Okay, you’re ready to dive deep into the mystical melodies that Link commands with the legendary Wind Waker, aren’t you? This sacred baton isn’t just for show; it’s your key to unlocking ancient powers, taming the elements, and guiding allies. Mastering these six songs is essential for any hero looking to conquer the Great Sea and thwart Ganondorf’s dark designs.
When you raise the Wind Waker, pay close attention to the rhythm! Each song has its own time signature (3/4, 4/4, or 6/4), and you’ll use the C-Stick (or right analog stick on modern controllers) to conduct the notes. A “Neutral” input in a melody means letting the C-Stick return to its center position. Get the timing right, and you’ll unleash some truly magical effects!
1. Wind’s Requiem: The Conductor’s Debut
Melody (3/4 Time): Up, Left, Right
How to Get It: Your journey with the Wind Waker truly begins on Dragon Roost Island. Seek out a small, separate shrine just off the coast. Inside, a striking stone monolith awaits, inscribed with the notes. Conduct them as shown, and Zephos, the god of winds, will formally grant you this foundational tune.
Unleash the Power:
- Command the Currents: This is your bread and butter for sailing! Stuck with an unfavorable breeze? Whip out the Wind Waker, play the Wind’s Requiem, and instantly shift the wind’s direction to fill your sails. You’ll need to be outdoors for this to work, naturally. It’s the song you’ll conduct countless times as you explore the vast Great Sea.
- Unearth Hidden Treasures: Keep an eye out for distinct, glowing tiles on the ground across various islands. Stand upon one, play the Wind’s Requiem, and watch as a hidden treasure chest triumphantly emerges from the earth!
- A Word on the Swift Sail (HD Version): If you’re playing The Wind Waker HD, you’ll eventually get the Swift Sail, which offers perpetual wind and increased speed, making the Wind’s Requiem less critical for basic sailing. However, don’t hang up your baton just yet! It’s still essential for solving numerous puzzles (like giving Medli a helpful gust to reach high ledges in Dragon Roost Cavern) and, of course, for uncovering those valuable hidden chests.
2. Ballad of Gales: Ride the Cyclone Express!
Melody (4/4 Time): Down, Right, Left, Up
How to Get It: Once you’ve snagged the Hero’s Bow from the Tower of the Gods, the Great Sea holds a new, blustery challenge. You’ll start noticing massive cyclones tearing across the waves. These aren’t just weather phenomena; they’re the domain of Cyclos, a somewhat grumpy, frog-like wind deity. Sail into one of his cyclones (often spotted near Mother & Child Isles, Northern Triangle Island, or Shark Island), take aim with your bow, and land three arrows on Cyclos as he zips around. Impressed (or perhaps just tired of being a pincushion), he’ll teach you this incredibly useful melody.
Unleash the Power:
- Instant Transmission Across the Waves: This is your fast-travel system! Playing the Ballad of Gales allows you to instantly warp to any island currently marked by one of Cyclos’s special cyclones. The nine warp points include:
- Dragon Roost Island
- Forest Haven
- Tower of the Gods (once risen)
- Forgotten Fortress
- Mother & Child Isles
- Windfall Island
- Outset Island
- Greatfish Isle (after events there)
- Headstone Island (HD version) or Tingle Island (GameCube version) – Note: The exact warp locations can have slight variations or specific names based on version, but their utility is universal.
- Accessing the Fairy Queen: Crucially, the Ballad of Gales is your only ticket into the seemingly impenetrable Mother & Child Isles. You’ll need to warp there to meet the Great Fairy and receive the vital Fire & Ice Arrows, indispensable tools for later dungeons.
3. Command Melody: Master of Puppets (and Allies!)
Melody (4/4 Time): Left, Neutral, Right, Neutral
How to Get It: Deep within the enigmatic Tower of the Gods, after demonstrating your worth by manipulating the tower’s mechanisms and correctly positioning a specific statue, a path will open to a chamber containing another ancient stone tablet. This is where you’ll learn the Command Melody.
Unleash the Power:
- Animate the Inanimate: This song gives you the extraordinary ability to take temporary control of certain statues. You’ll find yourself guiding these stone servants onto switches or into specific positions to solve the intricate puzzles that guard the Tower of the Gods’ secrets.
- Guide Your Companions: Its power extends beyond mere statues! The Command Melody is absolutely vital for progressing through the Earth Temple with Medli and the Wind Temple with Makar.
- With Medli: Take control of the Rito girl to fly her to distant ledges, have her use her harp to reflect beams of light onto mystical switches or dispel cursed fog, and even help her escape the terrifying clutches of Floormasters if they grab her!
- With Makar: Command the little Korok to fly up to high places Link can’t reach, plant seeds in special patches of earth to sprout trees that act as platforms or trigger mechanisms, and navigate small openings.
