Learn to Play Ocarina

A first lesson on the 12-hole ocarina

What is an ocarina?

The ocarina is a vessel flute: a closed, hollow body with a mouthpiece and finger holes, usually made of ceramic, plastic or wood. Vessel flutes have been played for thousands of years, from Mesoamerica to China, and the modern ocarina with many holes comes from Budrio in Italy, in the 1850s.

Air from the windway strikes a sharp edge at the voicing window and sets the air inside the body ringing. Opening holes raises the pitch. Unlike a recorder, it matters less which holes are open than how much open area there is, which is why the holes come in different sizes.

Ocarinas are popular with beginners because the first notes come easily, and with experienced players for their clear, haunting tone. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time introduced the instrument to a new generation.

The parts of an ocarina

Mouthpiece and windway
You blow into the windway, the narrow slot at the end of the mouthpiece. It shapes your breath into a thin, flat stream of air.
Voicing window
The stream of air splits on the sharp edge of this opening, and that is where the sound starts. Keep your fingers and lips clear of it.
Finger holes
Eight on top, four for each hand. A bigger hole raises the pitch more than a small one.
Subholes
Two small holes, each covered by the middle finger beside it. You only need them for the lowest notes, below C. From C up they stay open.
Thumb holes
Two underneath, one for each thumb, which also hold the ocarina steady. Lift the left thumb for the high D, and the right thumb too for the E above it.

Types of ocarina

The most common type is the 12-hole transverse ocarina, held sideways like a flute. It has 10 holes on top (eight finger holes and two small subholes) and 2 thumb holes underneath, with a range of about an octave and a half. Tabs here default to the Alto C, and also work on the Alto F:

Pendant ocarinas have 4 to 6 holes and are often worn on a cord. Inline ocarinas are held upright, and multi-chamber ocarinas add range. Each has its own fingering system. Besides the 12-hole C and F, every tab here can be shown for the 6-hole pendant in C or F, the 4-hole pendant in C, and the double C: pick yours under More, next to the C and F buttons on any tab.

How to hold it

For a 12-hole transverse ocarina:

  1. Hold the ocarina level, with the mouthpiece at your lips and the long end pointing to your right.
  2. Put your left hand at the mouthpiece end: four fingers on the four holes there, and the thumb on the hole underneath.
  3. Put your right hand at the far end the same way: four fingers on top, thumb underneath.
  4. The two small subholes are covered by the middle finger beside each one, and only for the lowest notes.
  5. Keep your fingers flat and cover the holes with the pads of your fingers, not the tips. A hole that is only partly covered makes the note squeak.

Breath

On an ocarina your breath sets the pitch along with your fingers. Low notes take a soft, gentle breath. High notes need a steadier, stronger one.

Too little air and the note sags flat and sounds airy. Too much and it goes sharp, then cracks into a squeak.

To start each note cleanly, touch your tongue behind your teeth as if saying "tu" or "du". For smoother passages, use a softer "du" or slur notes together without tonguing.

Your first notes

Tap the holes on the chart to cover and uncover them. When the pattern makes a note you will hear it. Then work up the scale from low C to high C, one step at a time.

Reading a tab

Every note in a tab is drawn as your ocarina: filled circles are holes to cover, empty circles are holes to leave open. You do not need to read sheet music. Under each drawing is the note name:

Your first song

Hot Cross Buns uses three notes, B, A and G, and each is only one finger away from the next. Play it through to hear how it goes, then turn on Listen and play it yourself: the tab follows along through your microphone.

Tips for beginners

More ocarina songs