Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star on the ocarina

Updated 2026-10-27

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star uses only six notes, C to A, so it is a classic first song on any ocarina, including a 4-hole pendant. Each note is played twice, which gives you time to find the next fingering.

What are the notes for Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star on the ocarina?

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star in C major, 4/4 time, bar by bar: C, C, G, G | A, A, G | F, F, E, E | D, D, C | G, G, F, F | E, E, D | G, G, F, F | E, E, D | C, C, G, G | A, A, G | F, F, E, E | D, D, C. Pick your ocarina, then press Play to hear the tune.

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

What is the tricky spot in Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?

The jump from C up to G right at the start, the biggest move in the song. On a 12-hole, from C to G you lift the right index, right middle, right ring and right pinky.

Lift the fingers together, as if they were glued, rather than one at a time; lifting them one by one sounds the notes in between. On a 12-hole the rest of the song walks down the scale one finger at a time, from G back to C, and that is the part to enjoy. The repeated notes are played with your tongue, not your fingers: keep the fingering still and say "tu, tu" into the ocarina. If the C at the end of each line sounds weak or wobbly, check that every hole is covered completely; a tiny gap under a fingertip is the most common cause.

Which ocarina can play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star?

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star in this key fits a 12-hole, 6-hole or 4-hole ocarina in C. 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 Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star public domain?

Yes. The tune is the French air "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman", printed in the 1700s, and the words are Jane Taylor's poem of 1806; she died in 1824. Our tabs are arranged from an 1838 printing. We show the melody only. Music: traditional French tune ("Ah! vous dirai-je, maman"); words by Jane Taylor (1783-1824).

More ocarina songs

More: easy ocarina songs and all the songs.

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