Instrument help anyone?

[DippnDots]

Hi, I recently bought an ocarina at Bonnaroo (www.bonnaroo.com it's a music festival) STOP:

I didn't pick one up because I'm obsessed with Zelda (Link to be specific).

CONTINUE:

I really like how it sounds, there's just one problem. I can't play it! Who would have thought. I've been slowly teaching myself how to play simple songs like Mary had a Little Lamb, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, ect. But I just feel as if there's something I'm missing. My songs sound rough and jagged, instead of smooth transitions between notes.

I know this is a community for gamers, but, I'm assuming that someone out there plays something like a flute, or any wind instrument, heck, Link is apart of this game so there might even be ocarina players on smash boards. Are there any tips about how to blow (yeah, laugh it up) and covering the holes I should know?

If not, sorry for wasting the time of any readers.

P.S.
It's a four-hole ocarina, can play one octave. Just like the diagram seen here... (http://www.bearpawflutes.com/ocarina.html)

 

[Crimson King]

Your best bet is google. There are forums for EVERYTHING and I know there are ocarina forums. It's a neat instrument. I picked up harmonica recently, which is quite difficult and I know your same issue. Best of luck.

 

[foxmaster101]

dippin dots are really good

 

[Professor Pro]

i like ocarinas alot i think they sound good

 

[CBNJ]

What? Ocarinas are real, lol? I can't help you there, sorry, I have trouble playing a Harmonica.

 

[OnYourMark]

i have a four-hole ocarina...
if it lacks "smooth transition between notes", then work on your articulation.
work on slurs, fingering, tone, sliding into notes, etc... and w/e.
i got my ocarina from Songbird Ocarinas at http://www.songbirdocarina.com/
they have sound samples and stuff on the site if you want to listen to them.

my ocarina is the sweet potato style... it has four holes on the top and two on the bottom and plays an octave and a few notes over.

 

[Grey Fox]

got to songbirdocarina.com it has ocarinas AMAZING ONES!

 

[pikachun00b7]

I used to play the flute but not anymore. Go to school and play a zelda song while dressed as link!

 

[adjl]

Well, the only ocarina I have is a cheap plastic sweet potato style one that I picked up becuase I felt like it, but I've experienced something roughly the same as what you've seen. The main issue would probably be articulation, just work on timing your tounging with the movements of your fingers, and possibly air flow consistency. In both cases, practicing with those things in mind is really the only way to improve them, as well as making an effort to breathe with your diaphragm. With slurs, make sure that you have sufficient air support to make the note transition, rather than simply blowing constantly and moving your fingers, otherwise it'll come out weak, and with mediocre tonal quality (this also applies to tounged notes, but it's not as much of an issue, as the attack tends to provide enough air to get the note out if you do it right).

Of course, given that these tips are based mostly off of my experience with brass instruments, and not ocarinas, it may be useless. Oh well.

 

[supermariopro101]

Congrats, glad you like the instrument. I've been playing trumpet for 6 years now. Even though I am a brass player I do know a few things about woodwind instruments.

-When you cover the holes make sure your fingers are curved and not flat.
-You are getting a jagged tone because you must first develop a good ambucheur. The only way to do that is through practice.
-Start out playing long tones (holding one note out for a long time).
-Start with the bottom notes as they are easier to play then work your way up as your tone quality gets better.
--HAVE PATIENCE! You are not going to be a professional after one practice. Develop a proper practice time and stick to it. You will eventually get better.

 

[Mrs. Bahamut]

Long tones are definitely a good idea. This teaches you to create an even air flow. (I played flute and piccolo) You'll really need to take some sort of lessons, even if it is from a flute player. To learn how to properly use vibrato, (the waving sound you use by waving your air flow) you have to have someone teach you how. If you find a flute player, they will know how to teach you how to play it, but they will not know the fingerings. That is something you will have to do yourself. With an ocarina, it takes a lot of time because you have to teach yourself how to cover the holes only half way for flats and sharps. Practice covering the holes completely. It takes some time for you to memorize where your fingers need to be placed. Sorry I can't be more help, I'd give you lessons if I could!

 

[adjl]

-You are getting a jagged tone because you must first develop a good ambucheur. The only way to do that is through practice.

Actually, on an ocarina, similar to things like a recorder or tin whistle, the embrochure isn't that big an issue as far as tone quality goes, nowhere close to how important it is with most other wind instruments. You get the basic position right, so you can get a reasonable sound out of it, and, after that point, your tonal quality is petty much entirely dependant on air flow control.

-Start with the bottom notes as they are easier to play then work your way up as your tone quality gets better.

I'm thinking that mid-range stuff might be better, since the lower notes in the instrument's range are likely to take almost as much extra effort to get right as the higher ones. I could be wrong, though, since I'm mostly basing that on brass instruments, where the extreme ranges really are based entirely on player skill, and not so much on the instrument. Either way, long tones, where you do nothing except work to perfect your tone, regardless of what notes you use to do them, are a good idea.

--HAVE PATIENCE! You are not going to be a professional after one practice. Develop a proper practice time and stick to it. You will eventually get better.

This is very true. Remember this. You can have the best technique in the world and still suck if you don't bother learning how to use it.

 

[DippnDots]

Thanks for the help guys!

dippin dots are really good

I know, that's why it's my smash name, because I'm really good!

 

[Sandy]

I play the keyboard:

The Black Parade Intro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMYAabFv1LE

My friend playing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAL03x_-IBk

 

[OnYourMark]

I'm thinking that mid-range stuff might be better, since the lower notes in the instrument's range are likely to take almost as much extra effort to get right as the higher ones. I could be wrong, though, since I'm mostly basing that on brass instruments, where the extreme ranges really are based entirely on player skill, and not so much on the instrument.

On the ocarina, the lower notes are easiest.

And remember, controlling air speed is the most important thing for controlling pitch on the ocarina, so you may/will have to adjust air speed noticeably for almost every note.

 

[adjl]

On the ocarina, the lower notes are easiest.

I stand corrected. Listen to this guy, ignore what I said.