Ocarina Club Booklet

The

Ocarina Club

 Soong  S ngboo book k Coeur d’Alene Public Library

Contents What is an Ocarina? Parts of the Ocarina Ocarina Scale Playing the Ocarina Advanced Techniques Songs CD Tracklist When the Saints Go Marching In O Susanna Kookaburra Land of the Silver Birch OcTalk! OcTalk! Theme Zelda’s Lullaby Concerning Hobbits May It Be Top of the World

Ocarina Guide Ocarina Makers Ocarinas Online

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2 4 5 6 8 10 11 12 13 15 16 18 20 21 23 26 28 31 35

 Wha  Whatt is is an Ocarina Ocarina? ? An ancient instrument The ocarina is a small vessel flute with a sweet, bird-like sound. It is one of the oldest musical instruments in the world.  Archeologists have have found evidence evidence of ocarinas dating back at least ten thousand  years! Almost Almost every culture invented and played their own ocarinas, usually making them out of the same clay that they used to make jugs and cups and bowls and plates. Some ocarinas had only a few holes and could only play a few notes. Some were more complex — one ancient ocarina found by archeologists had three chambers and could play seventeen notes. Often ocarinas were made to look like birds or animals. Some, like the ancient Chinese xun which is still popular today, were plain and round. But they were all ocarinas.

The little goose In 1852 an Italian teenager named Guiseppe Donati created the first modern ocarina, which could play one full chromatic scale. A scale scale is a set of eight notes. When you sing “do, re, mi . . .” you are singing a full scale. Chromatic  means  means that the ocarina could play sharps and flats, which are the notes between the main notes of a scale. This allowed the ocarina to become almost as versatile as a concert instrument. All that it lacked was range: with only eight notes, the ocarina could play only simple songs. But it was much easier to play than a typical concert instrument, and so it became very popular. It was in Italy that the word “ocarina” was first applied to the instrument. It means “little goose,” in reference to the ocarina’s unusual shape. In the United States the ocarina was called a “sweet potato” for the same reason. In both world wars plastic or bakelite ocarinas were given to U.S. servicemen to boost moral. In the second half of the twentieth century, though, the popularity of the ocarina declined. People played recorders instead, because recorders had more range.

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The ocarina today Today the ocarina is enjoying a resurgence in popularity. The release of the Nintendo game The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time , which features an ocarina as an important game item, introduced millions of people to the instrument and prompted thousands to look for one to play.  As a result, this this previously little-known little-known and rare instrument became much in demand, so much so that tiny companies which produced them, mostly in Asia, were able to expand their selection, and individuals like Darryn Songbird were able to start companies to sell their own designs.  As part of the the new popularity popularity of the ocarina, double and triple ocarinas, which were invented in the middle of the twentieth century and have greater range, are also popular. People who master the basic ten or twelvehole ocarina quickly step up to the versatility offered by the extended-range extended-range ocarinas. Today, the ocarina is even played in concert with orchestras. The ocarina is not a toy but a versatile, professional instrument. But it is as fun as a toy! That’s because it is easy to learn and rewarding to play. The ocarina is not an instrument that fights the student. It takes very little time to learn to produce great sounds and simple songs with the ocarina. Even if it seems hard at first, stick with it! It will soon become easier. easier. Just follow the first rule of ocarina playing: have fun! 

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 Par  P arts ts of of the ocarina Finger holes

Subholes

Mouthpiece Thumb holes

Fipple hole

4

The Ocarina Scale Low subhole notes

Ignore these until you have mastered the main octave

Main octave (eight notes)

These are the most-used notes. Playing these notes is like singing “Do re mi fa sol la ti do.”

Extra, higher notes

These are used for songs that require more range.

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 Playing  Playing the Ocarina Ocarina The first rule The first rule of playing the ocarina is: have fun!  This  This is not one of those stuffy concert instruments (though (though you could play it i t in a concert). No one is going to force you to practice, or read notes, or play in recitals. Your ocarina should be something you play because you enjoy it — and if you give even a little bit of time to the ocarina, you will  enjoy  enjoy it. Keep it around, play it when you are bored, or waiting for something, or just for kicks. Experiment with it. Play the songs in this book, or songs you find at The Ocarina Network on the internet, or make up your own. Be relaxed, and don’t worry if it doesn’t sound perfect at first. Have fun, and you’ll be playing well before you know it.

