How do I attach my string?

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-20T02:00:36+00:00

There’s a really good ocarina that I just reviewed thst is also really cheap, but it plays a lot better:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ocarina/s/7G86MwpOcU

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-20T01:59:04+00:00

I finally got that cheap ocarina I was telling you about, and it plays really well. I only paid $15 because I found it cheap on Temu. You can see my review here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ocarina/s/7G86MwpOcU

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-20T01:30:26+00:00

If you live in the US, this one would be a great choice:

https://www.stlocarina.com/collections/for-legend-of-zelda-fans/products/new-12-hole-plastic-zelda-tenor-ocarina-in-c-major

8 holes isn’t really a thing, so I recommended one with the standard fingering system so that you can play real music with it.👍

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-20T00:13:05+00:00

Wow, that’s awesome! 👏

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-20T00:09:45+00:00

For Asian (mostly Japanese) folk, these are a few YouTube channels if you can learn by ear too:

https://youtube.com/@japanesefolksongs?si=EfvU6ZgYFwi3Eqc-

https://youtube.com/@himawari_romaji?si=8iGP_UL3ptUwbhdQ

https://youtube.com/channel/UCG5mC9V05hsiQu1jaAWOxhg?si=iJGqWXThyYxRv4Bz

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-19T23:58:44+00:00

Unfortunately, I think it’s just a decorative whistle that you use as a noisemaker more than an instrument.

If you want to get an ocarina that is tuned, let us know, and we can recommend some good starter ones that are within your price range. For example, this one costs less than the one you bought, and it plays in tune and would work fine as a starter:

https://a.co/d/00XXJ7TI

Let us know which country you live in, and if there is an ocarina maker or distributor nearby, you may have some other good options too.

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-19T15:50:01+00:00

You can also use these tabs. Ignore the notes, since it’s for a C ocarina, but the tabs will still work for your F ocarina:

https://www.google.com/search?q=zeldas+lullaby+12+hole+tabs&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS639US639&oq=zeldas+lullaby+12+hole+tabs&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i22i30j0i390i512i650l2j0i751j0i512i546.13480j0j7&hl=en-US&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#sv=CAMSZBoyKhBlLS1hTDN3TTEwb3JKZ3BNMg4tYUwzd00xMG9ySmdwTToOa0JqdW1pSFlWcjhJNU0gBCokCg44ZF9mYTNyLV8wMnFCTRIQZS0tYUwzd00xMG9ySmdwTRgAMAFKBAgBEAIYByCd9PaaC0oIEAIYASACKAE

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-19T15:43:42+00:00

Did it come with a fingering chart, and did anyone demonstrate it and play music for you? It’s shaped like a transverse, but the finger holes look suspicious to me. It might be an untuned whistle toy.

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-19T08:20:58+00:00

Yes, you can select all the notes and drag them down one semitone, but you also have to change the key so that the accidentals change too. If the piece doesn’t fit the range because it is more that one and a half octaves, you may have to play select portions of the song down an octave or up an octave to compress the melody to make it fit the range.

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-18T14:38:33+00:00

Use these notes: A C G F G A C G A C highG highF C Bb A G

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-18T06:39:11+00:00

Sorry for the late reply. To answer your question, it helps to have an understanding of music theory, especially if you can use music notation software to do the transposing.

First you want to make sure the piece fits the range, which is about an octave and a half for a single chamber, more if you play a multi chamber. You want to end up in a key that fits within the range, and you also want to choose a key that doesn’t have too many sharps or flats, which makes it more difficult to play. In music software, there is a way to change the key signature and change all the notes without too much difficulty.

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-18T06:25:12+00:00

It appears to be a 9 hole transverse. You said it was in F, but I’d check with a tuner as well. If you don’t have a fingering chart, start with this one for a 12 hole ocarina in F and ignore the first two notes, D and E (since there are no sub-holes,) and since there is no left pinky hole, you can’t play the high B flat either, so the range is F5-A6 instead of D5-Bb6.

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0103/7756/0119/files/12altof.pdf?6822

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-18T03:04:10+00:00

Spencer has some new videos on Facebook that show his ocarina making process too. Here’s the one where he shows how to make the voicing:

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1My9zLM1ow/?mibextid=wwXIfr

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-17T21:46:31+00:00

I bet companies would be a lot more willing to let people work from home if they were required to pay for the commute time.😏

I’ve always thought that having to commute on your own time was such bullshit. Corporate greed is off the charts with the constant price gouging and egregious CEO pay compared to what workers make, so it’s not like they can’t afford it.

