To get the Scarecrow Song in the Ocarina of Time remake, go to Lake Hylia as young Link and play the scarecrow Bonooru an eight-note tune you make up yourself. Come back as adult Link, play him the same tune, and it joins your songbook as the Scarecrow’s Song.
Because you compose it, there are no set notes to look up, which is why this one catches people out seven years of game time later. Below is exactly what to do at each age, how to pick a tune you will remember, and where the song is worth using.
Where the Scarecrows Are
Two scarecrows stand on the shore of Lake Hylia, south of Hyrule Field. Bonooru is the one you want: he is the scarecrow who memorizes your tune. Pierre, the other one, is the scarecrow you will summon later. Threads of Time shows where you are in the story if you lose track on the way.
You can reach the lake as soon as you can leave Kokiri Forest. If you are coming from Zora’s Domain, the underwater tunnel on the way to Princess Ruto’s letter comes out at the same lake.
Step 1: Play Him a Tune as Young Link
- Walk up to Bonooru and talk to him until he asks you for a song.
- Bring out the ocarina with left on the D-pad. Our ocarina guide covers getting it.
- Play eight notes on L, R, Y, X and A, in any order you like. Use at least two different notes: one note repeated will not count, and neither will a song the game already knows.
- Let him memorize it. He asks you to come back with something fresh whenever you compose a new song.
Step 2: Play It Back as Adult Link
- Become adult Link with the Master Sword at the Temple of Time.
- Return to Lake Hylia. Pierre is gone, but Bonooru is still on the shore.
- Play exactly the same notes in front of him.
- Check your songbook. The Scarecrow’s Song is now in it.
The lake is drained in the adult era until you finish the Water Temple, but the scarecrow is there either way. If you never played him anything as a child, go back to young Link through the Temple of Time and start from Step 1.
How to Pick a Tune You Will Remember
- Keep it simple. Two alternating notes are enough: R, A, R, A, R, A, R, A works, and you will not forget it.
- Make it yours and write it down. You are playing this again much later in the game, and possibly again and again across dungeons. A note on your phone, or a Switch 2 screenshot of the notes on screen, saves a lot of grief.
- Use the buttons for this one. Nintendo says mic input only recognizes songs you have already learned, so the tune you compose for Bonooru has to go in on the buttons. Our microphone ocarina guide covers what the mic can do.
How to Use the Scarecrow’s Song
Only adult Link can use it. Play the song and Pierre appears as a target you can reach with the Hookshot or Longshot, which lets you get to spots that have no other grapple point.
The trick is knowing where. In the 1998 game Navi flew to the spot and turned green. Nintendo has not listed the remake’s spots, so the table below follows the original game’s. In the remake the spot itself is marked (look for swirling straw where Pierre can appear), so stand near it and play the song.
| Where | What it gets you |
|---|---|
| Lake Hylia pier, before the water returns | A quick test: Hookshot Pierre over to the Fishing Pond |
| Sacred Forest Meadow and the Forest Temple | The first swirl, and a Gold Skulltula in the temple |
| Lakeside Laboratory roof | A Piece of Heart |
| The highest roof at Gerudo Fortress | A chest with a Piece of Heart |
| Water Temple | Another grapple point on the way through |
| Shadow Temple | Another grapple point on the way through |
| Spirit Temple | A Gold Skulltula |
| Gerudo Proving Grounds | The upper floor in the lava statue room |
Both Pieces of Heart are in our Heart Piece guide, and our Gold Skulltula guide notes which tokens need the song.
When to Do It
Do Step 1 as early as you can, since it takes a minute on any trip past the lake. Do Step 2 as soon as you become an adult, ideally before the Fire Temple, so you never have to backtrack for it. It is not required to finish the story, but some collectibles are out of reach without it. Our guide to every ocarina song covers the rest of the songbook, and every remake guide is on our Zelda hub.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you get the Scarecrow Song in the Ocarina of Time remake? At Lake Hylia. Play a tune for Bonooru, the lower scarecrow, as young Link, then play it back to him as adult Link.
How many notes is the Scarecrow Song? Eight, in any order you choose, using at least two different notes.
What are the notes? There are none to look up. It is whatever you played for Bonooru as young Link.
What if I forgot my tune? Go back to young Link and play Bonooru a fresh one, then play that one back to him as an adult.
Can young Link use the Scarecrow’s Song? No. Only adult Link can summon Pierre with it, and you need the Hookshot or Longshot to reach him.
Is the Scarecrow’s Song required? No, but two Pieces of Heart and some Gold Skulltulas need it.