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Appearance: Ocarinas come in all shapes and
sizes. The two most common are the four-hole, five-hole, and ten-hole
pendant ocarinas and the sweet potato ocarinas. The pendant ocarina is
round, often hung on a cord about the neck, and typically made out of clay,
ceramic, or wood. It most commonly has four to five finger holes.
The sweet potato is larger, shaped like an oval but often tapered on one
end, with the mouthpiece protruding out on the left end of one long side.
It has anywhere from four to eight fingerholes on the top and none, one, or
two thumbholes below. Many people make ocarinas shaped like animals,
people, mythological creatures, etc. These little instruments have
been made out of clay, ceramic, wood, antler, horn, glass, shell, plastic,
and any number of other materials. |
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Use: The ocarina is played with both hands.
An ocarina with four holes has an entire octave, and a thumbhole on the
bottom adds another note. Flats and sharps are played by partially
covering or uncovering a hole. The ocarina didn't reach Europe until
the 1500s, when a group of Aztec dancers and musicians toured both Europe
and Rome. Toy whistles in imitation of this ocarina were made and
widely enjoyed by children, but it wasn't until the 1800s that an Italian
baker, Guiseppe Donati, made the first pitched diatonic scale ocarina.
The ocarina became the "instrument of the people," as it was cheap and easy
to learn and had a beautiful sound. |
