The very soul of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker is encapsulated in its titular conducting baton, the Wind Waker. This magical instrument is Link’s key to manipulating the very forces of nature and reality, allowing him to play one of six distinct Wind Waker songs, each with profound effects. From altering the direction of the wind to gaining control over certain NPCs and even enabling rapid travel across the Great Sea, the Wind Waker is an indispensable tool for any hero.
Acquiring the Wind Waker is a natural progression of the main story, bestowed upon Link at a pivotal moment in his journey. This comprehensive guide will detail precisely how to obtain the Wind Waker, explain its mechanics, and provide the locations and requirements for learning all six essential Wind Waker songs in Zelda: The Wind Waker.
How To Get & Use The Wind Waker
The Wind Waker isn’t a hidden item; it’s a gift central to Link’s destiny and will be given to you as you advance through the early stages of the game.
- Notes: You must tilt the Right Control Stick in specific directions (Up, Down, Left, Right) to perform the corresponding notes in time with the on-screen metronome.
- Time Signatures: The Left Control Stick is used to enter different time signatures, which is crucial for playing songs with four or six notes:
- No left stick movement: This is the default 3/4 time signature (for three-note songs).
- Tilt left on the left stick: This activates the 4/4 time signature (for four-note songs).
- Tilt right on the left stick: This activates the 6/4 time signature (for six-note songs).
How To Get & Play Every Wind Waker Song
Each Wind Waker song plays a vital role in exploration, puzzle-solving, and traversal across the Great Sea. Here’s a breakdown of all six songs, their effects, notes, and how to acquire them.
1. Wind’s Requiem
- Time Signature: 3/4 (default)
- Notes: ↑, ←, →
- Effect: The Wind’s Requiem allows Link to control the direction of the wind. You can choose between eight directions: the four cardinal directions (North, South, East, West) and the four in-between diagonals (Northwest, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest).
- Importance: This song is incredibly important for two main reasons:
- Ocean Navigation: It makes ocean travel significantly faster and more efficient, allowing you to set the wind to your desired direction of travel.
- Outdoor Area Influence: It’s essential for influencing wind direction in specific outdoor areas, often required for using items like the Deku Leaf to glide across gaps or reach high platforms. For example, when heading to the Forbidden Woods after Forest Haven, you will have to use the Wind’s Requiem and the Deku Leaf to get across large stretches of the Great Ocean without falling into the water below.
- How to Get: To learn the Wind’s Requiem, Link must go to the back of Dragon Roost Island and interact with a gravestone located there. Upon inspection, you will be visited by Zephos, a kindly God of the Wind, who will impart this crucial song to you.
2. Ballad of Gales
- Time Signature: 4/4 (← on left stick)
- Notes: ↓, →, ←, ↑
- Effect: The Ballad of Gales is arguably one of the most useful Wind Waker songs in Zelda: The Wind Waker because it serves as the game’s Fast Travel system. When you play this song while sailing on the ocean, you will be able to choose one of nine designated Fast Travel tiles across the Great Ocean.
- Importance: While you can’t fast travel to any location in the game, this song significantly cuts down on travel time between key islands and regions, making exploration much more convenient.
- How to Get: Unlocking this song requires a confrontation with Cyclos, a kind of rogue spirit responsible for creating tornadoes and cyclones across the Great Sea. After you learn the Wind’s Requiem song, Zephos will tell you about his brother, Cyclos, and ask you to stop his chaotic behavior.
- To find Cyclos, head towards the Forsaken Fortress and search the sea tiles surrounding it until you spot a large, active tornado.
- Allow yourself to get sucked into the whirlpool created by the tornado.
- Once airborne within the tornado, quickly use your Bow to shoot Cyclos (the small cyclops creature) out of the sky before you get sucked underwater.
- Upon being hit, Cyclos will descend and, somewhat grudgingly, teach you the Ballad of Gales.