Holding the ocarina Hold the ocarina with the fingers of your left hand pointing towards you and the fingers of your right hand pointing away from you. On the top of the ocarina are eight holes (plus two tiny subholes). On the bottom of the ocarina are three holes. Cover the top holes with four fingers from each hand. (Leave the subholes open.) Cover the two outside holes on the bottom with your thumbs. Leave the middle hole on the bottom open: it is the fipple hole, where the sound is generated by air (your breath) passing over a thin edge. With the ocarina held this way, blow steadily into the mouthpiece. The sound that comes out should be a perfect C note (listen to the first track on the CD — if your note sounds like that, you got it right). If you get an unsteady note, or your note is too high, you probably do not have all the holes completely covered. Until you get used to the feel of the ocarina, it is i s important to check often to make sure that all the holes are totally covered. Don’t be discouraged if this is hard at first. It becomes natural very quickly.

Playing the scale See the fingering chart on page 5. From the first note in the scale (all fingers down), simply raise one finger at a time in a row, starting with your right pinky. Keep your left pinky down, though — when you come to it, skip it and lift your left ring finger instead. When you get to the thumbs, lift your left thumb first and then your right. Finally, Finally, for the very last note, lift your left pinky.

Hitting the high notes (the acute bend) Most ocarinas, especially those in the alto range and the key of C, require the

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acute bend to play the high notes with clarity. Without this technique, high notes

sound airy and indistinct. The acute bend is easy and quickly becomes second nature. As you reach the high notes, tilt your head down and pull the ocarina towards your body, leaving only about three sound airy and indistinct. The acute bend is easy and quickly becomes second nature. As you reach the high notes, tilt your head down and pull the ocarina towards your body, leaving only about three or four inches between the fipple (where the sound is created) and your chest. This creates a buffer for the air, increasing pressure in the ocarina and reducing airiness. Some high quality ocarinas, especially doubles and triples (which move the highest notes to a separate sound chamber) do not require the acute bend. However, even high quality ocarinas often do, especially single-chambered (10 or 12 hole) alto C ocarinas. It’s simply a part of the physics of ocarina sound.

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 Are you ready ready to move forward forward to advanced advanced techniques? techniques? These These techniques techniques can make playing your ocarina more rewarding and fun, but they can be hard, so don’t try them unless you are already comfortable with your ocarina. Remember Remember the first rule: have fun! If these techniques make you frustrated, don’t worry. You might want to wait a while longer l onger before trying them. Don’t expect to become an expert immediately. But if you are ready, these techniques will make your playing better and your ocarina sound nicer.

Breathing Like all woodwind instruments, the ocarina relies on the player’s breath to create its sound. This is a good thing because players can naturally and easily add expressiveness and dynamics to the music simply by varying how they blow. Unfortunately, it also means that you can’t play an ocarina continuously without running out of breath. Developing good breath control will help you hold longer notes longer, know when to take a breath so as not to interrupt the music (and play longer passages before each breath), and control your playing to maintain pitch and to show expressiveness. 1. Stand up straight! Your body breathes by expanding expanding and contracting your lungs with a big muscle called the diaphragm. If you are bent over or slouching, your body does not have as much space to contract this muscle and expand your lungs. A straight posture will help your lungs get the most breath and operate with the least work. 2. Breathe with your your stomach first, then then your chest. This This takes practice. Look at your body when you breathe. If you see your stomach rise when you breathe in, you are breathing with your stomach. Practice taking the deepest breath you can with your stomach until it rises all the, and then breathe in even more to expand your chest as well. Then, let the air out in a smooth, continuous stream — not in one gasping rush! Practice this while playing the ocarina. Play one note and time how long you can hold it before you have to stop. With practice, your time will get longer and longer!

