Playing our ocarinas is easy. Just wear the cord around your neck to keep the ocarina handy and safe; breathe steadily into the mouthpiece to make your first sounds and then cover the holes, as illustrated in the book, to play your first tunes.

Most children learn to play with the plastic OC and Book 1. Eleven notes on the top four holes are a great reward for early effort. You can soon play 22 tunes quite easily with the help of the book, even if you have never played a musical instrument before.

The ceramic Alto and plastic OC are most people’s favourite first ocarinas and are equivalent to the descant recorder. Although similar to the recorder, our ocarinas are much easier to play, are just as popular with boys as with girls and can be successfully played by less-able children as well as by ‘high-flyers’.

Whether you are a child or an adult, you will find the ocarina to be a most rewarding first instrument, so have a go!