Classical pieces can sound out of reach on a small instrument, but many of the best known ones are carried by a single tune that fits an ocarina well. Each tab on this page is that tune: the melody line from the most recognisable part of the piece, such as the main theme of Für Elise, the trio of Pomp and Circumstance or the finale of the William Tell Overture. The ocarina plays one note at a time, so the harmony and accompaniment are left out.
There are 29 pieces, from Bach and Handel through Mozart and Beethoven to Scott Joplin. Some are among the easiest tabs in the library. Ode to Joy moves almost entirely by step, and apart from one low D it uses only the five notes from G up to D, which is why it is a standard first piece on many instruments. Others take more work: Rondo alla Turca and the Can-Can are fast, and Air on the G String and Chopin's Nocturne in E-flat use long phrases that test your breath.
The list starts with the easiest pieces, then groups the rest by period. Most tabs are written for a 12-hole Alto C and three for an Alto F; every one can be shown for C or F, 6-hole, 4-hole or double, and each has a play button so you can hear how the melody should go.
Easiest first
Six good first pieces: small range, few sharps or flats, few big leaps.
Hornpipe (Water Music) by George Frideric Handel. Easy: 55 notes, D4 to D5, no sharps or flats, 1 big leap.
Ode to Joy by Ludwig van Beethoven. Easy: 62 notes, D4 to D5, no sharps or flats, 1 big leap.