Vibrato: Warming Warming the Sound The ocarina has a very straight, pure sound — but this is not always pleasant! You may have noticed people rubbing their ears when you play. This is probably

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not because you were playing too loud, though they may have said you were. It is more likely because the tone of the ocarina can sometimes be very cold and penetrating, penetrating, creating an unpleasant feeling in the ears. Since it is a vessel flute and not an open flute, the ocarina has very few overtones. Overtones are extra sounds around the pitch of a note. Open flutes have many overtones because of the way sound is produced in their open pipes. This allows them to overblow to get more notes, which is something the ocarina can’t do (however, (however, it also causes them to be very sensitive to breath pressure: you have to blow just right ri ght or the flute will squeak, gasp, or shriek!). The presence of these extra tones and extra color around the notes gives these flutes a very textured, breathy, and warm sound. Without these overtones the ocarina can sound cold and dead. To make the ocarina sound more pleasant, it is possible to warm and soften the sound by using vibrato. vibrato. Vibrato is a slight wavering around the pitch the  pitch of a note. If you’ve ever heard an opera singer, you probably have a good idea what vibrato is — too much vibrato, in fact! We don’t want to warble. But adding a little vibrato will break up the straight sound of the ocarina and make it less penetrating. It will cause the ocarina to sound sweeter, warmer, and more alive. To add vibrato to your playing you want to vary the speed and pressure of your breath slightly. There are many ways to do this, and each ocarinist is different. An easy way to get an idea of vibrato is to laugh silently into your ocarina when you blow. blow. This will produce a wavering sound. Now the trick is to control the sound so there is just the right amount of waver and the pitch is steady. The best way to learn vibrato is to listen to people playing with vibrato and then try to do it yourself. Listen to professional ocarinists like Sojiro and Satoshi Osawa and Paolo Gavelli (you can find videos by searching for their names on Yourube). Many Youtube ocarinists, like Kissing88 and DocJazz, also have excellent vibrato. Or listen to the sound samples on the Mountain Ocarinas web site (http://www.mountainsocarina.com/listen.htm). Listen to the slight wavering on the long notes. That is vibrato. Now, try to replicate the sound yourself, playing long, single notes on the ocarina. Don’t worry if it sounds weird at first, too fast or jumpy. It takes time and practice to get right. When you can produce some vibrato, try adding it to a song. Use it on the longer notes. For slower songs vibrato can add sweetness, softness, and emotion. Gradually you will get a feel for how much vibrato you like, and how often you like to use it in a song.  And, of course: course: have fun! fun!

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 So  Songs How to use this section The songs in this section are in tablature (tabs), a type of easy, visual sheet music. Just follow the pictures: a black hole means that hole should be covered by your finger, and a white hole means it should be open.  At the top of each page page are the track numbers numbers for each song. If you go to these tracks on the CD you will hear two versions of the song, one with an ocarina playing (called “Demonstration” and the other with the ocarina removed so you can play the song (called “Backtrack”). Listen to the ocarina first so you can get a feel for the rhythm (beat) and timing of the song. Try to play along with it. Don’t worry if you don’t get it right at first. When you are ready, practice playing the song along with the backtrack. Most of all, have fun!

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CD Tracklist 1. C note note and scale scale 2. When the Saints Saints Go Marchin Marching g In (Demonstrati (Demonstration) on) 3. When the Saints Saints Go Marchin Marching g In (Backtrack) (Backtrack) 4. O Susann Susanna a (Demon (Demonstrat stration) ion) 5. O Susann Susanna a (Backtr (Backtrack ack)) 6. Kookaburra Kookaburra (Demonstra (Demonstration) tion) 7. Kookaburra Kookaburra (Backtrack (Backtrack)) 8. Land of the the Silver Silver Birch Birch (Demonstrat (Demonstration) ion) 9. Land of the the Silver Silver Birch Birch (Backtrack (Backtrack)) 10. OcTalk! Theme (Demonstration) 11. OcTalk! Theme (Backtrack) 12. Zelda’s Lullaby (Demonstration) 13. Zelda’s Lullaby (Backtrack) 14. Concerning Hobbits (Demonstration) 15. Concerning Hobbits (Backtrack) 16. May It Be (Demonstration) 17. May It Be (Backtrack) 18. Top of the World (Demonstration) 19. Top of the World (Backtrack)

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When the Saints Go Marching In Traditional

2, 3

Oh

when

the

saints

Go

march-

-ing

in,

Oh

when

the

saints

go

Oh

how

I

long

to

Oh

when

the

saints

go

march- -ing

be

12

in,

in

that

march- -ing

in.

num-

-ber,

O Susanna Stephen Foster 

4, 5

Oh

I

come

from

my

ban-

-jo

on

my

knee.

