how to make an ocarina

It is traditionally made from clay or ceramic, but other materials are also used—such as plastic, wood, glass, metal, or bone. Make sure to leave the ocarina round and smooth and do not be discouraged if it takes a while as it can be a lengthy process depending on the wood. This will be used as the middle lining of the mouthpiece as well as the roof of the mouthpiece's airway. A pound of clay will make an ocarina about the size of a medium orange. Reply Usually when it comes to making the airway for a wooden ocarina, a chisel is the tool of choice. Be careful not to accidentally sand the sides that are to be glue to the middle lining. No. It's tricky to master the hand ocarina, but once you do, you can move from basic whistling to simple songs and more. Inhale steadily through the mouth so that your hand moves out while the shoulders don't raise. Does the mouthpiece/fipple have to be connected to the body before it can produce sound or should it be able to create a tone on its own? Don't get discouraged if you can't do it at first. Shake the ocarina until you feel that it has absorbed enough oil. wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. It did not work for me, and I've tried 25 times! You can also cut a single heart-shaped slab, which has one of the edges already formed. Experienced harmonica players use a technique called a "draw bend" to change notes' pitches. If your ocarina's fundamental note is a G#3/Ab3 then you will have to be careful in maintaining your sharps and flats throughout the tuning process. To apply the oil, cover the ocarina finger holes and pour some oil into the fipple hole. 6 days ago. You can also cut a single heart-shaped slab, which has one of the edges already formed. It can take as long to learn how to do this as it takes to learn how to make the whistle in the first place. 3.) Once you are done, let the oil drain out from the holes. Pinch the two halves into bowl shapes. The shape does not include the mouthpiece as that will be made later on. The oil of choice for most people with wooden ocarinas would be sweet almond oil, not bitter almond oil as it is extremely toxic. Remember, you want to blow into the top half of the slit between your thumbs. Should get everything out. The noise hole may not be quite the right shape. there's some that are almost smooth, good for metal, nearly useless for wood. If the ocarina is making NO sound at all, the windway might not be aligned with the labium/edge properly, the edge is too thick or the aperture is too large/not the right shape. This will produce the fundamental note(lowest note). Repeat for each hole. If you're a leftie, it may be easier to. When you have traced your fingers, place a dot where you fingers actually come in contact with the surface. 2.) When I drill the holes, how do I get the wood chips out? Reply There should now be a thin gap between your thumbs just a few millimeters wide. The wood I am using is seasoned piece of cherry. Check out this instructional ocarina video that shows you how to make a carrot ocarina. Any tips? Once you have finished making the mouthpiece, lay it on top of the 1/2 x 6 and trace it. You may not be blowing in the right place. Hope I helped :), Reply Once you have finished making the mouthpiece, linings and body, it is safe to glue everything together. My take on making ocarina. I have provided my own diagram above demonstrating the steps in making the airway. Reply There might be another way but to my knowlege I don't know of one sorry:/ If it helps, I know that hobby lobby sells some chisels for around 5 dollars for a small set and 9 dollars for a bigger set. In the Trinkets category. It may take a lot of practice, sometimes even people who are very good at it are not able to do this! After you have traced the lining on to them, feel free to cut out the top plate but not the bottom one. I've attempted to make the fipple numerous times and have not managed to get sound out of it, but have not tried it connected with the rest of the ocarina. If anybody has wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. I've tried enlarging the airways a bit and trying to smooth it out more, without much result -- maybe it's a little better. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. About: In short I like anything that has to do with clay, chickens, pokemon, sonic and wood :P. Once you are done putting together your ocarina and tuning it, you have to apply oil in order to keep your ocarina fully functional. Once you have finished making the airway, you can place the lining on top of it and see that the lining completely covers the fipple hole leaving only the small airway exit visible. Shake the ocarina until you feel that it has absorbed enough oil. Slip is a muddy clay mixture. Make the ocarina body using slabs by cutting two oval clay slabs of uniform thickness. This video is in Japanese with English subtitles. Turn your ocarina upside down and blow hard into the mouthpiece. What am I doing wrong? Making a smaller space (moving your hands together) will produce a higher-pitched sound. Fold the edges together, being careful to leave the form completely hollow. The problem with carving too much is that the end of the airway becomes uneven which could mean that the air might not hit the ramp correctly or other things like that. To fix this, mark where the fipple hole starts on the lining and carve it out using the edge of the belt sander. You can make it as thick as the walls of the top and bottom plates or you can make it a bit thicker it doesn't really matter, heck mine came out crooked from the inside. Our very favorite ocarina craftsman is back, but this time he uses an egg, instead of a carrot.Mr. Also is your ocarina completely assembled or is it taped together? For example, the depth I used was 1/16 of an inch 4.) Hold your hands apart with your fingertips pointing towards the ceiling and your palms facing each other. Please only post questions here. Once you have done that, glue the lining to the mouthpiece and smooth it out with the sander. Fully untuned ocarinas are easy to see because all of their holes are precisely the same size. http://www.greenverdugo.com/ocarina-making-tutorial/ocarina-making-keys.html. Making an ocarina itself is very easy. Fold the edges together, being careful to leave the form completely hollow. This step is the lengthiest one as I spent a good 3 days carving them out but it was very well worth it. 3 months ago. The cut should be about 1/8 of an inch in depth and as wide as the fipple hole. