To learn Saria’s Song in the Ocarina of Time remake, go through the Lost Woods to the Sacred Forest Meadow as young Link, after you have met Princess Zelda, and talk to Saria at the top of the meadow. She plays the song for you, and you play it back: R, A, Y, R, A, Y on the remake’s ocarina.
You cannot skip it. Darunia, the leader of the Gorons, refuses to help until you play it for him, and his help is the only way into Dodongo’s Cavern. Below is when to go, two routes through the woods, what waits in the meadow, the notes on the Switch 2 controls, and everything else the song does.
When to Go
Go after you have met Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle; our guide to sneaking into Hyrule Castle covers that visit. In story order, the trip comes right after your first visit to Goron City, when Darunia turns you away. By then the melody drifting through the Lost Woods, Saria’s Song itself, is playing to lead you to her.
You already know Saria. She is the Kokiri girl who gives Link the Fairy Ocarina on the bridge out of Kokiri Forest, as our guide to getting the ocarina covers. In the remake she speaks, voiced by Suzie Yeung; our voice cast guide has the rest of the cast.
How to Reach Saria
From Kokiri Forest. The Lost Woods start in a tunnel on a raised ledge above the village. Inside, follow the music: at each clearing it grows louder toward the right exit, and any wrong exit puts you back at the entrance. In the 1998 layout the turns are right, left, right, left, straight, left, right. Our Lost Woods guide has the clearing-by-clearing table.
From Goron City. If Darunia has just turned you away, you do not have to walk all the way back around. A tunnel on the level above Goron City’s bottom floor leads straight into the Lost Woods once you blast its boulders open; from there the turns are left, left, straight, left, right. Our guide to the Goron City shortcut shows how to open it with a Deku Stick.
Through the Sacred Forest Meadow
The woods open onto the meadow, and young Link has two obstacles between the entrance and Saria.
- Beat the Wolfos at the gate. It shows up as you approach the way in. Lock on with ZL, block its swipes with your shield and hit back right after it attacks. Once it is beaten, the gate opens.
- Get through the hedge maze. Deku Scrubs pop up along the paths and spit Deku Nuts at you. Hold your shield up facing them and the nuts bounce back, which knocks them out. Our shield guide covers blocking and reflecting with ZL.
- Climb the stairs at the far end. Saria is waiting at the top of the meadow.
Step by Step: Learn Saria’s Song
- Walk up to Saria. Getting close starts the scene.
- Listen while she plays. She teaches you the melody she has been playing through the woods.
- Play it back when the note staff appears. Press R, A, Y, R, A, Y.
- Check your songbook. The song is now saved, and ZL on the ocarina screen shows its notes any time you forget them.
Our save guide is worth a look before you head back; the meadow is a long walk from anywhere else.
How to Play Saria’s Song
| What you want | Button |
|---|---|
| Bring out the ocarina | Left on the D-pad |
| Play Saria’s Song | R, A, Y, R, A, Y |
| Check the notes of a learned song | ZL (Check songbook) |
| Put the ocarina away | B (Cancel) |
The remake puts the ocarina’s five notes on L, R, Y, X and A, so the Nintendo 64’s C buttons no longer apply: the old C-Down, C-Right, C-Left pattern is now R, A, Y. The inputs above are for the Normal setting of Swap Ocarina-Playing Controls in Options. If you would rather hum it into the console’s microphone, the tune is the same: the notes F, A, B, played twice.
What Saria’s Song Is For
- Darunia. Play it in his room on Goron City’s bottom floor. The music cheers him up, and he gives you the Goron’s Bracelet, which lets young Link pick up the Bomb Flowers that open Dodongo’s Cavern. Our Death Mountain guide covers the way to his door, and our bomb guide covers the cavern.
- The Skull Kid on the stump. Take the first left from the Lost Woods entrance and play the song for the Skull Kid there for a Piece of Heart. It is one of the 36 in our Heart Piece guide.
- Talking to Saria. Play the song almost anywhere and Saria answers through the ocarina with a hint about what to do next, handy if you have lost the thread. Threads of Time keeps a written record of your goals as well.
- Mido. As adult Link, Mido blocks the way through the Lost Woods to the meadow and the Forest Temple. Play him Saria’s Song and he steps aside.
- The frogs on Zora’s River. It is one of the songs they want to hear on the way to their second Heart Piece. Our Zora’s Domain guide covers the frogs.
Saria and Adult Link
Seven years later, Mido guards the route through the woods, and the meadow leads on to the Forest Temple. In the 1998 game Saria was no longer waiting at the top of the meadow by then, and her part of the story picked up again in the temple; nothing we have confirmed says the remake changes that. Keep the song on hand for Mido, and our 1998 Forest Temple guide covers how that trip worked in the original.
Every remake guide is on our Zelda hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you learn Saria’s Song in the Ocarina of Time remake? From Saria, at the top of the Sacred Forest Meadow past the Lost Woods, as young Link.
What are the notes for Saria’s Song on Switch 2? R, A, Y, R, A, Y on the Normal ocarina controls.
When can you learn Saria’s Song? After you have met Princess Zelda at Hyrule Castle. In story order it comes after Darunia turns you away in Goron City.
Why won’t Darunia help me? He wants to hear Saria’s Song. Play it in his room and he gives you the Goron’s Bracelet.
Can you miss Saria’s Song? No. Dodongo’s Cavern stays shut without it, so the story cannot move on until you learn it.
Where is Saria as adult Link? In the 1998 game she was gone from the meadow by then, and her story continued in the Forest Temple beyond it. Mido guards the way through the woods, and Saria’s Song gets you past him.