You’re standing in the rain. Zora’s River is rushing past, and five colorful, expectant frogs are staring at you from a log. If you played The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time back on the N64—or even the 3DS remake—you know exactly what comes next. It’s the Ocarina of Time frog song quest, a sequence that is equal parts charming, rhythmic, and, if we’re being honest, kind of a massive pain in the neck.
Most people remember the big stuff in Hyrule. They remember the Water Temple’s frustration or the sheer terror of a ReDead scream. But the frogs? They’re a specific kind of "completionist" hurdle. It’s a side quest that demands more than just a quick button press; it requires a memory for music and a lot of backtracking. You aren't just playing a song for them. You're performing.
Why Do These Frogs Even Matter?
Honestly, you could beat Ganon without ever looking at these amphibians. But you’d be missing out on two Heart Pieces. In a game where health is the difference between surviving a Twinrova blast and seeing the Game Over screen, those two quarters of a heart are gold.
The Fabulous Five Froggish Tenors—yes, that is basically what they are—live in the Zora’s River area. You find them on a log right before you reach the entrance to Zora’s Domain. To get them to react, you have to stand on a specific gray pedestal in the water and pull out your Ocarina.
The First Step: The Non-Teleporting Melodies
First off, don't expect them to just give you the loot. You have to earn it. The initial phase of the Ocarina of Time frog song side quest involves playing the five "standard" songs you learn throughout the game.
- Zelda’s Lullaby
- Epona’s Song
- Saria’s Song
- Sun’s Song
- Song of Time
Notice something? The teleportation songs don't work here. If you try to play the Minuet of Forest or the Bolero of Fire, the frogs just sit there. They want the classics. Every time you play one of these five songs, a specific frog will grow in size and reward you with a Purple Rupee (worth 50). Once you’ve played all five, they’ll cough up the first Piece of Heart. It sounds easy, but you have to actually have all those songs first, which means you can’t really finish this until at least the midpoint of your Child Link adventures.
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The Real Challenge: The Song of Storms
This is where things get tricky. There’s a sixth song. The Song of Storms.
If you play the Song of Storms for the frogs, they don't just grow. They get excited. It triggers a whole different interaction. Doing this is the prerequisite for the actual "rhythm game" portion of the quest. This is where most players get stuck or frustrated because the timing is surprisingly tight for a game released in 1998.
Once you’ve played the Song of Storms, the frogs decide they want to eat. Specifically, they want to eat butterflies that appear over their heads. Each frog corresponds to a specific button on your controller (the C-buttons and the A button).
Mastering the Butterfly Mini-Game
This is the Ocarina of Time frog song "final boss," if you will. The frogs will pop up in a specific order, and you have to hit the corresponding button immediately. If you’re too slow, you start over. If you hit the wrong frog, you start over.
The sequence is always the same, but it's fast.
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- A (Blue Frog)
- C-Left (Pink Frog)
- C-Right (Yellow Frog)
- C-Down (Green Frog)
- C-Up (White Frog)
Wait. That's just the order of the buttons. The actual "song" they make you play is a chaotic, 14-note sprint. It looks like this: A, C-Left, C-Right, C-Down, C-Up, C-Left, C-Right, A, C-Up, C-Left, C-Right, C-Down, A.
Actually, let's be real: trying to memorize that while looking at a screen is a nightmare. Most of us just ended up scribbling the letters on a piece of notebook paper and taping it to the bottom of the TV. If you're playing on the 3DS version, the buttons are different (X, Y, R, L), which adds a whole new layer of muscle memory confusion for those of us raised on the three-pronged N64 controller.
The Logistics of the Zora’s River Run
One thing people forget is how annoying it is to get to the log. You can't just warp to Zora’s River. You usually warp to Zora’s Domain and walk out, or you trek from Hyrule Field.
Pro tip: Use the chickens. There’s a Cucco near the entrance of the river. If you grab it, you can float across the gaps and reach the frog log much faster than trying to navigate the narrow ledges and the Octoroks shooting rocks at your head.
Why Does This Quest Feel So Different?
Most Zelda quests are about "Go here, kill this, bring back that." The Ocarina of Time frog song is purely about observation and rhythm. It feels like a precursor to the rhythm-based mechanics we’d see later in games like The Wind Waker or even Skyward Sword.
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It’s also one of the few times Link acts as a literal conductor. You aren't just casting a spell; you're participating in a musical performance with NPCs that aren't even human. It adds to the "fairytale" vibe of the Zora region. Zoras are often portrayed as elegant and musical, so it makes sense that the wildlife in their backyard would be equally gifted.
Common Misconceptions and Failures
I’ve seen people try to do this as Adult Link. You can’t. The frogs aren't there—or rather, they don't respond the same way. This is strictly a Child Link endeavor. If you’ve already pulled the Master Sword and become the Hero of Time, you’ll need to head back to the Temple of Time, drop the sword back in the pedestal, and revert to your 10-year-old self to get these heart pieces.
Another thing: people think the rewards are random. They aren't.
- 5 Standard Songs = 1 Piece of Heart.
- Song of Storms + Bug Catching Game = 1 Piece of Heart.
If you already have both, the frogs will just give you rupees. It’s a decent way to farm money if you’re desperate, but by the time you’re good enough to beat the bug game, you probably have better ways to fill your wallet.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Playthrough
To save yourself the headache, follow this exact workflow when you reach the river.
- Wait until you have the Song of Storms. Don't bother doing the first half of the quest and then leaving. It's a waste of travel time. Get the song from the angry guy in the Kakariko Windmill first.
- Bring a Cucco. Grab the one at the start of the river path. It makes reaching the frog pedestal trivial.
- Play the 5 non-teleport songs first. Do Zelda’s Lullaby, Epona’s Song, Saria’s Song, Sun’s Song, and the Song of Time. Collect your first Heart Piece.
- Play the Song of Storms. This "wakes up" the mini-game.
- Prepare for the Bug Game. If you are on N64, keep your thumb over the C-buttons. If you're on 3DS, look at the touch screen if you need to, but try to memorize the "circle" of the frogs.
- The "Cheat" Method. If your rhythm is terrible, record the screen with your phone as they show you the pattern, then play it back in slow motion. There’s no shame in it.
- Complete the 14-note sequence. Once you hit that final A-button (or the 3DS equivalent), the big frog will toss you the final Heart Piece.
By knocking this out all at once, you avoid the tedious trek through Zora’s River multiple times. It’s one of the most satisfying "Check!" marks on a 100% completion list. Just remember to breathe; the frogs aren't judging your tempo, only your accuracy.