Morning Mood on the ocarina

Updated 2026-10-29

Morning Mood starts G, E, D, C, D, E: the sunrise from Grieg's music for Peer Gynt. Here are its first two phrases, the flute's and the oboe's answer, moved to C so they use the notes from C to B. Even the G sharp and F sharp at the end have 4-hole fingerings, so a 4-hole pendant plays it too.

What are the notes for Morning Mood on the ocarina?

Morning Mood in C major, 6/8 time, bar by bar: G, E, D, C, D, E | G, E, D, C, D, E, D, E | G, E, G, A, E, A | G, E, D, C | G, E, D, C, D, E | G, E, D, C, D, E, D, E | G, E, G, A, E, A | B, G♯, F♯, E. Pick your ocarina, then press Play to hear the tune.

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

Why does the second phrase of Morning Mood end differently?

Because Grieg turns the tune into a new key there: the last bar of the answer goes B, G sharp, F sharp, E instead of coming home to C. On a 12-hole, Morning Mood goes from B to G♯: you cover the left middle and right ring.

Learn the G sharp and F sharp fingerings on their own before you play the bar, then play B, G sharp, F sharp, E slowly until each note speaks. The first phrase moves mostly between neighbouring notes; the quick D, E, D, E at the end of its second bar is tongued lightly, with the fingers moving between just two notes.

Which ocarina can play Morning Mood?

Any 12-hole, 6-hole or 4-hole ocarina in C plays Morning Mood in this key. 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.

Is Morning Mood really a sunrise?

Yes, but not a Norwegian one. Grieg wrote it in 1875 for Henrik Ibsen's play Peer Gynt, where it plays at sunrise in the fourth act, with Peer stranded in the Moroccan desert at dawn, and in the orchestra the flute and the oboe pass the tune between them. Grieg later put it first in his Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, published in 1888, and arranged the suite for piano himself. Our tabs follow that arrangement (Leipzig, Peters, about 1890), with the oboe's answer moved up an octave into the ocarina's range and its quick grace notes left out. 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: In the Hall of the Mountain King. More: songs for a 4-hole ocarina and all the songs.