O Come, O Come, Emmanuel on the ocarina

What are the notes for O Come, O Come, Emmanuel?

On a 12-hole. Read left to right, a line at a time.

1. 1
   D ·FA

   AA

   GB♭

   AG
2. 2
   F

   (hold)G

   AF

   DF
3. 3
   GE

   DC

   D

   (hold)G
4. 4
   GD

   DE

   F

   ED
5. 5
   C

   (hold)F

   GA

   AA
6. 6
   GB♭

   AG

   F

   Tricky spot:(hold)high C
7. 7
   high C

   (hold)A

   A

   (hold)A
8. 8
   GB♭

   AG

   FG

   AF
9. 9
   DF

   GE

   DC

   D
10. 10
    (hold)

O Come, O Come, Emmanuel moves like a slow chant: almost every note is the same length, and most lines end on a note held for three beats. Here it is in D minor, between C and high C, with B♭ as its one flat, so a 12-hole, a 6-hole and a 4-hole ocarina in C can play it. The refrain closes with the verse's second line, note for note.

What is the tricky spot in O Come, O Come, Emmanuel?

The start of the refrain, where the long F at the end of the fourth line jumps up a fifth to high C for "Rejoice". On a 12-hole, O Come, O Come, Emmanuel goes from F to high C: you lift the left ring, left middle, left index and right index. On a 6-hole or 4-hole, you lift the left middle and left index.

Play F, then high C, slowly, until the C speaks cleanly on its first breath; it is the highest note in the hymn and needs a firmer, faster stream of air than the F (more on breath). The C is then held for three beats and drops to A, which is also held: keep the air steady through both, so the pitch does not sag. The other place to practise is G, B♭, A, G, which comes three times. B♭ is a cross-fingering on a 12-hole, so learn it on its own and then play A, B♭, A until it sits in tune.

Where do you breathe in O Come, O Come, Emmanuel?

On every long note. Most lines end on a note held for three beats, then one short note starts the next line, so take your breath at the end of the long note. The refrain's two held notes, high C and then A, come one after the other; if you need air there, breathe between them.

Which ocarina can play O Come, O Come, Emmanuel?

Any 12-hole, 6-hole or 4-hole ocarina in C plays O Come, O Come, Emmanuel 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 O Come, O Come, Emmanuel a medieval tune?

Probably, though for over a century no one could show it. The choirmaster Thomas Helmore first set these words to it in 1851, with John Mason Neale's translation of the Latin hymn, and named a French missal in Lisbon as his source, but gave no way to check it. Then in 1966 Mary Berry found the melody in a 15th-century French manuscript, with other words. Our tabs follow Hymns Ancient and Modern, 1861, which prints the tune in long half notes with no time signature; we halve them and count the tune in twos. Helmore died in 1890 and Neale in 1866. We show the melody only. Music: the tune Veni Emmanuel, first set to these words by Thomas Helmore (1811-1890) in 1851; words translated by John Mason Neale (1818-1866).

What to play next

• Next song

  Away in a MangerAnother medium song.

• Fingering chart

  Every note on the 12-holeWith a printable PDF.

• Tuner

  Sounds off? Check your notesSee if it's you or the ocarina, in 2 minutes.