Now

I’m

goin’

to

Lou-

-i-

love

for

to

see.

My

true

O

Su-

san-

na,

Oh

don’t

you

cry

Al-

for

-a-

me.

13

-ba-

-ma

with

-si-

-an-

-a,

For

my

I

ban-

come

from

Al-

-a-

-jo

on

my

knee.

14

-ba-

-ma

with

Kookaburra Marion Sinclair 

6, 7

Koo-

-ka-

-bur-

-ra

sits

in

-ing

all

the

mon-

-keys

Stop!

Koo-

-ka-

-bur-

-ra,

Stop!

Koo-

-ka-

-bur-

-ra,

mon-

-key,

that’s

me!

the

old

gum

tree-

he

can

see-

-ee.

  -ee,

Chas-

That’s

no

15

Land of the Silver Birch Traditional

8, 9

Land

of

the

sil-

-ver

Home

of

the

bea-

-ver,

Where

still

the

mightmight-

-y

moose

Blue

lake

and

rock-

-y

shore,

I

will

re-

-turn

once

more.

Boom

de

de

boom

boom

16

birch,

wan-

-ders

at

will.

Boom

de

de

boom

boom

Boom

de

de

boom

boom

17

boom

OcTalk! OcTalk! Theme Theme David Ramos (aka DocJazz4)

10, 11

18

Repeat

19

Zelda’s Lullaby Koji Kondo The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Wait . . .

Repeat

20

Concerning Hobbits 14, 15

Howard Shore The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Wait . . .

Wait . . .

21

22

May It Be Enya The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

16, 17

May

it

Shines down

May

it

be

an

eve-

-ning

up-

-o-

-on

you

be

when

dark-

-ness

star 

falls falls

Your

heart

will

be-

-e

true

You-

-ou

walk

a

lone-

-ly

road

Oh

how

far

you-

-ou

are

from

23

home

Mor-

-ni-

-e

u-

-tú-

-li-

-ë-

-ë-

-ë-

-ë

Bel-

-lieve

and

you

wi-

-ill

find

your

way

Mo-

-or-

-ni-

-e

a-

-lan-

-ti-

-ë- ë-

-ë-

-ë-

prom-

-ise

lives

wi-

-i-

-ith-

-in

you

now

-ë

A

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Top of the World The Carpenters

18, 19

 

Such

a

feel-

-lin’s -lin’s

com-

-in‘

ov-

-er

me.

There

is

won-

-der

in

‘most

ev’-

-ry-

-thing

I

see.

Not

a

cloud

in

the

sky,

got

the

sun

in

my

eyes,

and

I

won’t

be

sur-

a

dream.

25

-prised

if

it’s it’s

 

Ev’-

-ry-

-thing

I

want

the

world

to

be

is

now

com-

-ing

true

esp-

-ec-

-ial-

-ly

-on

is

clear,

it’s it’s

be-

-cause

-est

thing

to

hea-

-ven

that

for

me.

And

the

reas-

you

are

here.

You’re

the

near-

I’ve

seen.

26

 

And

I’m

down

on

-pla-

-na-

Is

the

been

a-

of

the

on

top

of

the

cre-

-a-

-tion

and

-tion

I

can

find

love

that

I’ve

-round.

Your

love’s

world.

27

wor-

-ld

look-

-in’

the

on-

-ly

ex-

found

e-

-ver

put

me

at

since you’ve

the

top

Ocarina Guide A bewildering variety! Unlike most instruments, which have one standard shape, the ocarina is a very individualized instrument, instrument, with a wide range of styles, materials, and shapes to choose from. Ocarinas come in everything from factory-pressed plastic to handmade, kiln-fired clay, from single to double or even triple chambers, from transverse to inline to pendant. This means that you can find the perfect ocarina for your budget and preference, but it also means that it can be hard to decide which ocarina is best for you! This section will help you make sense of it all.

