Are Ocarinas ACTUALLY Easy to Learn?

Easier to learn than most instruments, but a challenge to truly master.
Buy ‪@DavidErickRamos‬'s method book: daviderickramos.com/store/met...
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Read the blog: andycormier.blog/?p=1115
00:00 Music is hard
02:03 Easy to START, but...
03:14 Overblow/underblow dynamics
05:18 Alternate fingerings
06:11 Extending range on a Soprano C: The Spider-Man Method
07:49 Extending range on an Alto C: The ‪@MiltOcarinaWorld‬ Technique
09:59 Mastering Ocarina is applying philosophy, not just technique
12:20 One Main Takeaway
12:37 What to watch next
Thank you to ‪@OcarinistMaryU‬ for the jam session back in 2019 (and all I learned from it) and ‪@MiltOcarinaWorld‬ for popularizing the AC extension technique!
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andycormier.blog/2021/01/17/a...

[@robh.2400]

I'm an ex-professional musician, and I recently took up the ocarina just for fun (and to play the old Zelda tunes from my youth). It's definitely an "easy to learn, difficult to master" situation. The lack of standardization, and the variation from one instrument to the next (even when they should be identical), makes it even more difficult. You need a really good ear to maintain good intonation, and I've had some tendonitis problems if I practice too much (holding it can be awkward). Overall it's a fascinating instrument to study and learn, especially if you grew up using an ocarina to magically teleport through Hyrule.

[@butterkeks7699]

Thanks for the insight on advanced techniques. Rather than saying the ocarina is an easy instrument, I would say it is a very accessible instrument. Low cost, easy to store and take along and easy to begin with. However, as a previous piano player I find adjustment of air pressure to play in tune quite challenging.

[@S1L3NTDr460n]

Having played ocarina for about 10 years now, I 100% agree with the message given here; Ocarina is one of the easiest instruments in the world to learn, but moderately difficult to master. Think like an inverse-exponential curve. Just about anyone can get *pretty good* at ocarina very quickly, but then getting a littttle bit further to master it is gunna take a lot more experience~

[@aetheralmeowstic2392]

I wanna learn ocarina, and my ultimate goal is to learn the *Pokémon Uranium* wild battle theme right down to the synth part's pitch bends.

[@vhfgamer]

My goal is to play Merry Go Round of Life from Howl's Moving Castle.

[@MaddieDoesRandomStuff]

My goal is to play Sunny's violin part in final duet from omori on the ocarina.

[@astridposey]

I wanna play everything.

[@vhfgamer]

@@astridposey Amen brother

[@astridposey]

@@vhfgamer sister, if you will, please.

[@Cherb123456]

Very comprehensive overview and perspective, thank you!

[@ryvyr]

Such insight and tremendous value, thank you kindly :>

[@YOUR_NARRATOR975]

Did the recorder in fourth grade. Loved it so much, for the next 5 years I played Clarinet in the school band.

[@villagerjj]

I mean, when you think about it, a lot of wind instruments existed 1,000s of years ago, I bet someone probably went "oh, it is easy for me to hold rock, so I should make a rock shaped wind instrument" and then the ocarina was born. I have not had much experience with ocarinas, my first being a cheap, porcelain ocarina of time replica with very windy highs and lows. and STL ocarina's plastic ocarina, which I personally find a lot easier to hold and play compared to the more round and glossy porcelain ocarina. with the added bonus of it being in tune! however, I will note, that even when playing on the bad ocarina, I can easily adapt my breath patterns to accommodate for the windiness, and can usually blow it into tune.

[@birgip.m.1236]

What's a "bad" ocarina? Humans probably started wind instruments by blowing through dried out branch sticks, grass reeds and gourds and shells...especially conch shells.

[@sameash3153]

Yes

[@aetheralmeowstic2392]

I got the hang of playing the recorder.

[@frogkik]

i play concert flute and ive heard if you can play flute you can almost instantly pick up ocarina. Is this true?

[@aniken6877]

I’m playing the recorder now.