| Total | 5 songs (the Song of the Hero comes in 4 parts) |
|---|---|
| Instrument | Goddess’s Harp, received from Zelda after the Lanayru Mining Facility |
| Songs | Ballad of the Goddess, Farore’s Courage, Nayru’s Wisdom, Din’s Power, Song of the Hero |
| Where you learn them | Sealed Temple, Isle of Songs, three dragons, Levias |
| What they open | The Gate of Time, the Isle of Songs, and the four Silent Realm gates |
You learn five songs on the Goddess’s Harp in Skyward Sword. Impa teaches the Ballad of the Goddess in the Sealed Temple, the goddess’s statue on the Isle of Songs gives you Farore’s Courage, Nayru’s Wisdom and Din’s Power one at a time, and the Song of the Hero is assembled from four parts: three from the dragons of Faron, Eldin and Lanayru, and the last from Levias. Apart from the Ballad, every song opens the gate of a Silent Realm, so they are the spine of the middle of the game.
Table of Contents
Quick reference
| # | Song | Where you learn it | Requirement | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ballad of the Goddess | Sealed Temple, from Impa | Goddess’s Harp | Reveals the Gate of Time and opens the Thunderhead from the Light Tower |
| 2 | Farore’s Courage | Isle of Songs | Ballad of the Goddess played at the Light Tower, after the first Imprisoned fight | Opens the Silent Realm gate in Faron Woods |
| 3 | Nayru’s Wisdom | Isle of Songs | Farore’s Flame from the Ancient Cistern | Opens the Silent Realm gate in Lanayru Desert |
| 4 | Din’s Power | Isle of Songs | Nayru’s Flame from the Sandship | Opens the Silent Realm gate in Eldin Volcano |
| 5 | Song of the Hero | Faron Water Dragon, Eldin Fire Dragon, Lanayru Thunder Dragon, then Levias | All four parts | Opens the Silent Realm gate in Skyloft |
The Goddess’s Harp
Getting the Goddess’s Harp
Zelda gives you the harp at the Temple of Time in the Lanayru Desert, right after you finish the Lanayru Mining Facility. Ghirahim interrupts your reunion, and Zelda presses the harp into your hands before Impa takes her through the Gate of Time. From then on you can take it out whenever a song is called for.
Playing the harp
When a song is needed, circles of light pulse on the ground, and you play in time with them using the Wii Remote. If your timing is right Fi joins in with her voice. Blessed Butterflies are the usual sign that a spot responds to the harp, and three of them gathered near a wall mean a Goddess Wall can be revealed there.
The songs
Ballad of the Goddess
After you leave the Temple of Time, travel to the Sealed Temple in the Sealed Grounds. The Old Woman, who is really Impa, gives you a lesson on the harp there and teaches you the Ballad of the Goddess. Play it at the Gate of Time to reveal it, and later play it at the top of the Light Tower in Skyloft to light the beam that opens the entrance into the Thunderhead. That entrance is the only way to the Isle of Songs. See The Goddess’s Harp, The Imprisoned and the Isle of Songs for the surrounding story.
Farore’s Courage
Fly into the Thunderhead and land on the Isle of Songs. Rotate the centre pedestal so the bridge blocks line up, then go inside the main building through the small crawlspace and strike the crest with a Skyward Strike. A statue appears, you stand on the circle, and Fi recalls the words of the goddess and teaches you Farore’s Courage. Afterward Fi can dowse for the first gate, in Faron Woods.
Nayru’s Wisdom
Clear Farore’s Silent Realm and the Ancient Cistern, and bathe your sword in Farore’s Flame. Return to the Isle of Songs and play the harp in the statue room. The goddess teaches you Nayru’s Wisdom, which leads you to the Silent Realm in the Lanayru Desert. You do not have to climb through the building again, because the way into the room is already open.
Din’s Power
Finish the Sandship, collect Nayru’s Flame and go back to the same statue on the Isle of Songs. Play the harp there and you learn Din’s Power, the song for the gate in Eldin Volcano. This is the last song from the Isle of Songs, and you never need to return there for another lesson.
Song of the Hero
Levias sends you to the three dragons, each of whom holds part of this song. You can visit them in any order. After you have collected all three parts, return to Levias for the fourth. Playing the finished song opens the last Silent Realm and so leads you to the Triforce.
First verse: the Water Dragon in Faron Woods
Once the third Imprisoned has been beaten with Groose’s Groosenator, Groose’s catapult flings you into the flooded Faron Woods. Faron challenges you to collect the Tadtones she has hidden, small creatures that look like musical notes, and you swim after them to collect every group. Return to Faron the Water Dragon with the full score, and the dragon teaches you its part.
Second verse: the Fire Dragon in Eldin Volcano
An eruption sends you flying and you wake up in a Bokoblin prison with your gear gone. Plats gives you the Mogma Mitts, and you then recover your items from chests across the volcano until you hold your sword again. Make your way up to Volcano Summit, where the Fire Dragon teaches you the second part of the song.
Third verse: the Thunder Dragon in Lanayru Gorge
The Thunder Dragon is dying. Ride the Timeshift Stone cart through the gorge to revive him, then use a Timeshift Stone to bring back the Life Tree Seedling, plant it in the Temple of Hylia in the past, return to the present and roll into the grown tree to knock down a Life Tree Fruit. Take the fruit to the dragon in Lanayru Gorge. Once he has eaten it he teaches you his part, and Fi tells you that three parts are now yours.
Final verse: Levias in the Thunderhead
Fly into the Thunderhead and meet Levias. He performs the last part of the song for you, and after the cutscene the song is complete. Fi then points you to the Trial Gate on Skyloft, which the finished song opens, and that sends you to the Skyloft Silent Realm. See True Master Sword, Levias and Bilocyte and Song of the Hero for the full steps.
Goddess Walls and the harp
Revealing a wall
Goddess Walls are hidden murals. You find one by playing the harp near three Blessed Butterflies that gather by a wall, and Gossip Stones reveal themselves the same way. Once the wall appears as an indigo panel with the Goddess Crest in its center, charge a Skyward Strike and draw a shape with the sword. The wall gives one reward and stays inactive until the game is restarted.
Shapes and rewards
| Shape | Reward |
|---|---|
| Circle | 15 Bombs |
| Hexagon | 10 Rupees |
| Heart | 10 recovery hearts |
| Arrow | 15 Arrows (3 hearts if you do not have the Bow yet) |
| Three triangles (Triforce) | Three fairies |
| Hourglass | 10 recovery hearts |
| Anything else | Three recovery hearts |
Draw each shape in one stroke. Gossip Stones and Gorko drop hints, such as a “closed circle” for the circle or “life’s crimson vessel” for the heart. If the wall does not recognize your drawing you get three recovery hearts.
Gorko’s wall in the Sealed Grounds
Gorko the Goron stands in the glade behind the Sealed Temple, where you first meet him on the way to Faron Woods. With the harp in hand you can strum beside the butterflies at once. Once you have learned Farore’s Courage, Gorko asks you to draw shapes on the wall, and the visit you can count on is the one you make for the True Master Sword, after the Fire Sanctuary. Draw the shape his riddle describes to receive a Piece of Heart. Each new shape after that earns a Red Rupee or a treasure, and drawing all of them earns a Gold Rupee. If he has nothing for you on an earlier visit, simply come back later.
Other harp uses
Apart from songs, the harp also plays a part in the Lumpy Pumpkin quest, where you accompany Kina’s singing for the audience. See Side Quests for the Pumpkin Landing quest.
