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William Tell Overture on the ocarina

The William Tell gallop starts with C after C after C, a longer note and two quick ones, over and over, before the tune climbs F, G, A. It is the finale of Rossini's overture, the music radio and television made the theme of The Lone Ranger. Here is its main strain in F major, a pickup and eight bars from C to high C, with a single B flat near the end.

Updated 2026-10-29Public domainMedium42 notes · 9 barsF major · 2/4Fits 12, 6 and 4-hole
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What are the notes for the William Tell Overture on the ocarina?

The William Tell Overture, played here in F major, 2/4 time, bar by bar: C, C | C, C, C, C, C, C | F, G, A, C, C | C, C, C, F, A, A | G, E, C, C, C | C, C, C, C, C, C | F, G, A, F, A | high C, B♭, A, G | F, A, F. Pick your ocarina to see its fingerings. To hear the tune, press Play in the player further down.

CoveredOpen

    1. C
    2. C
    1. C
    2. C
    3. C
    4. C
    5. C
    6. C
    1. F
    2. G
    3. A
    4. C
    5. C
    1. C
    2. C
    3. C
    4. F
    5. A
    6. A
    1. G
    2. E
    3. C
    4. C
    5. C
    1. C
    2. C
    3. C
    4. C
    5. C
    6. C
    1. F
    2. G
    3. A
    4. F
    5. A
    1. high C
    2. high Ckeep holding
    3. B♭
    4. A
    5. G
    1. F
    2. A
    3. F
The 7 notes here, on a 12-hole
NoteHoles to coverPicture
CCover every main hole
FCover every main hole but the right middle, right ring and right pinky
GCover every main hole but the right index, right middle, right ring and right pinky
ACover the left pinky, left middle, left index, left thumb and right thumb
ECover every main hole but the right ring and right pinky
high CCover the left pinky, left thumb and right thumb
B♭Cover the left pinky, left index, right ring, left thumb and right thumb

How do you play the fast notes in the William Tell Overture?

The fast notes are tongued, not fingered: on the long runs of C your fingers stay still while your tongue says "tu, tu-ku" for each gallop. The one place the fingers have to hurry is the top of the tune, a long high C that runs straight down through B flat, A and G, the only B flat in the song. On a 12-hole, the William Tell Overture goes from high C to B♭: you cover the left index and right ring.

Start well below full speed. The Paris score of about 1870 marks the gallop at 152 beats a minute; our player starts at 100, and even that is quick. Say "tu-ku" for the two short notes, front and back of the tongue, and "tu" for the longer one, so each gallop goes dum-da-da, dum-da-da. Keep the C fingering relaxed and fully sealed: when a note repeats this fast, a fingertip that lifts slightly lets the pitch wobble.

Which ocarina can play the William Tell Overture?

Any 12-hole, 6-hole or 4-hole ocarina in C plays the William Tell Overture 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.

Where does the William Tell gallop come from?

The gallop is the last part of the overture to Rossini's opera William Tell, first performed in Paris in 1829 and the last of his operas; radio, television and film versions of The Lone Ranger later made it their theme. Our tabs follow the gallop in a Boosey vocal score edited by Arthur Sullivan and Josiah Pittman, moved from E major up to F; a Paris vocal score of about 1870 has the same notes in every bar. Rossini died in 1868, so the tune is public domain. We show the melody only. Music: Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868), the gallop that ends the overture to his opera William Tell, 1829.

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