Instruments of the Legend of Zelda Series


 * ''For a complete list of instruments in the Zelda series, see Category:Instruments.

Throughtout the Legend of Zelda series, there are numerous instruments used to make music. Some of these serve important purposes, while others are simply for entertainment.

Woodwind Instruments
The most frequently occurring and most notable woodwind instrument in the Zelda series is the Ocarina. This includes the Bone Ocarina, the Fairy Ocarina, the Ocarina of Wind and most importantly, the Ocarina of Time. Of these, only the Fairy Ocarina and the Ocarina of Time are actually played note by note under Link's control, using the four C-Buttons and the A Button.

Other woodwind instruments include various Flutes, such as the Recorder, the Strange Flute and the Spirit Flute (also known as the Spirit Pipes). Once again, only the Spirit Flute can be played note by note, using the touch screen and microphone of the Nintendo DS. Carben and Rael also play a flute and an oboe respectively.

The Horse Call and the Grass Whistles from maybe also be considered woodwind instruments, as well as the Howling Stones and Sound Stones, though it is Wolf Link's vocals that are played in the case of the former.

Brass Instruments
The Pipes of Awakening from Majora's Mask is a multi-belled horn. It is a transformation of the Ocarina of Time, activated when Link dons the Deku Mask. In Twilight Princess, the Skull Kid uses a strange four-bell horn to summon his Puppets. Skull Kid's horn is very similar to the Pipes of Awakening, both instruments being multi-belled horns, but the Pipes of Awakening has one more bell than Skull Kid's horn.

String Instruments
There are many string instruments which feature in the Zelda series, many of which play a major role in the quest.

The first to appear was Sheik's Harp, which he used to teach Link warping songs.

The Guitar of Waves is also a string instrument, but again, it is simply a transformation of the Ocarina of Time, activated when Link dons the Zora Mask. Japas is also the bass player of The Indigo-Gos.

The Harp of Ages was next to come, which was the first string instrument to be played by Link. There are three possible songs to be played on it, all of which allow Link to travel through time in a similar way to the Ocarina of Time. The Sea Ukulele, another string instrument in Oracle of Ages, is one of the final objects of the game's Trading Sequence. It is never seen in use, however.

Later, during the events of, two string instruments were wielded by the Sages of Earth and Wind. The first was Medli's Harp which resembles a golden lyre, while the second was Makar's Violin, which resembles a cello crafted from a large leaf, due to Makar's size.

In Spirit Tracks, Gage plays a cello, and Steem plays a pipa.

Most recently was the appearance of the Goddess's Harp in SS undefined, which was first owned by Zelda as a descendant of the Goddess, Hylia. However, Link did eventually claim it and used it to play various songs which would open the gates to the Silent Realms. It is played by swinging the Wii Remote in time with a tempo or beat, using the Wii Motion Plus's added precision motion-sensing controls. This harp is supposedly the same harp that Sheik used later on during.

Percussion Instruments
The only percussion instrument playable in the Zelda series are the Drums of Sleep, though these are a transformation of the Ocarina of Time activated when Link dons the Goron Mask. However, various Gongs are seen throughout the series, including within the Swordsman's School. Link can strike these with his sword and they will sound one note. Likewise, Tijo and Evan from The Indigo-Go's play a drumkit and piano, respectively, and the Happy Mask Salesman teaches Link the Song of Healing on a piano.

In Spirit Tracks, Embrose plays a timpani.

Other Instruments
The Eight Instruments of the Sirens are musical instruments obtained from each dungeon in and used to awaken the Wind Fish. They span multiple music families and include a cello, a bell, and a marimba, among others.

The Wind Waker, although not an instrument, is treated as one in the game of the same name; when used, musical notes play according to the direction the Wind Waker is pointed at. It can control the direction of the wind, as well as the passage of day and night and can even summon cyclones to carry Link around the Great Sea.

In Majora's Mask, there is the Music Box House, a building which contains a giant version of a normal music box's mechanism, which is powered by a waterwheel.

Finally, vocals play a part in a few games, most prominently Wolf Link's Howl in Twilight Princess, which can mimic the sounds of the Grass Whistles and Howling Stones. Fi also appears to sing along to the notes of the Goddess Harp each time Link plays a song.