The ocarina is an unusual wind instrument that comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Despite how different they look, the ocarina and a tape recorder make somewhat similar sounds. You may know the ocarina as an instrument through fans of Nintendo's Zelda games. However, as an instrument, the ocarina is a fun and easy way to play with a melody.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Buying an Ocarina for Beginners
Step 1. Buy your ocarina online
Because it is an unusual instrument, you will have trouble finding an ocarina in a music store. With a little research you will find many online retailers that sell what you are looking for, from Amazon to retailers that specialize in high-quality ocarinas.
- Do not spend all your money if you are just learning to play this instrument. A price of $ 20 or $ 60 should give you the perfect instrument to start with.
- If you find that you love your new hobby and want to invest in an instrument, quality ocarinas can cost up to $ 500.
Step 2. Choose a tone range
Ocarinas don't cover a wide range of sound like a piano does, so it's important to choose an ocarina that plays the tone you want. In descending order from highest to lowest pitch range, you can find soprano, alto, tenor, and bass ocarinas.
The higher the range, the smaller the instrument, so keep that in mind when choosing your instrument
Step 3. Choose an ocarina style that suits your skill level
A four-hole or six-hole ocarina is the best style to learn as they are generally inexpensive, lightweight, and produce a wide range of notes with ease and with very few finger patterns.
- A four-hole ocarina can produce a basic eight-note scale.
- A six-hole ocarina can produce a basic scale as well as semitones.
Step 4. Avoid Peruvian and plastic ocarinas
Peruvian ocarinas have beautiful styling and details, so you might be tempted to buy one just for its looks. However, they are usually made from cheap materials and don't sound very good as a result. They have a more decorative use than for musical purposes. Plastic ocarinas, while cheap and attractive, are often very "light" and not tuned correctly.
Method 2 of 3: Play a Four-Hole Ocarina
Step 1. Find a user manual
Ocarinas sometimes come with an instrument box or other instructions on how to play the instrument. If so, study the chart to see which holes you need to cover to produce a specific note.
Follow the instructions in the next step if your ocarina did not have a user manual
Step 2. Mark and memorize the holes
You can produce a wide range of sounds by covering and releasing the different combinations of the four holes with your fingers. For this reason, you should make sure you have a marking system that helps you remember which combinations make certain sounds.
- Place the mouthpiece of the ocarina in your mouth as if you were playing and look at the positioning of the holes from this perspective.
- In your mind, mark the upper left hole with "1", the upper right with "2", the lower left with "" and the lower right hole with the number "4".
- Record the hole positions on your head so that you can easily read the instructions on how to play scales.
- An "x" will be used to symbolize an open hole, which means that you should not cover that hole with your finger.
- For example, a middle note is represented as 1 2 3 4. This means that you must cover all four holes with your index finger and middle finger as you blow through the mouthpiece.
- The notes a and re, on the other hand, are represented as 1 X 3 4. This means that all holes must be covered except for hole 2, which is the upper right hole.
Step 3. Learn the basic scales
Study them slowly at first and try to memorize the finger patterns you need to create the note progression. Don't worry about speed just yet, just memorize how to play a scale. Use the following pattern to work the scales:
- Middle C: 1 2 3 4
- Re: 1 X 3 4
- Mi: 1 2 3 X
- Fa: 1 X 3 X
- F # (Solb): X 2 3 4
- Sun: X X 3 4
- Sun # (Lab): X 2 3 X
- A: X X 3 X
- A # (Bb): X X X 4
- Yes: X 2 X X
- C: XXXX
Step 4. Practice the scales
The best thing you can do to become a skilled ocarina musician is to be able to raise and lower your scales. There are two things you will need to focus on while practicing: one is memorizing the notes produced by your finger patterns, and the other is speed. The better you are at those two things, the more you'll be able to truly enjoy the music you play.
- A C scale progresses as follows: do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-si-do.
- Practice it going up (ascent) and going down (descent). This is the basis for many pieces that you will play.
Step 5. Get familiar with the musical notes
Everyone knows what musical notes look like, but you may still be far from being able to decode them into a song. Even though many people take classes with professional teachers to learn musical notes, you can find many places online where you can learn to read music for free. Once you can read music, you will be able to play melodies from your favorite songs with your ocarina.
You can find sheet music for your favorite songs by buying books or searching online
Method 3 of 3: Play a Six-Hole Ocarina
Step 1. Find a user manual
As mentioned above, it is best to refer to the instructions for a particular instrument rather than to refer to general instructions. Study the chart to see which holes you must cover to produce a certain note.
