7 Questions To Ask When Picking An Ocarina
Have you heard of an ocarina? It is a small flute that people of all ages enjoy - both adults and kids. It is one of the easiest of the wind instruments to learn and play, in fact, the majority of ocarina musicians have learned on their own. Many ocarinas are rugged, small, and portable enough to go anywhere - on camping trips, in your kid's backpack, canoeing, rock climbing, in your purse or pocket, or on vacations. The ocarina is a great way to introduce kids or adults to playing music as well as an instrument that can be enjoyed and played through all stages of life.
1. How far (musically) do you want to go with your ocarina? Do you want something to keep you amused for a few weeks? Or do you want a serious instrument that will let you grow to advanced levels of musicianship? Do you already know how to play the ocarina? If you want to go far musically and will put in the practice necessary to get good, get an ocarina that you won't grow out of... that will let you progress to virtuosity.
2. Where do you intend on playing your ocarina? Do you intend on playing for others? In public performances? Do you want to be able to play along with other musicians without microphone amplification? Most ocarinas are subdued and quiet. Some ocarinas have nice playing volume and could readily be played in public without amplification.
3. Are you a huge fan of the video game Zelda The Ocarina of Time? If so, then you might want an ocarina like the flute Link plays.
4. Do you enjoy the way this flute's ocarina notes sound? Have you heard this ocarina performed live? If not, do you have nice recorded ocarina music samples to listen to? Have you seen ocarina video of this instrument?
5. What kind of music do you want to play with your ocarina? If you want to play simple, slower melodies then most ocarinas will work. If you want to play fast and technically challenging music, most will not work. Make sure you hear sound samples of the ocarinas you are considering, and make sure they can play the kind of ocarina sheet music you want to play.
6. Do you like how this ocarina looks? If you think your ocarina is stunning, you will very likely carry it more, show it to family and friends more, play it more, progress farther and faster, and enjoy it much more.
7. How much materials (music books, learning materials, music recordings, etc.) are there for the instrument you are considering? How experienced are you musically? How much assistance will you need in learning to play? Keep in mind that the ocarina has limited tonal range (maxing out at an octave plus three). Music books and sheet music must fit into the tonal range of that particular ocarina. If you want to play seriously, make sure that there are available products to aid your progress for the ocarina you are considering.
If you're on a journey to find an instrument that fits into your life, as opposed to the other way around, the ocarina may be the instrument that you've been trying to find. For many of us, getting good at playing an instrument is something we have for quite a while wanted to do, but never got around to. Maybe now this is a good time to get started?
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