Can I Learn 12 Hole Ocarina in 1 hour?

I've never played a 12 hole ocarina before- how much could I learn in just one hour..?
If you'd like to find out more about this ocarina:
amzn.to/33mGGYy
(this is an Amazon Affiliate link, if you decide to purchase the ocarina I may earn a small commission. This helps support the channel!)
I really enjoyed this ocarina (once I'd got over the fairly rubbish instruction leaflet!) If you have playing tips for me, I'd hugely appreciate it!
The tune played was 'Don't You Tickle'- from the Baroque Recorder Anthology Volume 1- I truly love this book and have played nearly every piece from it... find it here:
amzn.to/3rkRMW3
(also an Amazon Affiliate link)
If there's another instrument you reckon I should try out, drop me a comment :)
Find me on Instagram: @claythorpemusic

[@Eyleenelly]

I found this video after receiving the Ocarina I ordered (I don't know any shop that sells them in France so I got one from Germany) and going through the first quarter of the amazing (and surprisingly fat) teaching booklet that came with it. It is an instrument I've loved the sound of since I was a child, and I consider it so precious I immediately bought two: one in ceramic, and one in plastic, so I could do most of my practicing and all of my traveling with the plastic one. Admittedly, the sound is clearly inferior, but it has the benefit that I'm not so worried about dropping it.

[@FrankDudgeon]

Once again I'm impressed at how quickly you accomplished a "for real" tune - not Hot Cross Buns or something. Well done.

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Thank you- I have the recorder playing to thank for picking up fingerings quickly, I think!

[@cmleoj]

Sounds great! You have such a positive attitude, that’s half of learning something new.

[@anthonyh3117]

Really enjoyed that. Great job. Loved the final piece with the trills. I've not tried an ocarina, yet...!

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Thanks! Go on, try an ocarina. You know you want to..!

[@lindasmith6668]

It has a pretty sound. I imagine it could be lovely once mastered.

[@alicearcturus8610]

That instrument drove my cat crazy! She likes it!

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

My dog is pretty used to strange wind instrument noises by now, but something about this ocarina set him off too!

[@linkedsky76]

0-0 it took me a really long time to learn OCtalk is a good person to look up when learning

[@ReligionAndMaterialismDebunked]

Nice playing.

[@jonprudhomme7694]

I got an ocarina for Christmas the year after I started recorder. Fun instrument. Cecelia by Simon & Garfunkel fits nicely.

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Ooh, I like that song, will have to have a look, thanks!

[@ArtemisDalmasca]

I just started my ocarina playing a few weeks ago... I don't sound half as good, but Lavender's Blue would have been a good one. I'm not great with tabs yet, and can't read sheet music, but I've found that the tabs that have a combo of sheet music, tabs and lyrics have helped me the most. That way I know what to aim for with the song I'm trying to play

[@gaynorandrews1684]

Funny that you purchased an Ocarina. I was looking at getting one but the reviews were on the whole quite down on most with the reason being that most are really only display pieces rather than musical instruments. And the ones labelled as instruments were a bit high for my budget. But the dragon design ones look really very cool. Anyway I opted for a new recorder instead. And perhaps this is the best choice for most beginners to familiarise themselves the notes and fingerings first. This may be the reason you settled quite quickly with yours. Have fun. Tha is for posting

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

I agree, I’ve been looking at them for a while, but was struggling to find a balance between bad reviews and high price! I was gifted this one, so the decision was taken away from me in the end (happily!). I view this one as good enough to learn on, while saving up for another. I’m glad I started learning with recorder- easier to hold anyway! Then yes, already knowing some recorder definitely helped with ocarina. Someone recommended the Noble brand plastic ocarina to me in the comments, as a step up from mine, at a reasonable price. It is apparently on Amazon, if you were still considering an ocarina at some point. 🙂

[@nature9010]

i feel like ocarina is a pretty rogue instrument. It's kinda like "do whatever feel comfortable" so on my 12 hole, i play the c scale as uh.... Let's say the pinky on both hands is 1, ring is 2, middle is 3, and so on, and the order i'm listing them is the order in which you lift the fingers so, low c is all holes covered, then 1, 2, 3 ,4 on the right hand, then switching to the left hand, it's 4, 3 , 2 also, i've found that any smaller hole can be used as a "tone hole" to make any note flat. So you could use the little holes above the middle finger when it's convenient, or you can use hole for the middle finger or the hole for the pinky finger if it's easier i think the thing i found most confusing about ocarina the first time i played was the fingering system. It's not "in line" like on a recorder or flute or other straight woodwind. And there isn't 1 way to get a fingering on the instrument. You really have to understand the instrument, how the different hole sizes affect tone, the location of those holes, and like, making sure to keep a good grip on the instrument, since it is ceramic and being a little clumsy could mean the end of your ocarina-playing D: if you don't mind the wait, STL ocarina and songbird ocarina make nice plastic ones. Also, the night by noble ocarina on amazon is like, the best plastic one you can get c: im sorry that was a lot >.>; i just wanted to help

[@535Salomon]

Yeah, the Night by Noble will be a pretty nice upgrade.