Materials Clay

Ocarinas are traditionally made out of clay. Clay provides a beautiful, smooth, smooth, mellow sound for an ocarina. It also gives a beautiful look. Different Different kinds of glazes are used to give the clay different colors and textures, from bright pastels to the dark, strawfired look of professional Focalink ocarinas. Clay does have its downsides, though. though. It is more expensive than plastic, since clay instruments cannot be churned out of a factory. A high level of quality control is necessary to be sure that each clay ocarina is in tune before it is sold. Also, Also, clay is heavier than plastic, and while clay ocarinas are pretty tough, they can shatter if dropped on a hard surface. Still, most ocarina players prefer clay for its beautiful sound and professional professional look. Plastic

Plastic ocarinas are much cheaper than clay ocarinas. However, they do not usually sound as good as clay ocarinas, and they tend to look more like toys than like real instruments. Plastic ocarinas are lightweight, almost indestructible, and great for carrying around and playing in unusual locations. Wood

Wood ocarinas are rare. They must usually be handmade by someone with very good woodworking skills, so they are some of the most expensive ocarinas in the world. Wood ocarinas have a very soft, mellow, organic sound. Wood ocarinas must be carefully cared for, since moisture and temperature have a much greater effect on wood than they do on plastic or clay.

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Styles Ocarina style refers to the way an ocarina looks and is held. Style is largely a matter of preference and comfort. Usually players who start on the transverse style do not like the inline style, and vice versa. Transverse

The style of ocarina featured in this book is a sweet potato transverse ocarina. Transverse means that you hold the ocarina with your hands sideways to your face. Inline

Inline ocarinas are held with your hands held in front of your face as if you were drinking from a bottle. Your fingers are in a line with your mouth. Pendant

Pendant ocarinas are held like inline ocarinas, but feature fewer holes and are meant to be worn around the neck. Pendant style ocarinas feature a very different kind of fingering and limited range, and are less popular, though it can be fun to wear a playable decoration.

Singles, doubles, triples, oh my! Single

Single ocarinas have one sound chamber. There is a limit to how many notes can be fit into i nto a single sound chamber. chamber. Early sweet potato ocarinas had eight holes: one for each note in an octave. Later ocarinas had ten and twelve holes. Twelve holes is the most that a single-chambered ocarina can play. Ten of those holes are normal holes, allowing the ocarina to play one full octave plus a few notes. The last two holes are subholes, tiny holes placed next to larger holes. Subholes are usually left open and, when covered, allow the ocarina to play up to two notes below  its  its starting note. Twelve hole ocarinas can play much more than eight or ten hole ocarinas, but they still have a much smaller range than a typical concert instrument. Double

Double ocarinas add a second sound chamber (and so a second mouth hole) to the ocarina. It is two ocarinas in one! When the ocarina player needs more notes, he simply moves his right hand over to the second chamber, slides

29

the mouthpiece over so he is blowing into the second hole, and keeps playing. Double ocarinas look complicated, but if you can play a single you can play a double. All it takes is a little practice and it becomes second nature. nature. Double ocarinas are able to play many, many more songs than single ocarinas, and since they move the highest notes of a single ocarina to the bottom of their second chamber they also tend to sound less airy. Double ocarinas are often played in concert! Triple

Triple ocarinas have three chambers! They can play pretty much anything. The high notes on their third chamber can get quite shrill, however. Triple ocarinas are by far the most versatile ocarina out there, but most people don’t need all those notes. Triples are also the most expensive kind of ocarina. Really serious ocarina enthusiasts — and, of course, professionals — like triples.

Voice ranges Ocarinas are usually available in three main voice ranges: soprano, alto, and bass (though some companies use different terms, such as tenor instead of alto). Sopranos are small, high ocarinas with a crisp and clear cl ear sound. Altos Altos have a more mellow, midrange tone. Basses are low and haunting, but can be indistinct.  Alto is the most most popular tone. tone. Sopranos Sopranos tend to be the cheapest cheapest ocarinas, ocarinas, since they are smaller. smaller. Basses can get very big and very expensive.

Keys The key of an ocarina is its starting note when playing a regular do-re-mi octave (set of eight notes). Ocarina key is not important when the ocarina is playing by itself, but if you want to play with other instruments or backtracks it can be hard if the keys of each instrument do not match. C is the most popular key for ocarinas. For advanced players or those familiar with music theory, ocarinas are chromatic , that is, they can play sharps and flats and so can play in other keys than the one they are tuned to. However, However, this can very quickly cause range limitations, since the ocarina’s range is dictated by its key, and changing keys changes the starting note location on the ocarina and so the number of high or low notes that can be played in that key. If you are not sure what this means, don’t worry. Get an ocarina in C, and you should be able to play along with most instruments.

