Ocarinas United

I got my Ocarina a couple months ago and learned how to play it really well in about a week. I noticed that some times my ocarina just sounded horrible while at other times it sounded pure and clear. Never figured out why



I just got a Bamboo flute and was having trouble with blowing. I could get all but three notes. So i asked Erin a friend/rival of mine for proper breathing technique. She said it it needs cold air for higher notes and warm air for lower ones. That got me thinking what would happen if i did this to my Ocarina?

I got home and set to work. First i cooled my ocarina and then tried to play. IT SOUNDED LIKE A DIEING COW!!!!

Then i took a small portable hair dryer and heated it up till the whole thing was a nice and warm.

I played Lugia's theme and almost cried. It had the most beautiful tone and draw to its sound then ever before.

Try it i need feedback So far i only have a 12 hole horn Ocarina. I want to see if this has to do with the molecules in the air. The warmer the more they move around and shift easily. But when air is cold the molecules stick together tightly and don't want to move about. I remembered this from a Science book i read last week and thought it might work. Since then i have done the cool down and heat up test 5 times and each time same results.

Try it and let me know!

WARNING OCARINAS ARE CERAMIC!!!!! IF YOU HEAT IT UP OR COOL IT DOWN TO QUICKLY FROM ONE EXTREME TO ANOTHER IT WILL CRACK!!!!!!!!!

Moisture also effects the ocarina's sound.
Using a hair dryer too often can dry it out.
The best way to warm it up is hold it in your hands
for a bit and then play some warm up songs.

Lower quality ocarinas are more vulnerable to the extremes.

Yes well i only Warm mine up before prefomances and i always Wash it in warm water every night before i put it in its case.

Yes, temperature has a great deal to do with an instruments performance.
When I was in marching band in high school, brass players are always supposed to blow hot air into their horns. Otherwise the notes will either be sharp or flat.

And yes due to what an ocarina is made of body temperature and warm up notes are best, maybe even placing the ocarina in sunlight while it's in its case.

Lol, but I never thought of this technique with my ocarina, lol, thanks, gonna try it later!

lol.
thats not completely crazy.
that actually affects a lot of instruments.
not just ocarinas. haha.

LoL Your welcome. And i have only ever played Piano and Small Wind Instruments. So with regard to that sorry about it if it was already known. I just found it amazing to me.

I've found that a much more practical way to warm up an ocarina is to cover the voice hole with your thumb and breathe warm air into the oc for about a minute or so. That way, you warm it up, and also put moisture into it.

IceWind91 wrote:I've found that a much more practical way to warm up an ocarina is to cover the voice hole with your thumb and breathe warm air into the oc for about a minute or so. That way, you warm it up, and also put moisture into it.

Great idea! I'll remember that! Sounds like an excellent idea... very professional.

As most instruments, ocarinas do tend to sound better when warmed up. Temperature also affects tuning though, so make sure you're in tune in those various temperatures.

However, I think that a good ocarina will sound good in both hot and cold . Most of mine do.