Ode to Joy on the ocarina

Updated 2026-10-27

Ode to Joy is one of the best first tunes for the ocarina: it moves mostly step by step, so on a 12-hole each new note is usually one finger away from the last. Here it is in G major, the full 16-bar theme, from D up to high D.

What are the notes for Ode to Joy on the ocarina?

Ode to Joy in G major, 4/4 time, bar by bar: B, B, high C, high D | high D, high C, B, A | G, G, A, B | B, A, A | B, B, high C, high D | high D, high C, B, A | G, G, A, B | A, G, G | A, A, B, G | A, B, high C, B, G | A, B, high C, B, A | G, A, D | B, B, high C, high D | high D, high C, B, A | G, G, A, B | A, G, G. Pick your ocarina, then press Play to hear the tune.

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

What is the tricky spot in Ode to Joy?

The end of the third line, where the tune drops from A to D and then leaps straight up to B to start the last line. D up to B is the biggest jump in the piece. On a 12-hole, from D to B you lift the left ring, left middle, right index, right middle and right ring.

Practise the end of the third line on its own, slowly: A, D, then B, until the D speaks cleanly without a squeak and the B comes in on time. The third line also has quick pairs of B and C, half a beat each; tongue them lightly with a "du" so they do not smear into one. The top of the tune is high D, which needs a little more air than the notes around it, so do not be afraid to blow a bit firmer there and then ease off as the tune steps back down.

Which ocarina can play Ode to Joy?

Ode to Joy in this key fits a 12-hole or 6-hole ocarina in C. It goes beyond the range of a 4-hole ocarina. On an ocarina in G or F, use the same fingerings and it sounds lower. Every fingering is in the 12-hole fingering chart, and you can check your notes with a chromatic tuner (our own ocarina tuner is on its way).

Is Ode to Joy public domain?

Yes. Beethoven died in 1827 and the symphony was first published in 1826, so the melody is out of copyright in the US, the UK and the EU. These tabs are our own arrangement of the theme. Music: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), from the finale of his Symphony No. 9.

More ocarina songs

More: easy ocarina songs and all the songs.

Sources