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take photos for a couple of steps so I will try to recreate and explain them the best that I can. For a step by step instructions on making a clay ocarina by half molds: When you say not to carve the middle lining past where the fipple hole begins, is the beginning the side where the slant is or the opposite side? A Sculpted Pendant. The molds can be the two empty halves or it can be clay in the shape of the ocarina, split and hollowed and then joined. I do also use a gouge. Well, sort of. If you find that some glue does seep into the airway, you can clean it out with a toothpick. X Have somebody trace over your fingers. Title... ↶ ↷ Save as Image Save as Text File ‹/› Install Just to be clear, the dark gray is the chiseled out part, right? You should hear a whistle that sounds like a hooting owl or a wooden train, but it might take a bit of practice to get it just right! Draw the mouthpiece on to it and using the jigsaw, cut it out. Single chambered ocarinas have eight main holes on top of the instrument and two thumb holes—one hole for every finger and both thumbs, which are labelled in the diagram below. Using the dremel, carve out the fipple hole from the bottom of the plate, this will create the ramp in which the sound is produced. (The knowledge of acoustics and hydrodynamics might also help.) Note that this is difficult to do without causing your whistle to turn into an undesirable "rushing air" noise. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. This takes practice. It's pretty quiet and only makes a solid note if I blow gently. The size of the oval can vary depending on the size and shape of the ocarina. Second Prize in the Musical Instruments Contest. Take the mouthpiece lining and trace it on to the plates. After you have cut the lining out, you will need to sand it down with the disk and belt sander in order to create the angle needed for the mouthpiece. Make the ocarina body using slabs by cutting two oval clay slabs of uniform thickness. You don't have to squeeze tight — just make sure you aren't letting any air out. Leave one end open, blow into it to puff the walls of the ocarina out and then close the hole. It shows how the plates should look once you carve them out. You will need: - two 2 x 4 x 12 pieces of oak which will be used for the top and bottom of the ocarina - one 1/2 x 6 piece of red oak which will be used for the lining between the top and bottom and between the body and mouthpiece - two 1/2 x 4 x 4 squares to be used as the top and bottom plates of the mouthpiece, they should be the same type of wood as the body, not the middle lining. Continue drawing holes until you’ve reached your desired number. Try moving your thumbs closer together to make the hole a little narrower. Added in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands. However, they are great for collecting. Insert the #1 size art knife's extremely sharp point into the pen marking of the first hole. Try taking a few full belly breaths without your ocarina. The Ocarina Network > Articles and Information > Question and Answer > Making an Ocarina? To play your ocarina, make an “ooh” shape with your lips and blow a steady stream of air into the opening. Make each successive hole at least 1/2-inch away from any other hole. Heita demonstrates how to make the instrument in Japanese (with English subtitles). I found that keeping it dull gave me a nice dark tone. The "seal" around your ocarina may not be tight enough. Hello, sorry about the mixup but by the beginning I mean at the very end of the airway where the fipple hole begins. First you make a dumpling (left one) Then squeeze out a part of the dumpling using the forefinger and thumb to look like 2nd from the left. [1] (for the purposes of this instructable … Hello everyone, I know I haven't made an instructable for a very long time but I'm back and I would like to share my newest project with you. How to Make a Wooden Ocarina: Hello everyone, I know I haven't made an instructable for a very long time but I'm back and I would like to share my newest project with you. A low-quality ocarina makes it practically impossible to play well. is it .5 inches thick and 6 inches long or .5 inches thick and 6 inches wide, i know this might be dumb but im using this as a project for school, so, in essence, I could take this instructable and use it as a base persay, to make my own ocarina. Blow noiselessly as if trying to get an empty bottle to whistle. If you need a more in-depth analysis of tuning your ocarina, you can click on the link below, it will show you which notes belong to what hole, based on what key your ocarina is in.http://www.greenverdugo.com/ocarina-making-tutorial/ocarina-making-keys.html A few precautions: -Do not force the drill bit as it can chip the ocarina -Go one size at a time, if a 2/8 drill bit doesn't change the pitch much, don't go straight to a 3/4 drill bit. Open your mouth and place your hand on your belly. Put the slip on the grooved edges of the body and … Flutes