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Gymnopédie No. 1 on the ocarina

Gymnopédie No. 1 opens on B and high D, falls through high C and B to F♯, then climbs E, F♯, G and drops to a long D: a slow, quiet tune that Satie marked "Lent et douloureux", slow and sorrowful. Here is its first statement in G major, 17 bars of 3/4. It needs a 12-hole ocarina: the first phrase settles on a long low B, with the right sub-hole covered, and the second falls to a long low A, with both sub-holes covered.

Updated 2026-10-29Public domainHard22 notes · 17 barsG major · 3/4Fits 12-hole
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What are the notes for Gymnopédie No. 1 on the ocarina?

Gymnopédie No. 1, played here in G major, 3/4 time, bar by bar: B, high D | high C, B, F♯ | E, F♯, G | D | low B | B, high D | high C, B, F♯ | E, F♯, G | D | F♯ | B | low A. To hear the tune, press Play in the player further down.

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Goes up to high D, so it does not fit a 4-hole. Goes down to low A, so it does not fit a 6-hole.

    1. B
    2. high D
    1. high C
    2. B
    3. F♯
    1. E
    2. F♯
    3. G
    1. D
    1. low B
    1. low Bkeep holding
    1. low Bkeep holding
    1. low Bkeep holding
    1. low Bkeep holding
    2. B
    3. high D
    1. high C
    2. B
    3. F♯
    1. E
    2. F♯
    3. G
    1. D
    1. F♯
    1. B
    1. low A
    1. low Akeep holding
    1. low Akeep holding
The 9 notes here, on a 12-hole
NoteHoles to coverPicture
BCover the left pinky, left index, left thumb and right thumb
high DCover the left pinky and right thumb
high CCover the left pinky, left thumb and right thumb
F♯Cover every main hole but the right index, right middle and right pinky
ECover every main hole but the right ring and right pinky
GCover every main hole but the right index, right middle, right ring and right pinky
DCover every main hole but the right pinky
low BCover every main hole, plus the right sub-hole
low ACover every main hole, plus the left sub-hole and right sub-hole

What is the tricky spot in Gymnopédie No. 1?

The end of the second phrase, where the tune falls from B more than an octave to low A, the lowest note in the piece, and holds it for over two bars. On a 12-hole, Gymnopédie No. 1 goes from B to low A: you cover the left ring, left middle, right index, right middle, right ring, right pinky, left sub-hole and right sub-hole.

Every finger comes down at once for that low A, sub-holes included, so practise the change on its own, B then low A, slowly, until the low note speaks without a squeak. Blow gently: a low note needs less air, and pushing makes it breathy and sharp. The first phrase asks the same thing more kindly: its low B lasts four bars and a beat, about 13 slow counts, so take a full breath before the phrase starts and let the note fade rather than sag. Count three unhurried beats in every bar; nothing in this piece should feel rushed.

Which ocarina can play Gymnopédie No. 1?

A 6-hole ocarina cannot reach low A and low B, and a 4-hole ocarina cannot reach low A, low B and high D, so play Gymnopédie No. 1 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.

When did Satie write Gymnopédie No. 1?

In 1888. Satie had finished all three Gymnopédies by April 1888, and the first was printed that summer in a Paris music magazine. He later published them himself: our tabs follow his own printing of 1895, in red ink, with his Montmartre address on the title page. Debussy orchestrated two of them in 1897 and swapped their numbers, so in his version this tune is No. 3. Satie died in 1925, so the piece is public domain. We show the melody only. Music: Erik Satie (1866-1925), the first of his three Gymnopédies, 1888.

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