3. Song of Passing
- Time Signature: 3/4 (default)
- Notes: →, ←, ↓
- Effect: The Song of Passing is a straightforward three-note song that allows you to instantly change the time between night and day.
- Importance: This is a useful song for various situations, such as creating the right conditions to get the elusive Ghost Ship to spawn (which only appears on specific nights). While not strictly required to beat the game, it’s a convenient utility for time-based events or simply to brighten up the often gloomy night, as it were.
- How to Get: To learn the Song of Passing, you must travel to Windfall Island. Look for a dancer at the top of the overlook near Tingle’s cell, opposite the Bomb Shop and up the hill from the mailbox. Engage in conversation with the dancer, and as he performs his quirky dance moves, he will impart the Song of Passing to you.
4. Command Melody
- Time Signature: 4/4 (← on left stick)
- Notes: ←, (None), →, (None)
- Effect: The Command Melody is one of several Wind Waker songs that are specifically useful in certain story moments or dungeons. It allows Link to take control of certain companion characters to solve puzzles.
- Importance: This song is crucial for progression within the Earth Temple and the Wind Temple, where Link teams up with Medli and Makar, respectively. You must use the Command Melody to possess and control your companion to complete specific puzzles and mechanisms within these dungeons. It is also used for a handful of puzzles in the Tower of the Gods. Aside from these specific dungeon mechanics, there isn’t much other use for this song, important as it is for those particular sections.
- How to Get: You will learn the Command Melody as a natural part of your progression through the Tower of the Gods, which is the third major dungeon in the game. You unlock this dungeon after collecting all three of the Goddess Pearls from the Forest Haven, Dragon Roost Island, and Jabun on Outset Island. The song is usually taught to Link by the statue at the beginning of the dungeon, signifying his ability to command the gods.
5. Earth God’s Lyric
- Time Signature: 6/4 (→ on left stick)
- Notes: ↓, ↓, (None), →, ←, (None)
- Effect: The Earth God’s Lyric is one of two songs whose primary purpose is to help Link gain access to and progress through a specific dungeon. It is used to access the Earth Temple, awaken the Sage within Medli, and, at the conclusion of the dungeon, to restore some power to the Master Sword. You will have to play this song multiple times throughout the Earth Temple to advance.
- How to Get: The Earth God’s Lyric is unlocked after you gain initial entry to the Earth Temple on Headstone Island. You must first use the Power Bracelets (obtained previously) to lift the large stone head out of the way of the temple entrance. Once inside the initial chamber, you will find this song inscribed on a giant stone tablet. After learning the song, you’ll need to return with Medli (the Rito attendant from Dragon Roost Island), play the song for her, and then play it together with her at the temple’s true entrance to gain full access to the Earth Temple.
6. Wind God’s Aria
- Time Signature: 6/4 (→ on left stick)
- Notes: ↑, ↑, ↓, →, ←, →
- Effect: Like the Earth God’s Lyric, the Wind God’s Aria is specifically designed for a single dungeon: the Wind Temple. Playing this song is necessary to access the Wind Temple, awaken the Sage within Makar (the Korok from Forest Haven), and restore the Master Sword’s power even further at the end of the dungeon. You will need to play this song several times throughout the Wind Temple to break specific stone tablets and progress.
- How to Get: Similar to the Earth God’s Lyric, you will learn this song the first time you gain initial access to the Wind Temple on Gale Island. You must possess the Iron Boots (obtained previously) to get past the powerful gust of wind blocking the first room. After learning this song from the giant tablet inside, you’ll need to return with Makar, play the song for him, then go back to Gale Island and play it in unison with Makar to gain full entrance to the Wind Temple.
Mastering the Wind Waker and its six magical melodies is fundamental to Link’s journey in The Wind Waker, providing him with unparalleled control over his environment and the means to overcome even the most daunting obstacles.
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch 2Developer(s): Nintendo EADPublisher(s):Nintendoage rating (PEGI): +7
