Are you a new ocarina player, or looking for the Best Ocarinas for beginners?
Look no further! Here I cover the Best Ocarina BRANDS for beginners, what ocarina material you should consider, and other factors, like hole placement and number, tuning and more.
I cannot get enough of the faraway and enchanting sound of the ocarina and have so much to share with you. I hope you find what you are looking for here.
Key: C Alto
Material: Plastic with a rubberized finish
Number of holes: 12
Sub Hole Style: Taiwanese
Sound Sample: Song of the Night by Noble
Review:
This Night by Noble ocarina is a collaboration between the Japanese maker Night and the Korean maker Noble. It is the TOP selling ocarina for beginners!
This easy to play ocarina has a matte black rubberized textured finish so it’s got a grippy hold.
It is sturdy, easy to play, and can withstand being dropped. Perfect for novice ocarina players.
This ocarina has Taiwanese style sub holes, meaning the ocarina sup holes have a sub hole above the left and right hand middle finger placement hole.
One of my favorite aspects of the Night ocarina is it’s not too high pitched, it’s got a soft, warm absolutely enchanting song.
Takeaway: The Night by Noble ocarina is a high quality, grippy ocarina, with outstanding sound, soft pleasing song and craftsmanship at a great price. Ideal for those staring their ocarina journey.
Key: C Alto
Material: Ceramic
Number of holes: 12
Sub Hole Style: Taiwanese
Sound Sample: Sound Sample of this Ocarina
Review:
This affordable ocarina is a great value considering the the tone is bright,clear and warm, and the ocarina comes well outfitted.
This ocarina comes with a neck strap and songbook, both very helpful for the beginner.
I also love the color, and feel that the quality of this ocarina exceeds its price.
Takeaway: Best affordable ceramic ocarina for beginners on a budget.
Key: Alto C
Material: Ceramic
Number of holes: 12
Sub Hole Style: Taiwanese
Review:
The song of this ocarina rivals that of more expensive ceramic ocarinas. It is rich and resonant with a sweet and mesmerizing song.
The finish is gorgeous, and several color combinations are available.
The ocarina includes a carry case and a song book to get you started, making it a great value.
Takeaway: Rich, resonant tone, well tuned instrument that looks beautiful and has a budget friendly price.
Key: Alto C
Material: Plastic
Number of holes: 12
Sub Hole Style: Taiwanese
Sound Sample: Song of STL plastic Ocarina
Review:
This affordable, quality plastic Zelda replica ocarina is provided by Ocarina Wind. It has comfortable finger hole placement and works well for larger hands. It has Taiwanese style sub holes, one over each middle finger hole.
This ocarina makes it easy to play all notes, despite having 12 holes, which can be challenging to play on other ocarinas.
And of course, it has the beautiful deep blue color, the iconic yellow Zelda Tri-force imprint and a Zelda Songbook so you can get started recreating the legendary music as you learn to play the ocarina.
Takeaway: Easy to play 12 hole Zelda Replica Ocarina from a reputable maker at a fair price. Great beginner ocarina.
Key: C
Material: Resin Plastic
Number of holes: 12
Sub Hole Style: Taiwanese
Sound Sample: Song of Focalink Osawa Ocarina
Review:
The Focalink Osawa ocarina is great for beginner ocarina players because it has an even easy breath slope. It is has an ergonomically arched end curve that fits your hand and feels natural to hold, not awkward.
This ocarina has comfortable finger placement.
The Taiwanese style sub holes mean this ocarina has a sub hole above both left and right middle finger hole.
This Osawa Ocarina creates sound readily, it requires just a soft touch and soft breath. It is good for smaller ocarina players and those who are new at playing.
Takeaway: The Focalink plastic ocarina is not only durable, it is one of the best sounding ocarinas for beginners.
Key: Alto C
Material: Ceramic
Number of holes: 12
Sub Hole Style: Taiwanese
Sound Sample: Song of Ceramic Zelda Ocarina
Review:
If you are looking for a good Zelda replica, the best ocarina for beginners is this stunning blue Zelda replica ocarina.
