German National Anthem on the ocarina
On a 12-hole it starts F, G, A, G. Medium, 73 notes, in F major.
Goes up to high F, so it does not fit a 6-hole or 4-hole.
German National Anthem
Bar 1 of 16
What are the notes for the German National Anthem?
On a 12-hole. Read left to right, a line at a time.
- FG AGB♭AGEFhigh Dhigh CB♭AGAFhigh CFG
- AGB♭AGEFhigh Dhigh CB♭AGAFhigh CGA
- GECB♭AGEChigh CB♭AABBhigh CTricky spot:high Chigh Fhigh E
- high Ehigh Dhigh Chigh Dhigh Chigh CB♭AGAB♭high Chigh DB♭GFGFF
The tune of the German national anthem is Joseph Haydn's, written in 1797 as an Austrian hymn: a calm, stepping melody that begins on a held F and climbs to high F. Here it is in F major, one run through the tune, 16 bars from C up to high F, the top note of a 12-hole ocarina. The first bar is a short one of two beats.
What is the hardest leap in the German National Anthem?
The start of the last line, where the tune leaps from high C up to high F, a fourth, and reaches the top of the song. On a 12-hole, the German National Anthem goes from high C to high F: you lift the left pinky, left thumb and right thumb.
High F is played with every hole open, so the leap is a matter of breath more than fingers: blow a little firmer as you leave the long C and ease off as the tune steps down through high E and D. The other spot is the quick A and B flat near the end, two short notes after a dotted one; play them slowly on their own first.
Where do you breathe in the German National Anthem?
On the half note high C that opens each phrase after the first. Each gives you two beats, and the one before the last line comes right ahead of the leap to high F.
Which ocarina can play the German National Anthem?
A 6-hole ocarina cannot reach high F, and a 4-hole ocarina cannot reach high D, high E and high F, so play the German National Anthem in this key on a 12-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. The linked chart has every fingering, and you can check your notes with a tuner such as our free ocarina tuner.
The 11 notes here, on a 12-holeHoles in words, with a picture
| Note | Holes to cover | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| F | Cover every main hole but the right middle, right ring and right pinky | |
| G | Cover every main hole but the right index, right middle, right ring and right pinky | |
| A | Cover the left pinky, left middle, left index, left thumb and right thumb | |
| B♭ | Cover the left pinky, left index, right ring, left thumb and right thumb | |
| E | Cover every main hole but the right ring and right pinky | |
| high D | Cover the left pinky and right thumb | |
| high C | Cover the left pinky, left thumb and right thumb | |
| C | Cover every main hole | |
| B | Cover the left pinky, left index, left thumb and right thumb | |
| high F | All holes open | |
| high E | Cover the left pinky |
Drawn as you see it while playing: mouthpiece towards you, left hand on the left.
Where does the German anthem's tune come from?
Haydn wrote it in January 1797 as a hymn for the Austrian emperor's birthday, and it was first performed on 12 February that year. He used it again as the slow-movement theme of his Emperor string quartet. The poem Das Lied der Deutschen was written in 1841 and put to the tune later; Germany made it the national anthem in 1922 and chose its third verse alone in 1991. Our tabs follow the tune as a 1913 songbook prints it under its Austrian name. We show the melody only. Music: Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), written in 1797.