A wind instrument.
Most Ocarinas consist of a mouthpiece, a chamber with holes and a labium.
An Ocarina makes sound just
like a whistle does:
Air is blown through a mouthpiece and hits a thin, sharp edge, (called the labium) creating a very pure and clear sound. The frequency of the tone can be altered by covering or uncovering the holes of the chamber.
The modern ocarina usually comes in two styles:
*Transverse: 8 - 12 holes, fingering similarities to the recorder. (Ex, the ocarina of time, from the Zelda
game with the same name)
*Pendant style: Small, often weared as necklaces, has 4 - 6 holes. (The cheap peruvian ones from markets)
Variations of the ocarina are the oldest known instruments that created actual tones.
In especially
USA, ocarinas are uncommon, and many
people have only came in contact with them through their appearance in the
game "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time"
This leads many to believe that it is a fictional instrument that the
game company
Nintendo made up. And that the only live ocarinas that most
people have heard is being played as a gimmick by video game fans.
Ocarinas are much more known in Asia, where they a status as a classical instrument.
Musician: I play the Ocarina.
Hipster:
Dude, I
love the legend of Zelda, I play it on Nintendo 64, IN 2012!!!
Musician: I play i for real though, fancy some traditional folk tunes?
New to the ocarina: Is that a real instrument?
Me: Yeah, check out David Ramos, under the pseudonym Docjazz 4, on Youtube.