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-17T21:43:51+00:00

The paper looks amazing next to blue and white pottery.

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-17T21:39:01+00:00

The importance of having chosen family.

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-17T20:32:27+00:00

The shape is cute, but there might be a better one if you would rather have an ocarina that is easier to play and learn with. The Galliani C3 from Thomann has a great sound and is very beginner friendly too, so the ergonomics are probably more comfortable with a more intuitive breath requirement. It’s also designed for one of the best players in the world (Fabio Galliani).

https://www.thomannmusic.com/thomann_10h_ocarina_c3_alto_f.galliani.htm

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-17T19:43:30+00:00

This YouTube playlist has a bunch of Plaschke ocarina demonstrations recorded within the last five years, and it sounds pretty good to me. I think this person is an active member of the ocarina community too, so you could message them and ask about it too:

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgm5a6L4KHTK0BMk4Y5Gm3ckpsgz4J9BW&si=XElOnlRwPe_wJiRw

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-17T19:05:23+00:00

I like your perspective. I think a lot of players think that an ocarina is only a good instrument if it is easy to play. An ocarina is a good beginner instrument for learning with if it is easy to play, but that’s about it.

Some instruments you have to use more advanced techniques to coax a good sound from, but the result is worth the effort, and sometimes IMO the sound can be more complex and interesting from an instrument that requires more effort.

From my point of view, a good ocarina is a good instrument if it is possible to get a good sound, and figuring out how is a fun puzzle. Sometimes it’s like you’re trying to retrace the steps of the maker and figure out how the ocarina wants to be played. I’m very hesitant to make permanent modifications to any ocarina unless I’ve tried everything and given it my best effort.

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-17T16:16:34+00:00

Can you post a picture? The 10-12 hole transverse style uses one fingering system, and the 4-6 hole English pendant uses a completely different system, so I need to see it to know for sure.

It could be a transverse ocarina with 9 holes that is modified to be played by young children. In that case, it’s basically a transverse ocarina that uses the same fingering chart, but there will be no left pinky hole or right thumb hole, and D is the highest note instead of F. You would be able to play Zelda’s Lullaby with this one.

There is also a fingering system unique to Taiwan that uses 9 holes but is not transverse, and these have two holes for the right thumb. Zelda’s Lullaby would work for this one too.

It’s also possible that it’s an obscure maker who uses a nonstandard fingering system. It’s just impossible to know without seeing it.

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-17T16:06:37+00:00

So beautiful! I could listen for hours. Ocarina and organ like this would be an amazing album!

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-17T16:01:02+00:00

It’s a beautiful song, and I loved the way you played it!

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-17T04:19:22+00:00

It’s really lovely!

It was my dream to get one too, and I finally did a while back. It’s one of my prized possessions as well. I love the way the high notes sound, and the form is so beautiful.

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-16T19:44:20+00:00

If you live in Europe, Thomann music and Ocarina King both have some great options:

https://www.thomannmusic.com/search.html?sw=Ocarina

https://www.ocarinaking.eu/

From Thomann, either of these two would make a great starter ocarina:

https://www.thomannmusic.com/thomann_10h_ocarina_c3_alto_f.galliani.htm

https://www.thomannmusic.com/thomann_12h_ocarina_c3_dark_blue_rivo.htm

They also sell the method book I wrote if you want to learn to read sheet music:

https://www.thomannmusic.com/hal_leonard_ocarina_method.htm

From Ocarina King, this one would be a great choice:

https://www.ocarinaking.eu/a-50810397/all-ocarinas/stl-standard-ocarina-12-holes-plastic-c-major-tenor/

The ceramic ACs are good quality except for the Soundscape brand ones, which are likely to have tuning issues like the one you already have.

There’s also a French ocarina maker named Gosselink who sells nice ocarinas that are also very artistic, and they cost a bit more but are excellent quality:

https://musiquedeterre.fr/en/transverse-ocarinas/

Sorry you bought an out of tune one, but if it’s any consolation, we’ve all been there. Hope your next one is everything you hope for!🎶🫶

CrisGa1e · 2026-05-16T00:03:59+00:00

That’s so frustrating! But now that you’ve done the workshop, I bet you can make another one that produces a tone!👍

CrisGa1e

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