Should I get a 6 or 12 hole ocarina?

6-hole Ocarinas are usually the easiest to hold, so they may seem the easiest to play. However, the finger-combinations are actually slightly more complicated than the fingerings for 12-hole ocarinas. Also, 12-hole ocarinas provide a greater melodic range, allowing you to play more notes.

How many holes is best for ocarina?

A 4-hole ocarina is sufficient for Book 1 and Book 2, and for many of the tunes in Carols and Songs of Praise. If your children are older, are very musical, or want to progress to Book 3 and Book 4, then the thumb-holes of the 6-hole ocarina are useful for the extra notes.

Should I start with a 6-hole ocarina?

Plastic and ceramic ocarinas

Many players start with the 6-hole ocarina and just keep thumb-holes covered for their first 30 tunes in Books 1 and 2. We recommend 4-hole ocarinas for younger children and for whole class music lessons, where thumb-holes are not needed.

What type of ocarina is best for beginners?

One thing you may want to consider when choosing your first ocarina is what material to look for. Ocarinas can be found made from a number of different materials including ceramic, plastic and wood. Plastic ocarinas are generally beginner-grade instruments.

How many notes can a 6-hole ocarina play?

These are helpful for Book 3 and recommended for Book 4, where the 6-hole Ocarina enables you to play tricky chromatic melodies over the full extended range of 16 notes.

Ocarinas: Transverse or Pendant?

How many notes can a 12 hole ocarina play?

This whimsical 12-hole ocarina is accurately tuned in the key C Major with a pitch range of 13 notes so you can enjoy performing sharps and flats. This ocarina is made from high-grade ceramic and measures approximately 5 inches long.

Is a 12 hole ocarina chromatic?

This C Major tenor ocarina is fully chromatic with a pitch range of A4-F6. In addition to being the best sounding ocarina on the market, it is a visually stunning work of art.

How expensive is a good ocarina?

The high-quality ceramic ocarinas are generally expensive but the wood ocarinas are cheaper. The ocarinas reviewed above range from $30 to $130 meaning there is one for everyone.

Does the shape of an ocarina matter?

The physical shape of an ocarina must serve two functions: it must work acoustically and it must be ergonomic. While ocarinas will make a sound in many shapes, the ergonomic demands make the majority of these unplayable, or at least not optimal.

What pitch is a 12 hole ocarina?

It measures approximately 7.5 inches long and has been accurately tuned in C Major with a pitch range of 13 notes that allows you to perform sharps and flats.

What is the easiest ocarina to play?

The most popular pitch of ocarinas for a beginner is Alto C.

Alto C is a top choice for beginning ocarina players because it is easy to play. The size and weight make of an alto C ocarina make it easy to handle, and this size ocarina has the most comfortable hole spacing.

What songs can you play on a 6 hole ocarina?

Does hole placement matter on ocarina?

This means that, unlike a transverse flute or recorder, sound is created by resonance of the entire cavity and the placement of the holes on an ocarina is largely irrelevant – their size is the most important factor.

Why does my ocarina sound so bad?

The most common reason an ocarina will sound out of tune is limited player skill. An ocarina's pitch changes greatly with blowing pressure. Consequently, blowing too hard or soft will push the pitch sharp or flat. Each note will only sound in tune at one pressure; the lowest notes need the least and highest the most.

Should I wash my ocarina?

Ceramic ocarinas should be cleaned by wiping them over with water on a lint-free cloth. Never use alcohol based cleaners on shellac finished ocarinas as they will damage the finish.

What is the best brand of ocarinas?

What are the benefits of playing the ocarina?

Is an ocarina loud?

The ocarina's pitch is highly unstable

You can end up with the high notes flat relative to the low notes, for instance. Because ocarinas are loud, they are not forgiving of tuning errors, especially when playing with other musicians.

Are ocarinas fragile?

Ceramic ocarinas are pretty fragile and should be transported carefully. The travel option for a clay ocarina is to have a solid instrumental case. Second best is to have it wrapped in a protective layer of bubble wrap or soft padding in a solid box.

What songs can you play on a 12 hole ocarina?

What is the most common ocarina?

There are two main systems of ocarina build – the Taylor system (with 4-6 holes) and the sweet potato system where ocarina has 10 holes. Also, ocarinas can differ in shape and size but two of the most common shapes are sweet potato and pendant.