- Dungeon Keystone: Entire sections of the Earth and Wind Temples are built around this mechanic. You’ll be switching between Link and his allies frequently, using their unique skills in tandem to overcome obstacles.
4. Earth God’s Lyric: Awaken the Sage of Earth
Melody (6/4 Time): Down, Down, Neutral, Right, Left, Neutral
How to Get It: Your quest for this ancient song leads you to Headstone Island, but its secrets are barred. First, you must obtain the Power Bracelets (found within Fire Mountain, accessible after dousing its flames with Ice Arrows). With this newfound strength, return to Headstone Island, lift the colossal, intricately carved stone head blocking a cave entrance, and venture inside. A solemn, sacred chamber houses the stone tablet bearing this resonant melody, a legacy of the Zora.
Unleash the Power:
- Summon a Lost Spirit: Playing the Earth God’s Lyric for the first time at the tablet summons the lingering spirit of Laruto, the Zora sage who previously offered her prayers in the Earth Temple. She reveals her tragic fate and the need for a successor.
- Awaken the New Sage: This song is the key to awakening Medli, the attendant to the dragon Valoo, to her true destiny as the new Sage of Earth. You must bring her to Headstone Island and play the Lyric for her.
- Break Ancient Seals: Within the Earth Temple, giant stone barriers inscribed with musical notations will block your path. By conducting the Earth God’s Lyric, with Medli playing her harp in unison, you can shatter these seals and delve deeper into the temple’s dark recesses.
- Empower the Master Sword: After conquering the Earth Temple’s boss and Medli takes her place as Sage, she and Laruto will perform a sacred ritual with Link, using the Earth God’s Lyric to restore a portion of the Master Sword’s lost power to repel evil. This is a pivotal moment in restoring the blade to its full glory!
5. Wind God’s Aria: Stir the Sage of Wind
Melody (6/4 Time): Up, Up, Down, Right, Left, Right
How to Get It: Your next sacred song lies hidden within Gale Isle, an island perpetually buffeted by fierce winds. To even approach the entrance, you’ll need the Iron Boots (found in Ice Ring Isle, accessible with Fire Arrows) to withstand the gale. Once at the cave’s mouth, use the Skull Hammer (from the Forbidden Woods) to smash the massive, wind-generating stone idol. Inside, another hallowed chamber and a stone tablet await, ready to teach you this breezy, powerful tune, a melody once carried by the Kokiri.
Unleash the Power:
- Converse with the Past: Playing the Wind God’s Aria at this tablet calls forth the spirit of Fado, the Kokiri sage of wind who met a similar fate to Laruto. He’ll implore Link to find his successor.
- Awaken the New Sage: This melody is destined to awaken Makar, the small Korok musician, to his sacred duty as the new Sage of Wind. Find him in the Forest Haven (often behind a waterfall, follow his music!) and play the Aria for him.
- Destroy Mystical Barriers: Like in the Earth Temple, the Wind Temple features imposing stone tablets emblazoned with musical scores. Link must conduct the Wind God’s Aria, with Makar playing his violin, to shatter these obstacles and navigate the temple’s airy heights.
- Fully Restore the Master Sword: Upon defeating the Wind Temple’s guardian and Makar embracing his role as Sage, he and Fado will join Link in a final ceremony. The Wind God’s Aria will resonate, imbuing the Master Sword with its complete, legendary power to strike down evil – a truly epic moment!
6. Song of Passing: The Flow of Time in Your Hands
Melody (3/4 Time): Right, Left, Down
How to Get It: This is the only song not directly tied to the main quest progression, making it entirely optional but incredibly handy! Head to Windfall Island and look for Tott, an eccentric, Elvis-esque gentleman dancing atop a cliff near the Bomb Shop. He’s trying to remember a magical tune. Equip your Wind Waker and show it to him. Inspired by your instrument, he’ll recall the steps and melody, teaching you the Song of Passing.
Unleash the Power:
- Day to Night, Night to Day: Its effect is beautifully simple: playing the Song of Passing instantly changes the time from day to night, or from night to day. No more tedious waiting for the sun to set or rise!
- A Hero’s Convenience: While you can beat the game without it, the Song of Passing is a massive quality-of-life improvement. Many side quests and events are time-sensitive:
- Nintendo Gallery: Crucial for completing your figurine collection, as many characters only appear at specific times of day for you to snap their pictograph.
- Ghost Ships: These spectral vessels, laden with treasure (and Triforce Charts in the original!), only materialize under the cloak of night.
- Windfall Events: Certain shops might have different stock, or specific characters might only be available for interactions during the day or night.
- Familiar Echoes: For veteran Zelda fans, its function will immediately bring to mind the Sun’s Song from Ocarina of Time, offering a similar control over the day/night cycle.
Master these six melodies, and the Great Sea will truly open up to you, hero! Each song is a vital tool in your arsenal, weaving magic and music together to pave your way to victory.