This carefully crafted ceramic ocarina has a beautiful song that you will cherish. This ocarina sounds great, even while hitting the high notes.
This Zelda replica ocarina comes with the Tri-force golden triangle detail and includes online instructional booklet and Zelda Songbook so you are all set to start learning.
Takeaway: Best quality ceramic Zelda replica ocarina for beginners.
Key: Alto C
Material: Ceramic
Number of holes: 12
Sub Hole Style: Taiwanese
Sound Sample: Song of Ocean Wave Alto C (last image in Amazon listing is video)
Review:
The Ocarina Wind Ocean Wave ceramic ocarina has a cheap price and a sound that rivals high priced ocarinas.
Not only does it have a BEAUTIFUL finish, but this ocarina comes with a finger chart, songbook, and a beaded lanyard carry strap.
The gorgeousness of this ceramic ocarina is only matched by its song, which is phenomenal, considering the price.
Takeaway: Incredible sound, affordable, with a gorgeous design. The Ocarina Wind Ocean Wave Ocarina is the best ocarina for the price, you cannot beat the sound and look.
Key: Alto C
Material: Plastic
Number of holes: 12
Sub Hole Style: Taiwanese
Sound Sample: Song of Focalink Bravura
Review:
This plastic ocarina comes from the well-known Focalink brand, known for high quality.
It has a captivating song, is in tune, not too airy, especially for a plastic model, and it is practically indestructible.
You will love the clear, untainted sound, which is hard to find with plastic ocarinas.
Takeaway: The Focalink Bravura Ocarina is a high quality DURABLE plastic ocarina from a professional brand. Great as a starter ocarina..
Key: Soprano C
Material: Plastic
Number of holes: 12
Sub Hole Style: Japanese
Sound Sample: Song of the KOREAN Nobel Ocarina
Review:
The KOREAN Noble ocarina has many of the great physical qualities of the TOP selling collaboration, the Night by Noble Ocarina.
The difference between the Korean Noble ocarina and the Night by Noble ocarina is:
It has a rubberized texture so it’s easy to grip and won’t break if dropped.
This is a small ocarina, does not take a lot of breath to play, and is indestructible. A great choice for kids and folks with smaller hands.
If I had to choose between this Korean Noble and the Night by Noble ocarina I would get the Night by Noble ocarina because it has easier fingering and a lower pitch which I find pleasant.
Takeaway: Small ocarina with a higher soprano pitch, good for small hands.
Key: Alto C
Material: Ceramic
Number of holes: 12
Sub Hole Style: Taiwanese
Sound Sample: Song of Ocarina Wind Forest Whisper (see last photo on listing for video)
Review:
This Ocarina Wind Forest Whisper Ocarina is one of the bestselling novice level ceramic ocarinas out there.
It is Very sturdy and feels high quality. It comes with a hard carry case and a lanyard to keep around your neck as you play.
The fingering is small and cramped, and the song book has tiny print. But the sound and look of the ocarina easily overcome these flaws, considering the price.
If you want a ceramic ocarina this is a decent choice. BUT… the plastic Night by Noble ocarina actually has a richer, better centered sound than this one, if you are OK with plastic.
Takeaway: A good quality, popular ceramic ocarina at a fair price.
Key: Alto F Major
Material: Ceramic
Number of holes: 12
Sub Hole Style:
Sound Sample: STL Sampling Ocarina sound sample
Review:
The STL Sapling Ocarina has a unique look, with a nature inspired design, and a sound that is so soothing and melodic, it is brings to mind the song of forest birds.
Its a smaller ocarina from one of the top ocarina creators, and it will not disappoint in terms of n¡sound and quality.
I also love that it is an easy ocarina to hold and finger, which IMO makes it great for beginners.
Takeaway: A high quality, perfectly tuned ocarina that is easy for beginners to play.
Key: Alto C
Material: Ceramic
Number of holes: 12
Sub Hole Style: Taiwanese
Sound Sample: Song of Aklot Ocarina (see last photo on listing for video)
Review:
This cheap ocarina makes a nice small gift as it comes with a case, carry strap and songbook, all for under 20 bucks.
