Ocarina FAQs

How are Sixth Street Pottery’s ocarinas formed?

At Sixth Street Pottery, we make our ocarinas by using a variety of clay forming techniques including hand-building, wheel-throwing, and press molding.

How are Sixth Street Pottery’s ocarinas pitched and tuned?

We control the pitch of our ocarinas by controlling the inside volume, or chamber size, of each individual instrument. Smaller ocarinas, with smaller inside chamber sizes, play in higher pitches. Larger ocarinas play in lower pitches. We tune the ocarinas by adjusting the sizes of the fingering holes while the clay is still moist. By using a microphone and electronic chromatic tuner at this stage, we can tune the ocarinas before they are fired. Each ocarina is fired in the kiln twice. The first firing is called a bisque firing, and the second, a glaze firing. After the bisque firing, we check the tuning and readjust the size of the fingering holes with a diamond bit, if necessary. Our ocarinas are tuned to A-440 Hz concert pitch.

What keys and sizes are Sixth Street Pottery ocarinas available in?

We make ocarinas in a variety of sizes and keys. The Key of C and Key of F are our most popular pitches.

How many notes do Sixth Street Pottery ocarinas play?

All our ocarinas play one 13 note cromatic octave plus 4 or 5 notes over the octave depending on the size.

Are ocarinas hard to play?

No special skill is required to begin playing an ocarina. Here are some tips.

• Make sure you cover each hole completely. Use the pad, or fleshy part, of your fingers to cover each hole. Air leaks in the finger holes cause sour notes.
• Use your little finger on your left hand to brace the ocarina.
• Blow softly. Start blowing very softly on the low notes and then blow a little harder as you go up the scale.
• Use tonguing by saying the letter T at the start of each note. This is necessary to give the note a crisp clear sound.
• You may download a fingering chart PDF file. Note you will need Adobe Reader to view the file.

Do ocarinas need special treatment or care?

Ocarinas are pretty much care free. They are totally washable with mild soap and water. Dry them well before using. They never need to be re-tuned. It is best to store the ocarina in a box or cloth bag to guard against breaking it.

Where can I find more music and instructions about playing and making ocarinas?

• Tune Book Two. 104 One-Octave Tunes Dances Rounds Duets, George Kelischek. 1993. Susato Press, Rt. 1 Box 26, Brasstown NC 28902. Carries several music books for 4-hole & sweet potato ocarinas.
• Play Your Ocarina. Books 1,2,3 & 4. Complete Guide To Playing David and Christa Liggins. 1992. Ocarina Workshop Publications. Ocarina Workshop, PO Box 56, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN15 5LX, UK. Phone: 01536-485963. Carries several instruction/music books for 4-5 hole ocarinas.
• Fun with the Ocarina, 1986. Mel Bay Publications, Inc. Pacific MO.
• Clay Whistles, the Voice of Clay, Janet Moniot. 1989. Whistle Press. 128 Pumping Station Rd., Petal MS 39465. Phone: 601-544-8486. Instruction booklet for making clay whistles and ocarinas.
• www.ocarina.it/ Website for Italian ocarina-maker Fabio Menaglio and Ocarina di Budrio.

Good Luck and Happy Playing!