Recorder

The recorder, also known as the whistle, is an item that appears in The Legend of Zelda. The recorder is located on the basement floor of the Lizard labyrinth in the First Quest, or Level-2 during the Second Quest.

From the overworld, Link can use the recorder to summon a whirlwind, which warps him to the entrance of a completed labyrinth. If Link plays the recorder while facing north or east, he is taken to the next completed labyrinth in order. If Link blows the recorder while facing west or south, he is taken to the previous labyrinth in order. Link cannot warp to unfinished labyrinths, even if they are completed out of order. Even during the Second Quest, Link warps to where the labyrinths were found during the original quest.

The recorder can reveal hidden areas on the overworld. In a certain screen, Link must play the recorder to reveal a hidden entrance to the Demon labyrinth. For the Second Quest, the recorder can reveal the hidden entrance into Level-6 and hidden caves. If Link was cursed by a Bubble, he can play the recorder to remove it instantly. The recorder is required during the boss battle against Digdogger, causing it to split into three smaller versions of itself.

The Legend of Zelda

 * Manual bio (page 24): "A really mysterious, magical item. Use it and it'll amaze you with what it can do."

Trivia

 * The recorder and the theme for playing it is also in Super Mario Bros. 3, where it is named the Magic Whistle. If Mario or Luigi play it, a whirlwind takes them to the Warp Zone, where they can warp to a later world.
 * The recorder's theme is interpolated in the main title theme of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
 * In The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, the same theme plays when Link uses the Ocarina of Wind.