Step 2. Mark and memorize the holes
As with a four-hole ocarina, the only way you will be successful playing this instrument is to memorize how to produce a specific note. You will need a marking system, but this time with six holes.
- Place the mouthpiece of the ocarina in your mouth as if you were playing and look at the positioning of the holes from this perspective.
- In your mind, mark the upper left hole with "1", the upper right with "2", the lower left with "" and the lower right hole with the number "4".
- Then imagine the holes at the bottom of the instrument, which can be covered with your fingers. Mark the one on the left with "5" and the one on the right with "6."
- Record the hole positions on your head so that you can easily read the instructions on how to play scales.
- An "x" will be used to symbolize an open hole, which means that you should not cover that hole with your finger.
Step 3. Practice your basic scales
Although the six-hole ocarina has two additional holes on the back, it uses the same basic system that a four-hole ocarina has. The significant difference is that you need to cover the two back holes while following the same pattern in the top four holes to produce the notes of the four hole instrument. Use the following pattern to work the scales:
- Middle C: 1 2 3 4 5 6
- Re: 1 X 3 4 5 6
- We: 1 2 3 X 5 6
- Fa: 1 X 3 X 5 6
- F # (Solb): X 2 3 4 5 6
- Sun: X X 3 4 5 6
- Sol # (Lab): X 2 3 X 5 6
- A: X X 3 X 5 6
- A # (Bb): X X X 4 5 6
- Yes: X 2 X X 5 6
- C: XXXX 5 6
Step 4. Learn how to use the two bottom holes
These holes raise the basic notes by one step (one semitone) or two steps (one tone). To raise a note by one step, start with finger positioning the lowest note on a four-hole instrument, but cover hole 5 and leave hole 6. To raise a note by two steps, start again with hole finger positioning for the lowest note on a four hole instrument and leaves hole 5 free and covers hole 6.
- A semitone raises one note to the next in the chromatic scale, for example: do → do #, lab → la, e → fa.
- One pitch raises it two steps on the same scale, for example: do → re, lab → sib, mi → fa #.
- For example, to play C #, put holes 1 through 4 in position for C (XXXX) and then go up one step and cover hole 5: X X X X 5 X.
- To easily move from C to D without having to move all your fingers, you can start with C (XXXX56) and then go up two steps and cover hole 6: X X X X X 6.
- This is a much easier transition for your fingers than switching from XXXX56 to 1X3456.
Step 5. Practice the scales
The best thing you can do to become a skilled ocarina musician is to be able to raise and lower your scales. There are two things you will need to focus on while practicing: one is memorizing the notes produced by your finger patterns, and the other is memorizing. The better you are at those two things, the more you'll be able to truly enjoy the music you play.
- A scale of C progresses as follows: do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-si-do.
- Practice it going up (ascent) and going down (descent). This is the basis for many pieces that you will play.
Step 6. Get familiar with the musical notes
Everyone knows what musical notes look like, but you may still be far from being able to decode them into a song. Even though many people take classes with professional teachers to learn musical notes, you can find many places online where you can learn to read music for free. Once you can read music, you will be able to play melodies from your favorite songs with your ocarina.
You can find sheet music for your favorite songs by buying books or searching online
Advice
- Clean the air inlet when you finish playing. The air inlet is slightly inside the nozzle. To clean it, take a small strip of newspaper and fold it over itself so that it is small enough to fit through the nozzle. Slide it into the ocarina to absorb excess moisture.
- Try using tablature to help you learn. These show pictures of the holes you need to cover to play the song.
- Keep your ocarina in a place with room temperature. Very high or very low temperatures could affect the tuning and even break the wood or plastic.
- Rub the outside of your ocarina with a soft cloth or rag every now and then to make it look shiny. Wood ocarinas can benefit from a bit of a wood finish if they look worn.
- Don't blow too much! Many beginner ocarinas won't let you do it easily, but it makes a horrible sound!
- Articulate each note with "tu" or "du" at the beginning of each note.
- Do not buy a Peruvian ocarina if you are going to buy an ocarina to play. Peruvian ocarinas usually say "handmade in Peru" on the back and are often out of tune. The front of the Peruvian ocarinas have a kind of painted design, the quality of the clay used to make them is poor, and it could make beginners discouraged when they hear how they sound to play. However, they are very good to collect.
- Practice makes a master. If you think you really can't do something, keep trying and it will soon become easy! However, don't get frustrated, and if you feel that way, then leave it for a week and try again.
- Tilt your head to get a better sound when playing high notes.
- It starts slowly. You will enjoy it more this way and it will be easier for you to learn the basics. No you try too hard to learn.