It is small, and the fingering is closely spaced, so it works for small hands, but those with larger hands will struggle.
It has a beautiful finish and I get many compliments on it. It is not lacking in that department. But it’s hard to hit higher notes and there are better sounding beginner ocarinas out there.
It’s not bad for a very low price. But sound-wise I prefer the Night by Noble, even though it’s plastic and costs about 15 dollars more, it has a better sound.
Takeaway: The aklot ocarina is a really low price ceramic starter ocarina with average sound, which comes with everything you need.
Here is the deal.
Smaller Ocarinas have a higher pitch. Larger Ocarinas have a lower pitch.
The highest pitch is soprano. Then comes Alto. Next is Tenor. After that comes the larger ocarinas, the bass
ocarinas.
The most popular pitch of ocarinas for a beginner is Alto C.
Alto C is a top choice for beginning ocarina players because it is easy to play.
The size and weight make of an alto C ocarina make it easy to handle, and this size ocarina has the most comfortable hole spacing.
An Alto C ocarina also has a very traditional “Ocarina sound” which most expect to hear playing an ocarina.
To make an ocarina sing, you need to push air using your breath, creating pressure, into the ocarina faster than it can escape the finger holes.
Obviously this is easier to do with smaller ocarinas, which is why large bass ocarinas are usually left to more experienced players.
The breath curve, technically defined, is the amount of breath you need to play low notes, compared to high notes; (low notes use less air pressure, high notes use more).
Why is the breath curve of an ocarina important?
If your air pressure is too low, your ocarina song will be feeble and airy. If your pressure is too high, you get an annoying screech.
The best ocarinas for new players play ALL notes on the ocarina using the average person’s ability to create air pressure. This is yet another reason why Alto C ocarinas are the best choice, their size makes it easy for most to get just the right amount of air pressure to play all notes clearly.
Some plastic ocarinas are fantastic, some, not so much.
So, it depends.
Back in the day, plastic ocarinas were cheaply made. They were too airy, had crappy craftsmanship and out were of tune. These cheap plastic ocarinas do not resonate like quality ceramic and have a tinnier hollow sound.
However…
These days, as ocarinas have become quite popular and since spending a ton of money has never been popular, plastic ocarina creators have stepped up their game.
There ARE several high quality, precision tuned ocarinas on this list, without a hefty price tag. There are a few plastic ocarinas I consider the best Ocarinas for beginners.
In fact, my TOP choice Best ocarina for beginners is a plastic ocarina with a rubberized finish and a heavenly sound that’s as good as, or better than many ceramic ocarinas; The Night by Noble.
These are the type of ocarina you might pick up on a trip as a souvenir, made from cheap clay, maybe decorated with cultural or tribal motifs.
Cheap clay does not resonate well and these ocarinas are generally not precision tuned.
These cheap clay ocarinas are attractive, and can hold sentimental and cultural value making them perfect for artistic display and as inexpensive gifts.
But…
Cheap clay ocarinas are not true musical instruments. Clay ocarinas are not the right choice for anyone who intends to learn to play the ocarina in earnest.
Choice 3: Ceramic
The majority of ocarina players believe that ceramic ocarinas are superior to plastic, and that’s true in most cases, with a few exceptions.
As I said earlier and many times in this article, the Night by Noble ocarina is plastic, but sounds just as good as a ceramic ocarina in a similar price range.
The Focalink Osawa is another plastic ocarina in the budget price range that rivals ceramic ocarinas in the same price range.
Ceramic ocarinas DO have richer sound overall.
The problem with ceramic ocarinas and beginner ocarina players is that ceramic is heavier, breakable, and the ceramic ocarinas with decent sound are more expensive than plastic.
My favorite low price ceramic ocarinas for novice players are the STL Zelda replica ceramic version, and the Ocean Wave ceramic ocarina.
Founded in 2005 by Musicians who care about sound quality and value. They are based in St. Louis, MO, USA and have a HUGE selection of all styles and ranges of Ocarinas.