[@luckybarrel7829]

Does anyone know if those Spencer Ocarinas are good? They seem to be very pricey so I kinda want to know if they're worth it. He does have a very nice legend of zelda theme music video on youtube to promo his ocarinas...

[@535Salomon]

@@luckybarrel7829 they are good:) but you can try ocarinaa from Johann Rotter (aka OcarinaMusic) and get the Zfan themed ones:-)

[@luckybarrel7829]

@@535Salomon Alright, thanks! Edit: I just checked them out and they look way more affordable!

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Haha, ‘rogue instrument’ seems like a pretty good way to describe them! Thanks for the advice- I haven’t had chance to pick up the ocarina again since I made the video, but hopefully I will soon and I’ll try to get it all a bit more figured out 😅 The noble plastic does look like a good step up… my ocarina was a Christmas gift, so maybe I should start dropping early hints for next year!

[@Lucdera]

6:37 you have to change the ocarina's angle towards your mouth sometimes. It rly matters so the air can hit the right notes better. I don't play Ocarina myself but I saw someone sometimes switching the position, so the note comes out clearer.

[@melcrose]

strong mike boyd vibes.

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

I hadn’t seen any of Mike’s videos… but you set me off on a binge, haha! Wish I had his video production skills…

[@ReligionAndMaterialismDebunked]

Thumbs are not fingers. Hehe. I got a 12-hole ocarina, and a tiny one I use mostly as a necklace, as my first two ever ocarinas. Hehe.

[@luckybarrel7829]

Daym, it's crazy how fast you can pick up an instrument. Also, can you try overblowing to see if the pitch jumps to a higher register and you get more notes to play (kinda like with a tin whistle, and even the recorder)? I don't know a thing about ocarinas, but always worth a try! I also lost it when you turned on the "ON AIR" sign towards the end of the video, LOL!

[@garyhelwig1587]

With the ocarina, there isn't a higher register. Overblowing can get maybe a note higher, otherwise, it pretty much just makes of out of tune & louder (like, really loud).

[@luckybarrel7829]

@@garyhelwig1587 Alright, thanks!

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

I think I have my recorder playing to thank for being able to memorise fingering patterns quickly… I don’t get much further, but at least it’s something 😅 I did try to see what happens with overblowing… nothing really. I’m guessing because of the closed chamber, rather than an open tube like recorder. Worth a go, though! The ‘on air’ sign is my husband’s recent find (he’s a radio presenter so he couldn’t resist!). Thought I might as well get some use out of it, ha!

[@FrankDudgeon]

@@ClaythorpeMusic I'm a retired radio announcer myself. Spent most of my working life in rooms with that sign. (Maybe I should post an "Off Air" sign outside my apartment). The ocarina was a kind gift from your husband.

[@luckybarrel7829]

@@ClaythorpeMusic Wow, that's cool to know! Too bad about the overblowing not being of any help...

[@jonprudhomme7694]

Can relate to the death grip feeling. :)

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Having to try and prise the instrument from your own grasp at the end of practice…

[@christinetassone3156]

Omg it's so hard to play

[@mustamuri]

🎶✨🧸✨🎶 🙂👍 ( I made sam of glay and wood )

[@felixdraconic]

Note: I’m not a pro ocarina player, I just have a mega hyper fixation on them right now that’ll hopefully turn into a special interest || I know you said it was a gift but Amazon ocarinas (from what I’ve heard others say and what I’ve heard of them being played) aren’t the best, tho this one does sound better then most ocarinas bought from Amazon that I’ve heard so it’s 100% not your fault that it doesn’t sound perfect, Amazon ocarinas are almost never tuned perfect but if you get used to it you can make it sound good, but it’s more recommended to get an ocarina from songbird or stl and plastic ones are recommended for beginners (there are other companies but those two are the ones I hear being talked highest about) I’m waiting for my stl c major ocarinas to arrive so I can actually practice instead of just doing a ton of research and watching a ton of tutorial and tips videos, Also idk if you’ve practiced anymore but I’d love to see the improvement! I don’t see any more ocarina videos after this one on your page

[@dominicford8031]

Hiiiii! I'm also anticipating my first Ocarina and have heard the same things! I have also heard about a really affordable and good quality brand called Imperial City Ocarina, if you ever wanted to get to multi-chambered ones! But for practice, I didn't really study much either, just some fingerings on Gina Luciani's channel, which I recommend! Good luck with your instrumentssss! :D

[@Fairygroveyt]

Awef isn't a reliable company..

[@535Salomon]

Fun to play, right? 😎

[@ClaythorpeMusic]

Oh yes!

[@535Salomon]

Glad to hear that:-)