30

Ocarina Makers Focalink http://www.focalink.com.tw Focalink is a small Taiwanese company that makes high quality clay and plastic ocarinas. Focalink is known for their stringent quality control and for the friendliness of the owner, Zack Shih, who is always happy to respond directly to questions from ocarina enthusiasts. Focalink’s ocarinas are usually made of straw-fired clay with a rich, dark glaze. The company offers a wide variety of ocarinas, from novelty pendants in fun shapes to clay singles, doubles, and triples in soprano, alto, and bass. The Focalink double alto C is one of the most popular ocarinas, known its beautiful tone, great playing range, and reasonable price compared to other clay doubles. Focalink also makes two plastic ocarinas, a soprano and an alto, which despite not looking nearly as professional as their clay offerings offerings are generally considered to be the highest quality plastic ocarinas in the world, better than many clay ocarinas. The Focalink plastic alto C is highly recommended recommended as a step-up instrument for ocarina players who want a perfectly-tuned twelve-hole ocarina but cannot Focalink Double Alto C — one of the afford clay or a double ocarina. world’s most popular ocarinas

Focalink ocarinas should be considered by anyone looking for affordable, affordable, very high quality ocarinas. The ratio of cost to quality of Focalink ocarinas is unmatched by any other company.

Focalink Plastic Alto C

31

Mountain http://www.mountainsocarina.com Mountain Ocarinas is an American company founded by Karl Ahrens Ahrens to sell his own unique ocarina design: a tiny soprano inline. This ocarina has a high tone with what Mr. Ahrens calls “bite,” a tone which he prefers to the more usual, mellow ocarina sound. The Mountain Ocarina is nimble and shrill, good for playing fast Irish jigs and other such songs. It is also designed to be portable and almost indestructible. It can be worn around the neck or slipped into a pocket like a pendant ocarina, but has a range comparable to a twelve hole sweet potato. It Mountain Hardwood G is available in plastic or in more professional-looking hardwood or warmstone. At this point Mountain ocarinas only come in soprano and with a single chamber, though Mr. Ahrens has plans for a double sometime in the future. If you want something very portable with a shrill, carrying, nimble sound, the Mountain Ocarina is a great choice.

Spencer http://www.spencersocarinas.com On the other end of the spectrum from Mountain Ocarinas are Spencer Ocarinas. These are clay transverse ocarinas which have a smooth, mellow tone that tries to avoid being shrill. Their designer, Spencer Register, hand-makes each and every every ocarina himself. Spencer ocarinas have a reputation for being very high quality, and so they are expensive, rare, and always in high demand. The most popular Spencer ocarina is his Zelda replica. It is probably the most beautiful looking and sounding Zelda ocarina in the world.

Spencer Zelda Replica

32

St. Louis Ocarinas http://www.stlocarina.com St. Louis Ocarinas (often known as STL) is an  American company company that has become popular through the Youtube videos which the company puts out regularly. They sell clay and plastic ocarinas. One of STL’s claims to fame is their quadruple ocarina, an ocarina with four chambers, which will set you back an unbelievable $1,099. Another STL first is the plastic triple ocarina, which has the distinction of being the cheapest triple ocarina available (though it looks, feels, and sounds like a cheap plastic ocarina). STL does has some nice offerings, including a Zelda replica, and their newer model ocarinas like the purple clay double are highly regarded. STL also sells the Ocarevolution line of ocarinas. These ocarinas are designed by by an American who goes by the name of Ocarevolution on The Ocarina Network forums. Ocarevolution’s Ocarevolution’s ocarinas are quite beautiful. They are also innovative. The highlight is the MaxRange Double, Double, a double ocarina that can play almost as many notes as a triple ocarina. It provides the most range for the least expense of any clay ocarina.

Ocarevolution MaxRange Double

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Songbird http://www.songbirdocarina.com Songbird (named after its owner, Darryn Songbird) is an American company. It is the authorized  American reseller reseller of Focalink ocarinas ocarinas in the United States (you can save a few bucks on shipping by ordering from Songbird). But don’t ignore Songbird’s own offerings, which range from a very nice clay Zelda replica to the Muse, an ocarina which looks as beautiful as it sounds. Songbird ocarinas are always a good choice. (Just be careful not to accidentally order a pendant: some of their pendant ocarinas look like sweet potatoes, but aren’t. Count the holes before you order.)

