The ocarina is very easy to get started with and to learn how to play. And it is even available with different amount of finger holes, from 4 to 12.
The ones with 4 holes are made for small children, 6 hole ones are perfect for beginners of any age, and the 10 or 12 hole ocarinas are best if you want good note range and being able to play in any key.
How to Play the Ocarina
You produce a sound on the ocarina simply by blowing air into the mouth-piece, and you choose what note to play with the finger holes. The layout is also easy, close all holes for the lowest note, and then lift one finger at a time to go up the scale.
The more “advanced” ocarinas with 12 holes have a few “double holes”, which may look complicated, but actually makes it easier to access to half-step notes.
Types of Ocarinas
There are many types of ocarinas you can choose, depending on factors like note range, material, number of holes etc.
I recommend to start on a cheap ocarina first, to see if this is an instrument you want to continue playing. But you want to make sure it is tuned well, to avoid frustrations when learning, so read the reviews.
Here are some aspects to consider when choosing your first ocarina:
1 – Note Range of the Ocarina
The ocarina comes in different sizes, from tiny (high soprano range), to soprano, alto, tenor and even bass ocarinas. Do you prefer the chirpy almost bird like tones of high ocarinas, or mellow and deep tones of a bass ocarina?
Also, the note range as in how many notes you can play on your particular ocarina can vary. From 1 octave to over 2 octaves, so check the specifications.
2 – Number of Holes on the Ocarina
As I previously mentioned, you can find ocarinas with as few as 4 holes to professional ones with 12 holes. 6 holes is nice for a complete beginner of music instruments, while 10 holes or 12 holes will give you more flexibility.
3 – What material is the Ocarina made of
The most common and traditional material of an ocarina is clay or ceramic, which most often also sounds best. There are cheap ocarinas for beginners made of plastic, which can be especially good for kids since they don’t break if you drop them.
Some ocarinas are even made of wood, or even glass, but that is more uncommon.
4 – How much does the Ocarina cost
You can find cheap small ocarinas in plastic for around 20$. A high quality ceramic alto ocarina for less than 50$. And generally, the bigger the ocarina the higher the price. It’s not uncommon to find professional and lower range ocarinas for 200+ US dollars.