A couple of questions about ocarinas

[Juha Nieminen]

I own two ocarinas, a 6-hole and a 10-hole. They are both
rather cheap (about 30 euros each), and I have a couple of
questions:

The first about 12 lowest notes (ie. about an octave) are
relatively easy to play. However, the higher notes, and
especially notes above this octave, become increasingly
difficult to play. I have to blow stronger or else either
no sound comes out (except for the flowing air, of course)
or some very distorted (and incorrect) high-pitch sound
might be heard. In the 10-hole ocarina I can't get any
sound in any way I try if I uncover all the holes. In the
6-hole ocarina the highest possible note is really difficult
to get, although I sometimes succeed (but even then it doesn't
sound very good).
Is this a problem in all ocarinas or only the cheap ones?

Also another question:
The sound in both of my ocarinas is rather harsh and dry.
The 10-hole one has a slightly softer sound, but it's still
quite harsh, especially on the higher notes. The 6-hole
ocarina has a very harsh sound (except for the very few
lowest notes). When compared to the sound of a transverse
flute, a panpipe and especially a shakuhachi, which have very
soft and deep sounds, my ocarinas sound very harsh and dry.
Playing the higher notes can even be irritating because of
the harshness and dryness (and the need to blow so strongly).
Is this also a problem with cheap ocarinas only?

My both ocarinas are made of clay. I have heard some sound
samples of wooden ocarinas and they sounded much softer.
Is this a typical property of wooden ocarinas?

Could you recommend some high-quality mid-priced ocarina
(which could be bought online) with high-quality sound?

[Jack Campin - bogus address]

> I own two ocarinas, a 6-hole and a 10-hole. They are both rather
> cheap (about 30 euros each), and I have a couple of questions:

An instrument invented in 1853 is a bit of a stretch for this group,
but anyway...

> The first about 12 lowest notes (ie. about an octave) are
> relatively easy to play. However, the higher notes, and
> especially notes above this octave, become increasingly
> difficult to play. I have to blow stronger or else either
> no sound comes out (except for the flowing air, of course)
> or some very distorted (and incorrect) high-pitch sound
> might be heard.

This seems to be normal. The top notes don't often work. The only
one I've got where they do work all the way up is my 100-year-old
Austrian model, and even that requires serious exertion to get there.

> Could you recommend some high-quality mid-priced ocarina
> (which could be bought online) with high-quality sound?

Not exactly mid-priced, but look at the Italian maker's site I have
a link to on my ocarina page. His sound samples are great (and a
lot of them are genuine early music).

============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ==============
Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760
<http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975
stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557

[Juha Nieminen]

Jack Campin - bogus address wrote:
> An instrument invented in 1853 is a bit of a stretch for this group,
> but anyway...

"The ocarina, and especially the popular variation sometimes
called the sweet potato ocarina, is an ancient flute-like wind
instrument. It is one of the oldest musical instruments on Earth."

"The ocarina is a very old family of instruments, believed to
date back some 12,000 years. Ocarina-type instruments have been
of particular importance in Chinese and Mesoamerican cultures
(where they are often shaped as animals, generally birds)."

No, I don't think this instrument was *invented* in 1853.
Perhaps a certain type of ocarina with certain fingering style
was invented in 1853, but not the ocarina itself.

[bill]

it seems logical that italian clay went into the making of these
instruments for centuries - folks will make music. some interesting
images of a twin ocarina with drone can be seen here:

http://www.giorgiopacchioni.com/ocarina/giorgio/fotocarine/fotocarine.html

regards - bill

[feng...@gmail.com]

You might check out my 10-hole ocarinas at www.anitasocarinas.com They
are in tune, and reach the high notes with little difference in air
pressure. The altos, tenors and bass ocarinas reach clear, rich-toned
high notes. The sopranos are not quite as good in tone.

[Jack Campin - bogus address]

Compared with Pacchioli's, your sound samples are not very informative.
How about some real music?

[Juha Nieminen]

Thanks for the info. However, I'm not very convinced about the
method of pay. Sending unencrypted credit card information over
the internet, even if it's in two parts doesn't sound very secure...