and reed players make similar adjustments with embrochure: but withing a much narrower range. You can't make a good ocarina if you lack either of them. They may look artistic but sacrifice playability. If you are buying an ocarina to play, don't get a Peruvian ocarina. Will it come out if I just shake it? Cut around the hole carefully following the pen marking. -Unlike a clay ocarina, a wooden ocarina cannot be fixed if you make a hole too big so be very careful. Making, with the aid of molds, two halves of an ocarina, put them together and "paste" or join them with more clay. The transverse ocarina uses a simple linear fingering system similar to the tin whistle and Boehm flute. - one 2 x 4 x 3 1/2 of white pine which will serve as the middle lining of the mouthpiece  - Sweet Almond Oil To get the 2 x 4 and 1/2 x 4 x 4 pieces oak, I cut them out of a stock of oak my teacher gave me. Mine's a bit visible, and I can't get it to make any sound. Have clean, dry hands. Bring your palms together and turn your left hand so the heel is against the fleshy part of your right hand. I have provided a diagram above. Follow the simple instructions outlined in this ocarina tutorial and learn how to make a carrot ocarina that will impress your music friends! An Ocarina is an aerophone which means that the sound is produced by the separation of air at the labium (which is not in the mouth piece) so it should not make noise on its own. Wetness can affect the ability of the air to reverberate between your hands and produce a pitch. Drilling the holes, making the sound hole and then glaze them and fire them. Once you are done, let the oil drain out from the holes. Remember, when it's your first whistle, you want to seal up every little crack. I'm making a wooden ocarina and i was wondering how the tuning works...Is it sufficient to just trace where my fingers fall on the instrument as you have indicated in your istructable? I have all provided a diagram. http://dictionary.onmusic.org/terms/2386-ocarina, https://snapguide.com/guides/make-a-hand-ocarina/, http://www.harpsurgery.com/how-to-play/draw-bends/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e37jHcU_l54, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow, These directions assume you're right-handed. Then exhale steadily through the mouth. Should there be a spot for the air to escape at all? Variations exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the body. Do not put too much glue as it can seep into the airway when pressed. Using the wood carving gouge, carve out the top and bottom plates until they reach the thickness you want. This is the sound hole — it's where you're blow air into the ocarina and also where the whistling noise will come out. Now that you have drilled the points where your fingers are to be, blow into the ocarina with all holes closed. Generally, the smaller, the higher in pitch, and the larger, the lower in pitch so when it comes to making your own ocarina, personal preference can mean different measurements. You'll need to keep a good seal between your hands, lift your finger only slightly, and support the note with plenty of air. Hello, I'm really, really sorry for taking forever to reply but I think it has more to do with making it a lot more comfortable to hold than for sound quality so you shouldn't need to worry a whole lot on that. I've never tried them but I don't see why they would work differently from any other set. When I blow harder it makes a screechy whistling wind sound. Gradually change the form of the dumpling into the shape of the right one. Well, yes, but remember to keep all the gaps closed. I don't think I thought of it all the way through but I fixed the photo for you so you can understand better. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Only ever let air out if you are changing the pitch. I hope it helps :). Leave one end open, blow into it to puff the walls of the ocarina out and then close the hole. Click on the second video in the gallery to see him play "The Saints Go Marching In". After you are done, cut out the mouthpiece plates and feel free to glue the three parts together. Hi everybody, I was trying to figure out a way to make a stand for my 12 hole ocarina, but I can't manage to think of any way to do it. When I first tried it out by taping it together, it wouldn't make a sound but it was mostly because air was escaping as the tape wasn't air-tight. Unfortunately I made the slight mistake of designing the ocarina with a curve leading to the mouthpiece, this was later corrected and I have added a line showing how the ocarina should have been cut out. I would clearly first learn how to use it,… I'm sorry I took forever to reply I've been a bit busy but good luck :), so in the parts for the red oak what is the thickness, width, and the length it says "one 1/2 x 6 piece of red oak which will be used for the lining between the top and bottom and between the body and mouthpiece" and i don't know the measurements. The ocarina is an ancient wind musical instrument—a type of vessel flute. It has to be attached to the body first. try a burr, it's like a router bit, but ball shaped. How to Make an Ocarina: If you're looking for a fun weekend project, how about make your own ocarina and then learn how to play your favorite songs on it? The first step in making your ocarina is to draw an outline of the shape you want your ocarina to take. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e3\/Make-an-Ocarina-with-Your-Hands-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Make-an-Ocarina-with-Your-Hands-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e3\/Make-an-Ocarina-with-Your-Hands-Step-1-Version-2.jpg\/aid14822-v4-728px-Make-an-Ocarina-with-Your-Hands-Step-1-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"