Auld Lang Syne on the ocarina

Updated 2026-10-29

Auld Lang Syne starts on C and rises C, F, F, F, A. The whole tune uses only five note names, F, G, A, C and D, with no sharps or flats. In F major it runs from C up to high D.

What are the notes for Auld Lang Syne on the ocarina?

Auld Lang Syne in F major, 4/4 time, bar by bar: C | F, F, F, A | G, F, G, A | F, F, A, high C | high D, high D | high C, A, A, F | G, F, G, A | F, D, D, C | F, high D | high C, A, A, F | G, F, G, A | high C, A, A, high C | high D, high D | high C, A, A, F | G, F, G, A | F, D, D, C | F. Pick your ocarina, then press Play to hear the tune.

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  1. C
  2. F
  3. F
  4. F
  5. A
  6. G
  7. F
  8. G
  9. A
  10. F
  11. F
  12. A
  13. high C
  14. high D
  15. high D
  16. high C
  17. A
  18. A
  19. F
  20. G
  21. F
  22. G
  23. A
  24. F
  25. D
  26. D
  27. C
  28. F
  29. high D
  30. high C
  31. A
  32. A
  33. F
  34. G
  35. F
  36. G
  37. A
  38. high C
  39. A
  40. A
  41. high C
  42. high D
  43. high D
  44. high C
  45. A
  46. A
  47. F
  48. G
  49. F
  50. G
  51. A
  52. F
  53. D
  54. D
  55. C
  56. F

What is the tricky spot in Auld Lang Syne?

The jump from F up to high D that leads from the verse into the chorus. On a 12-hole, Auld Lang Syne goes from F to high D: you lift the left ring, left middle, left index, right index and left thumb.

The other thing to get right is the rhythm. The tune is full of long-short pairs, a dotted note then a quick one, and in the bar that goes F, F, A, high C the pair is reversed, short then long: a "Scotch snap" on the first two F's. Tongue the short note lightly so it does not swallow the long one. The chorus climbs to high D twice; give it more air and come back down gently.

Which ocarina can play Auld Lang Syne?

A 4-hole ocarina cannot reach high D, so play Auld Lang Syne 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.

Which tune did Burns write Auld Lang Syne to?

An older air, not the one sung today: Robert Burns's words were first printed to it, and he called it "but mediocre"; the familiar tune was set to them later by the editor George Thomson. The 1839 edition of the Scots Musical Museum says this second tune "has, in a great measure, supplanted the proper tune". Our tabs follow the familiar tune as printed in Heart Songs (Boston, 1909). The tune is traditional and Burns died in 1796, so both are in the public domain. We show the melody only. Music: traditional Scottish tune; words by Robert Burns (1759-1796), from an older Scottish song.

More ocarina songs

Next easy song: Oh! Susanna. More: easy ocarina songs and all the songs.