Ocarinas / Music

Moving On

After Book 1, move on to Book 2, Carols or Songs of Praise and play some really great rounds and songs in harmony. Success in these prepares for Books 3 and 4. Traditional musical notation, lyrics, ocarina charts and guitar chords appear on every page to give confidence and ensure progress. CD tracks are once again available for each book. These are especially useful as you progress through the series to play more complex musical arrangements.

Mastering the top four holes in Book 1 is a great start. In Book 2, Moving On, you learn how to play extra notes by half-covering holes, and by tilting the ocarina, a technique known as 'nose-shading'. Book 2 also shows how to play other extra notes by opening the thumb holes on the 6-hole Oc®. These are helpful for Book 3 and recommended for Book 4, where the 6-hole Oc® enables you to play tricky chromatic melodies over the full extended range of 16 notes.

Some children can play everything in Books 1, 2, 3 and 4 by the age of 9 or 10. Others progress more steadily, piece-by-piece and book-by-book. Both approaches are normal and commendable. The Play your Ocarina Complete Guide gives opportunity to dip into tunes from any of Books 1 to 4 at any time; with CDs it is a very complete resource indeed.

I gave the children Songs of Praise books and they just played them! We’ve played in assembly, in the shopping centre, for the old folks. It’s great. I’m really glad we discovered the Oc!
Primary School Headteacher, Keighley