Ocarinas United

If you have, been playing for 5 years or more, please introduce yourself below.

I have been playing ocarina off and on since 2001, when I went to Bristol Renaissance Faire (in Wisconsin). There I found a 9 hole ocarina from 6th Street Pottery. I played it for about a year or two, but eventually put it down for most of the next 3 years. In 2005 I moved to Japan and left it with my family for safe keeping. I didn't want to risk taking it with me because it is rather fragile. After being here for about a year I found an soprano 10 hole ocarina in a music store and thought I would give it a try. I enjoyed playing it, but with the thin walls I became very concious of when I did play it. (BTW, the wall here are normal walls like in America, but without any isolation at all and half as thick. The Japanese claim that the insulation will grow mold with the humid climate here. Honestly, I have no reason to not believe them, but I have never tested to see if it were true). On top of that, the ocarina came with absolutely no instructions what-so-ever. I guessed that they keying was the same as my 9 hole, adding an extra key of course, but I really don't know and am not inclined enough to determine one way or another. This website is how I discovered STL Ocarina exists. Since purchasing one from them I have learn a few new songs, but I am getting used to having actual holes to adjust for sharps and flats. My speed is still uber slow, but I feel more comfortable about playing it both because of feel and because of how much it carries. I would, personally, consider myself a beginner because I never took it seriously like docjazz4 except in my first year or two.

Wow, welcome to Ocarinas United.

As an ocarina player, you might be surprised to know that the best ocarinas in the world today are said to come from Japan. I am serious Italy invented the ocarina, and Japan is said to have improved it the most.

I really think it might be worth having a little look around for ocarinas, and see what you can find. There are also Ocarina Associations in Japan, I believe

kissing wrote:Wow, welcome to Ocarinas United.

As an ocarina player, you might be surprised to know that the best ocarinas in the world today are said to come from Japan. I am serious Italy invented the ocarina, and Japan is said to have improved it the most.

I really think it might be worth having a little look around for ocarinas, and see what you can find. There are also Ocarina Associations in Japan, I believe

How is adding two holes a MAJOR improvement?

And also China invented the first ever vessel flute. And the xun has been copied by other cultures as well (Korea: Hun; Japan: Tsuchibue) and the ocarina was built using a similar structure. So china has had the most "improvement" on Vessel Flutes. They improved a simple hunting whistle into a Musical Instrument.

adding holes isnt the only thing they did to improve it.

and it doesnt matter if china invented the xun.
he was talking about who invented the ocarina.

it is similar.
but thats it, only similar.

Rembrant wrote:

kissing wrote:Wow, welcome to Ocarinas United.

As an ocarina player, you might be surprised to know that the best ocarinas in the world today are said to come from Japan. I am serious Italy invented the ocarina, and Japan is said to have improved it the most.

I really think it might be worth having a little look around for ocarinas, and see what you can find. There are also Ocarina Associations in Japan, I believe

How is adding two holes a MAJOR improvement?

And also China invented the first ever vessel flute. And the xun has been copied by other cultures as well (Korea: Hun; Japan: Tsuchibue) and the ocarina was built using a similar structure. So china has had the most "improvement" on Vessel Flutes. They improved a simple hunting whistle into a Musical Instrument.

You do not know the basics of the ocarina, Rembrant. So allow me to enlighten you.

Japan had the most artisans and ocarina makers who devoted their lives to improving and developing the ocarina. Such development in a certain area (ie: Ocarinas) inevitably leads to a deep understanding and improvement of the ocarina that we do not understand. Some of the best sounding ocarinas are said to come from Japan. If you think that the fingering system and ability to play notes is all there is to an ocarina - you are gravely mistaken Some of the most important qualities of the ocarina is the richness of their tone and how well suited they are to your breath. If you have two ocarinas with the same fingering system and same pitch range, but from different makers - you will be able to see first hand a difference in how they play and decide for yourself what you prefer.

The 12-hole system IS a major improvement. It has the widest range out of all the other types of single-chambered ocarinas, and is quite easy to learn to play. Yes, there are "13-hole" ocarinas which play one more note than the 12-holes. But they are not common and most people would not bother with the trouble of using one extra subhole to play their music.

But how can Japan be more notable then China?

