Every Wind Waker Song (& How To Get Them) In Zelda: The Wind Waker

The titular conducting baton of the gods in Zelda: The Wind Waker, the Wind Waker is a tool Link can use to play one of six different Wind Waker songs for various effects. One lets you change the direction of the wind, one lets you control certain NPCs throughout the game, and another song lets you fast travel in Wind Waker.

To get the Wind Waker, you essentially must follow the main story until it is bestowed upon Link. This guide explains how to get the Wind Waker and details the locations and requirements to learn all Wind Waker songs in Zelda: The Wind Waker.

How To Get & Use The Wind Waker

To get the Wind Waker, Zelda: The Wind Waker players must follow the main story until the point that they reach Dragon Roost Island. You will have to complete the prologue in Outset Island, the first attempt at the Forbidden Fortress, then find a sail for the King of Red Lions in Windfall Island.

After you arrive at Dragon Roost, the King of Red Lions will give Link the Wind Waker and teach him how to use it. Like any other item, you must assign this to the X, Y, or Z buttons, then press that button again to start playing a song with the Wind Waker.

Essentially, you must tilt the right stick in different directions to perform left, right, up, and down notes in time with the metronome. The left stick is used to enter different time signatures, which is required to play songs with four or six notes:

• No left stick movement: 3/4 time (default)
• Tilt left on the left stick: 4/4 time (4 notes)
• Tilt right on the left stick: 6/4 time (6 notes)

How To Get & Play Every Wind Waker Song

All Wind Waker Songs, Effects, Notes, & Time Signature

Wind’s Requiem

• Wind’s Requiem Time: 3/4 (default)
• Wind’s Requiem Notes: 🡹,🡸,🡺

The Wind’s Requiem is the first song that Link learns for the Wind Waker. This song allows Link to control the direction of the wind. You can choose between eight directions, including cardinals and the four in-between diagonals (NW, NE, SE, SW).

This is incredibly important for two things: to make ocean navigation faster, and to influence the direction of the wind in outdoor areas. For example, when heading to the Forbidden Woods after Forest Haven, you will have to use the Wind’s Requiem and the Deku Leaf to get across the Great Ocean without falling in.

To get the Wind’s Requiem, The Wind Waker players must go to the back of Dragon Roost Island and interact with a gravestone on the rear of the island. You will be visited by Xephos, a God of the Wind, who will teach you this song.

Ballad of Gales

• Ballad of Gales Time: 4/4 (analog left)
• Ballad of Gales Notes: 🡻🡺🡸🡹

The Ballad of Gales is one of the most useful Wind Waker songs in Zelda: The Wind Waker because it essentially serves as the game’s Fast Travel system. When you play this song, if you are sailing on the ocean, you will be able to choose one of nine Fast Travel tiles on the Great Ocean.

You can’t fast travel to any tile in the game, but this song does significantly cut down on travel time. The only problem is how difficult it can be to unlock this song.

To get the Ballad of Gales, Wind Waker players must confront Cyclos, a kind of rogue spirit who creates tornadoes and cyclones. When you get the Wind’s Requiem song, Zephos will tell you of his brother and ask you to stop him.

To find Cyclos, head toward the Forsaken Fortress and search the tiles that surround it until you find a tornado. Get sucked into the whirlpool, then use your Bow to shoot Cyclos out of the sky before you get sucked underwater. Cyclos will then descend down and teach you the Ballad of Gales.

Song of Passing

• Song of Passing Time: 3/4 (default)
• Song of Passing Notes: 🡺, 🡸, 🡻

The Song of Passing is a three-note song that will allow you to instantly change the time between night and day. This is a useful song for some situations, such as creating the right conditions to get the Ghost Ship to spawn. It’s not required to beat the game, but it is nice to be able to turn on the lights, as it were, whenever you get tired of the dour, gloomy night.

To get the Song of Passing, you must go to Windfall Island and look for the dancer at the top of the overlook near Tingle’s cell, opposite the Bomb Shop and up the hill from the mailbox. Here, talk to the dancer and you will learn the Song of Passing as he performs his quirky dance moves.

Command Melody

• Command Melody Time: 4/4 (analog left)
• Command Melody Notes: 🡸, none, 🡺, none

The Command Melody is one of several Wind Waker songs that are only useful in certain story moments. In the Earth Temple and the Wind Temple, Link teams up with Medli and Makar, respectively. To complete certain puzzles within these dungeons you must use the Command Melody to take control of your companion.

The Command Melody is used for a handful of puzzles in the Tower of the Gods, too. But aside from these dungeons, there isn’t much of a use for this song, important as it is.

You will learn Command Melody as a natural part of your progression through the Tower of the Gods, the third major dungeon in the game. You will unlock this dungeon after collecting all three of the Goddess Pearls from the Forest Haven, Dragon Roost Island, and Jabun on Outset Island.

Earth God’s Lyric

• Earth God’s Lyric Time: 6/4 (analog right)
• Earth God’s Lyric Notes: 🡻, 🡻, none, 🡺, 🡸, none

The Earth God’s Lyric is one of two songs whose only purpose is to help Link get through a specific dungeon. The Earth God’s Lyric is used to access the Earth Temple, awaken the Sage within Medli, and at the end of the dungeon, to restore some power to the Master Sword.

You will have to play this song several times throughout the Earth Temple to progress.

The Earth God’s Lyric is unlocked after you enter the Earth Temple for the first time on Headstone Island. You must use the Power Bracelets to lift the stone head out of the way of the entrance. Walk in and you will find this song on a giant stone tablet. Return with Medli after you learn the song, play it for her, then play it with her at the entrance to gain access to the Earth Temple.

Wind God’s Aria

• Wind God’s Aria Time: 6/4 (analog right)
• Wind God’s Aria Notes: 🡹, 🡹, 🡻, 🡺, 🡸, 🡺

Like the Earth God’s Lyric, the Wind God’s Aria is only used in one specific dungeon in the game: the Wind Temple. Play this song to access the Wind Temple, awaken the Sage within Makar, and restore power to the Master Sword at the end of the dungeon. You will have to play this song several times to break stone tablets and progress through the Wind Temple.

Like the Earth God’s Lyric, you will learn this song the first time you access the Wind Temple on Gale Island. You must have the Iron Boots to get past the gust of wind and enter the first room. After you learn this song from the giant tablet, return to Makar, play the song for him, then go back to Gale Island and play it with Makar to gain entrance to the Wind Temple.