The Muse

Songbird Zelda Replica

Others There are many other ocarina makers, from Asian companies like Noble to Charlie Hind’s handcrafted wooden ocarinas and even the original Budrio-style ocarinas still sold in Italy. Take a spin around the internet or visit the Ocarina Makers pages on The Ocarina Network to learn more.

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Ocarinas Online The Ocarina Network http://theocarinanetwork.com The Ocarina Network (often just called TON) is an internet discussion board by and for ocarina enthusiasts. After registering a username (for free), you can view and take part in hundreds of discussions. This is the number one resource for ocarinas on the internet. It includes reviews of ocarinas, discussions about all the different ocarina makers, videos, and tabs galore! On galore! On the whole, the members of TON  are friendly and always happy to help new players.

Youtube http://www.youtube.com Ocarina players post videos on Youtube all the time. There are ocarina reviews, performances, and of course DocJazz’s excellent OcTalk! series. Here are some of the best Youtube users to look for. DocJazz4 http://www.youtube.com/user/docjazz4

An easy-going easy-going guy who plays plays amazingly well and owns a zillion ocarinas, DocJazz is very well known on Youtube. Not only are his performances always enjoyable, but he also puts out a series of great videos called OcTalk! which discuss everything from the kinds of ocarinas to music theory to playing techniques. DocJazz also runs a website, http://octalk.net,, which is loaded http://octalk.net l oaded with ocarina goodies. Kissing88 http://www.youtube.com/user/kissing88

An amazing ocarina player living in Australia. He may own more ocarinas than DocJazz. He also plays the ukelele. His videos are astonishing for the sheer virtuosity (playing ability) he displays. He also also gives very thorough ocarina ocarina reviews. Kissing88 is one of one of the founding members members of The Ocarina Network. Heita3 http://www.youtube.com/user/heita3

This zany Japanese man makes ocarinas out of vegetables! If anyone follows the first rule of ocarina playing (have fun!), it’s him!

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Tab Makers If you have figured out a song or made one up yourself, you can share it with other ocarina players (or set it down so you can remember it) by making tabs like li ke the ones in this book. STL Tab Maker http://site.stlocarina.com/fc/12holeCMajor.html

Say what you will about the quality qua lity of STL’s ocarinas, they have a great tab maker on their website. Go to the address above and click on “keyboard composer.” Athalas’ Tab Maker http://tabs.justinsteward.com/tabmaker/ 

This tab maker makes tabs for a variety of kinds of ocarinas. The tabs used in in this songbook are based on Myung’s tabs from this tab maker.

Listen to the Ocarina It’s almost as fun to listen to the ocarina as it is to play it! Sojiro http://sojiro.net/english/ 

Sojiro is a professional ocarinist from Japan. He has released dozens of CDs. Listen to samples on iTunes iTune s by searching for “Sojiro.” Hyrule Symphony http://www.zeldauniverse.net/music/zelda-soundtracks/hyrulesymphony/ 

For all you Zelda fans, this CD contains songs from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which is the game that made ocarinas popular again. While the songs in the game itself  were  were low-quality MIDI files, on this CD they are played by a string orchestra and a real rea l ocarina. Nancy Rumbel http://www.tingstadrumbel.com/ 

Nancy Rumbel has been playing the ocarina professionally for decades (long before it became popular p opular again). She often plays often  plays a unique wooden harmony ocarina, an ocarina with two chambers meant to be played at the same time, which does not extend range like a normal double ocarina but allows the ocarinist to play chords and harmonies. She recently put out a CD with her music partner, Tingstad, Tingstad, dedicated entirely to ocarina music. In fact, that’s what it’s called: Ocarina Music. Look for it on iTunes. St. Louis Ocarina Trio http://www.stlocarina.com/ancientcd.html

Sure, the STL Trio is really there to there  to sell STL ocarinas, but they are very good. They also have a CD out on iTunes. STL Ocarina Radio http://www.stlocarina.com/stlocarinaradio.html

 An internet radio station that that plays  plays amateur and professional ocarina music. music .

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