Japan improved something. China actually invented the xun, which is an ocarina except it doesn't have a fipple/pipe. China was the first recorded use of using a vessel flute for music. Which inspired many other countries to make vessel flutes. Like the Gemshorn, or the Hun, or the Ocarina.

Just because the 12 hole has the "widest" range (11 holes have a bigger range, by one semitone) doesn't make it the most notable ocarina in history.

If we're talking about instruments that were similar to the ocarina BEFORE the invention of the ocarina (such as Xun) - China cannot take all the credit for it.

Mayan tribes of South America had "ocarinas" before the Chinese had their Xuns.

There is no evidence to suggest that the invention of ocarinas in Italy and their improvement in Japan had anything to do with the Xun. In fact, travellers and explorers brought back Mayan musicians to play in Europe, and that is how bakers of clay started their interest in creating ocarinas.

There are certain things in the world that are similar, but have been discovered/invented completely independently. While I do accept that the Xun is very similar to the modern ocarina, I do not accept that they are notable in the advancement of ocarinas in recent history.

I said China was the first recorded use of a vessel flute/egg flute/globular flute.

Excellent point, Rembrant. Indeed China did contribute to vessel flutes as a whole.

I think it is important to use the words "vessel flute" differently to "ocarina". A xun is not an "ocarina". The ocarina and xun are both vessel flutes

kissing wrote:Excellent point, Rembrant. Indeed China did contribute to vessel flutes as a whole.

I think it is important to use the words "vessel flute" differently to "ocarina". A xun is not an "ocarina". The ocarina and xun are both vessel flutes

Yes they both are vessel flutes, But China should definitally be notable for the Xun. The Xun is in the Ocarina family (how is it that the xun was made before the ocarina and yet it's in the ocarina family?)

And plus that's like saying the Fortepiano shouldn't be notable since it's not a piano.

Since we are going off-topic, I made a new on here
http://ocarinasunited.freeforums.org/vi ... =4009#4009

For us to discuss

Rembrant wrote:

kissing wrote:Wow, welcome to Ocarinas United.

As an ocarina player, you might be surprised to know that the best ocarinas in the world today are said to come from Japan. I am serious Italy invented the ocarina, and Japan is said to have improved it the most.

I really think it might be worth having a little look around for ocarinas, and see what you can find. There are also Ocarina Associations in Japan, I believe

How is adding two holes a MAJOR improvement?

And also China invented the first ever vessel flute. And the xun has been copied by other cultures as well (Korea: Hun; Japan: Tsuchibue) and the ocarina was built using a similar structure. So china has had the most "improvement" on Vessel Flutes. They improved a simple hunting whistle into a Musical Instrument.

hehe, well I felt the improvement in being able to play songs which I never did on my 9 whole.

since its now 2008, id like to say that ive been playing the oc for 5 years now.

Hey there fellow ocarinist!! my name's Koji (aznpnoikoji) and i just recently joined OU and also began my collection to videos on youtube all thank to the influence of Docjazz4 and Kissing88! I just found their videos to be very inspiring and gave me the curage to just go out there and give it my all! So check me out on youtube at

youtube.com/user/aznpnoikoji

Now a little history about my experiences...

I was influenced ofcourse like many others by Zelda, Lunar, and Dragon ball z (Tapion) to play the ocarina..ever since i played OOT on n64 i wondered if Ocarinas were real..and it wasn't untill i moved to the USA from Japan that i was able to purchase my own Ocarina (because i was only 10 yrs old in Japan and i didn't knoe any resources to find Ocarinas) ..my first Ocarina was a 4 hole Limited II zelda ocarina from Clayz.com and i was so stoked about it! I was in 8th grade and i played with it on and off...

it wasn't until Jan 2007 that i discovered STLOcarina where i bought my 12 hole tenor and began to play with that off and on during the year...and it was only about two weeks ago that my passion for playing got fulling ignighted by watching so many videos of people playing online that i wanted to be apart of it and so i did!

And now here i am with my new 12 hole soprano and double ocarina from STL which just arived today!! I'm curently posting up new vids on youtube and have many goals to achive! I hope to hear many more great musicians out their and to be able to share and learn more knowledge about this great instrument!

-Koji