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O Christmas Tree on the ocarina

Updated 2026-10-29

O Christmas Tree on the ocarina starts on C, then F, F, F, G and A, A, A, A, each opening with a long-short pair. In F major the whole carol stays between C and high D, with B♭ as its only flat, so a 12-hole or a 6-hole ocarina in C plays it. The opening four bars come back, almost unchanged, as the last four, so once you know them you know two thirds of the song.

What are the notes for O Christmas Tree on the ocarina?

O Christmas Tree, played here in F major, 3/4 time, bar by bar: C | F, F, F, G | A, A, A, A | G, A, B♭, E | G, F, high C | high C, A, high D, high C | high C, B♭, B♭, G | B♭, G, high C, B♭ | B♭, A, A, C | F, F, F, G | A, A, A, A | G, A, B♭, E | G, F. Pick your ocarina, then press Play to hear the tune.

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

What is the tricky spot in O Christmas Tree?

The drop from B♭ to E near the end of the first line, an awkward interval to hear in tune, which comes back in the last line. On a 12-hole, O Christmas Tree goes from B♭ to E: you lift the right ring and cover the left ring, left middle, right index and right middle.

Play G, A, B♭, E slowly on its own a few times, listening for the E to land in tune rather than a little flat. The rhythm trap is the dotted start of each "O Christmas tree": a long note, a very short one, then a full beat, so lean on the first F and flick the second. Breathe after the long F that ends the first line, before the quick high C, and again after the two A's just before the C that leads back into the last line. The middle section climbs to high D on a held note: give it a little more air and let the B♭'s that follow come down softly. The printing our tabs follow marks a pause on the last note of each "O Christmas tree"; the tabs keep strict time, but you can stretch those notes a little when you play alone.

Which ocarina can play O Christmas Tree?

A 4-hole ocarina cannot reach high D, so play O Christmas Tree 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.

Was O Christmas Tree always sung to this tune?

No. Ernst Anschütz, a Leipzig teacher and organist, published the words in 1824 with a different tune; the one sung today, taken from an old student song, became attached to them later. The change shows in print: a German songbook of 1860 still sets his words to another tune, where the "o" before the second "Tannenbaum" drops back to the opening note instead of stepping up. A Lutheran Sunday school book first published in Philadelphia in 1896 has the familiar tune, marked as a folk tune, and our tabs follow it. The tune is anonymous and Anschütz died in 1861, so the song is public domain. We show the melody only. Music: traditional German tune; words by Ernst Anschütz (1780-1861).

More ocarina songs

Next medium song: Hallelujah Chorus. More: all the songs.