Start with the gift, not the shop
Spawn in Songkeeper's Grove and talk to Leo. He is near spawn, marked for a new player, and the quest is Getting Started! Choose the option that accepts the gift. The Wooden Lute goes to your hotbar. Equip it before you hunt for a shop. The lute is free so you can learn the catch with no Chimes.
On PC, the talk prompt is E. On mobile, tap the prompt. The backpack is G on PC and a tap prompt on mobile.
Land one catch and return
Play the lute near a Scroom. Clear the timing prompt, match the frequency slider, then drag the creature so it stays inside the catch zone until the bar fills. The quest asks for a successful catch, not a finished Grove Index.
Return to Leo and finish the conversation. The launch tutorial lists the turn-in as 1,350 XP and 125 Chimes. That reward is separate from money you later get by selling the creature.
| Step | What you do | You are done when |
|---|---|---|
| Gift | Accept the lute and equip it | The starter instrument is in use |
| Catch | Tune, then fill the catch bar | A capture registers |
| Return | Talk to Leo | The quest reward is claimed |
Sell, buy, then equip
The tutorial next sends you to the merchant. Julian's wooden stall is the seller in the opening walkthrough. Talk to him, choose Sell Held for the creature in your hands or Sell Inventory for the pack, read the quote, and confirm with Deal! One early Bluebell was quoted at 62 Chimes. That is an example appraisal, not a price for every species.
The same opening route offers the Tamer's Guitar for 100 Chimes. With the 125-Chime quest reward, that purchase leaves 25 Chimes if you have not spent anything else. A sale can change the balance, so read the counter before you pay.
Owning the guitar is not the same as using it. Open the Equipment Bag, open Instruments, select the guitar, press Equip, and close the bag. Then talk to Leo again if the objective still says to equip it. Do not buy a second copy.
A different stall guide names Jane, at a treble-clef counter beside the red houses, as the person who sells the guitar, the tambourine, and the violin. If your prompt says Jane, use that counter. The 100 / 750 / 4,500 Chime prices are the launch counter readings. Older previews that said 200 or 2,000 do not match those cards.
Leave the Grove only after the guitar is on
Leo's next pointer is Halden, for The Next Step and the Ocarina. Make one more ordinary catch with the equipped guitar first if the controls still feel new. The full statue route is in the Ocarina guide.
Use the Chimes shortfall calculator if you want to check a later price against your balance. It will not tell you what the next catch is worth.