In the Hall of the Mountain King on the ocarina

Updated 2026-10-29

In the Hall of the Mountain King climbs D, E, F, G, A, F, A, then plays a three-note figure, G sharp, E, G sharp, and the same shape a semitone lower. This is Grieg's opening phrase, which the orchestra repeats faster and louder until the end. Here it is in D minor, from D up to high D.

What are the notes for In the Hall of the Mountain King on the ocarina?

In the Hall of the Mountain King in D minor, 4/4 time, bar by bar: D, E, F, G, A, F, A | G♯, E, G♯, G, D♯, G | D, E, F, G, A, F, A, high D | high C, A, F, A, high C | D, E, F, G, A, F, A | G♯, E, G♯, G, D♯, G | D, E, F, G, A, F, A, high D | high C, A, F, A, high C. Pick your ocarina, then press Play to hear the tune.

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

What is the tricky spot in In the Hall of the Mountain King?

The second bar, where G sharp, E, G sharp is answered by G, D sharp, G: the same shape, one semitone down. On a 12-hole, In the Hall of the Mountain King goes from G♯ to G: you lift the right ring and cover the left ring.

Practise the two halves of the bar back to back until the swap from G sharp to G, one finger up and one down at the same moment, sounds clean. Grieg marks the piece "sempre staccato e pp": always short and very quiet. Tongue every note with a light "tu", keep it soft, and only build up speed once the notes are under your fingers.

Which ocarina can play In the Hall of the Mountain King?

A 4-hole ocarina cannot reach high D, so play In the Hall of the Mountain King 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.

What is the Mountain King's hall?

A troll king's hall. The Norwegian title, "I Dovregubbens hall", means "in the hall of the Dovre old man", the troll king of the Dovre mountains, and the music plays as Peer Gynt walks into his hall full of trolls. Grieg wrote it in 1875 for Ibsen's play and later made it the last piece of his Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, published in 1888. He was not fond of it: as Wikipedia translates his words, he wrote that it "so reeks of cowpats, ultra-Norwegianism, and 'to-thyself-be-enough-ness' that I cannot bear to hear it". Our tabs follow Grieg's own piano arrangement (Leipzig, Peters, about 1890). Grieg died in 1907, so it is public domain. Music: Edvard Grieg (1843-1907), from his music for Ibsen's Peer Gynt.

More ocarina songs

Next medium song: Amazing Grace. More: all the songs.