hole ocarina in C. On an ocarina in G or F, use the same fingerings: the tune sounds in a different key, which is fine when you play alone. Each linked chart has every fingering for its ocarina, and you can check your notes with a tuner such as our free ocarina tuner.

Who wrote Arirang?

Nobody knows for certain. An older Arirang was already sung all over Korea in 1896, when the missionary Homer Hulbert wrote it down, but to a different tune. The tune most people know was the theme song of Na Woon-gyu's 1926 silent film Arirang: Na said he wrote the words and asked the cinema's band to make the tune, and who in the band wrote it is still not known. Our tabs follow the song page of a 1929 book of the film's story; a 1930 songbook prints the same tune and credits the song to Na. A tune printed in 1929 whose maker is unknown is public domain. We show the melody only. Music: the theme song of Na Woon-gyu's 1926 film Arirang; its composer is not known for certain.

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More ocarina songs

Next easy song: Ode to Joy. More: easy ocarina songs, songs for a 12-hole ocarina, songs for a 6-hole ocarina and all the songs.