The Night by Noble is an ocarina created by a collaboration between two Ocarina makers, the Night Ocarina co, and the Noble Ocarina Co (seen below).
Night has been in business since 1919 and has been making ocarinas in Japan since 1972. Night did the collaboration with Noble in 2012 to create the Night by Noble best-selling ocarina for novice ocarina players.
Focalink is an innovative Taiwanese based ocarina company that dedicated itself to both professional level ocarinas, including the rarer mult8i chambered ocarinas, and the manufacture of highest quality plastic ocarinas for the novice.
Focalink Stein ocarinas include multi chambered ocarinas such as double, triple and even quadruple chambered ocarinas and ocarinas created in collaboration with professional musicians.
All Focalink ocarinas are precisely manufactured to exacting standards. Stein Focalink ocarinas are fine-tuned, have a clear pitch, the best tone and always consistent volume. They set a standard that is hard to beat and if you own a Focalink ocarina you can be sure you own one of the best ocarinas available today.
Ocarina wind is a newer Asian based ocarina provider. Ocarina Wind ocarinas are handmade and specially selected. They have quality design are hand painted, and have accurate tone. Ocarina wind provides my favorite cheap ocarina for new players, the Ocean wave ocarina model.
(scroll past sponsored listing to see Noble Ocarinas)
Noble is a Korean Ocarina maker that started in 2003, eventually becoming Noble Ocarina Co Ltd in 2012.
They are known for their collaboration with Night brand ocarinas on the famous Night by Noble Ocarina, an extremely popular ocarina for beginners.
Noble makes high grade ocarinas of all types.
Their ocarinas are lyrical, well made and sturdy. Noble is a well-respected company in ocarina players circles. It can, however, be hard to source Noble ocarinas outside of Korea.
Songbird Ocarina was founded in 2010 by Darren Steinberg, a well-traveled a storied person with a passion for people, music and especially ocarinas. This customer service driven company is based in Los Angeles CA, USA.
Sub holes are the small holes seen above the finger placement or tone holes. Sub holes are used to play semitones, play a lower note and increase the range of the ocarina. It can get complicated, but as a novice, you will learn more about them as you gain playing experience.
This website explains sub holes in detail.
Japanese style sub holes meaning one sub hole above holes for the index and middle finger of the right hand
This ocarina has Japanese style sub holes, meaning one sub hole above the holes for the index and middle finger of the right hand. I personally like this style as I am right handed and find it easier to move my right hand than my left.
This is what Japanese style sub holes look like:
Taiwanese style ocarina sub holes have a sub hole above the middle finger placement or tone hole for each hand.
Taiwanese style sub holes look like this:
Night By Noble Plastic Ocarina
I leave you here, at the end, my fellow travelers.
May your journey be filled with light and love and beautiful music!
Until we meet again!
Katie Lyn
PS. If you love enchanting music as much as I do I think you will fall in love with the siren song of the handpan. Learn more about the captivating handpan here.
If you are looking for a magical way to get in touch with nature, psychedelic mushrooms are one way to break the veil. If you are interested, I can show you a super easy way to grow your own journey making mushrooms here.
“Radio Frequency” is my email list reserved for Fellow Travelers, Matrix Escapees, Psychonauts, Shamanic Journeyers, Alchemists, Interdimensionals, Inquiring Minds, & Mad Hatters; those who dare to join & explore wonderland with me.
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Thank you. I really love the enchanting sound of ocarinas. They make me feel like I am back in the time of middle earth, where Dragons are real and there is adventure to be had all around. (ps. I beleive dragons did exisist, and maybe still do...)
Im thankful for the blog article.Thanks Again.
Thanks Ambbet,
If you like the ocarinas, you should check out my other flute article, the pan flute.
Love and light to you!
Katie Lyn
wow, awesome post.Really looking forward to read more. Awesome.
Thank you Heath,
Love and light to you!
Katie Lyn
I think this is a real great blog article. Much obliged.
Thanks Crork!
Love and light!
Katie Lyn