Ocarina
nellebelle
If not for this list, I would have been clueless. Or maybe it was the unschooling boards or alwayslearning. I know that it WAS somewhere unschooling that I first heard of an ocarina.
Today my husband, Pat, worked on a new project of placing boards in a crawl space above the utility room to give us storage for things like Christmas decorations or other things that we store but rarely need access to. As part of the process, he went through boxes stored in the garage and moved some of them to the new space.
At one point, he put an object onto the kitchen counter, but didn't say anything. When I looked at it, my first thought was some sort of smoking implement. I asked him about it and he said it was some musical thing. Then I thought, Ocarina! I did a web search and found some that look similar. It looks sort of like this http://www.grothmusic.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/online-store/scstore/p-IA0718.html?L+scstore+xzzt1866ffaca3ac+1105328956
but with an additional 8 holes on the other side. I can't quite figure out how to hold it. The way that seems logical at first results in my smallest fingers going on the largest holes. It is made of clay and painted and has markings that I can't really make out. Possibly says made in Africa. He thinks he bought it in the early to mid-70s at an auction his parents used to run.
He says he bought it because he thought it looked cool and it made music. He also has an old thumb piano and a xylophone-type wooden thing that has only 6 notes, instead of the 8 I am used to.
In other musical happenings, I am taking a 2 month beginning guitar class through our local parks and rec. I'd been playing around with some teach-yourself books, but decided I'd benefit from a regular class to get some human tips and have that motivation to *have-to* practice between classes. The instructor is part of a local musical duo that I've heard play many times locally. http://users.owt.com/humphrey/huha/
Lisa and Jackie both say they'd like to learn to play guitar too and have played around some with the 2 chords I showed them.
Mary Ellen
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Today my husband, Pat, worked on a new project of placing boards in a crawl space above the utility room to give us storage for things like Christmas decorations or other things that we store but rarely need access to. As part of the process, he went through boxes stored in the garage and moved some of them to the new space.
At one point, he put an object onto the kitchen counter, but didn't say anything. When I looked at it, my first thought was some sort of smoking implement. I asked him about it and he said it was some musical thing. Then I thought, Ocarina! I did a web search and found some that look similar. It looks sort of like this http://www.grothmusic.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/online-store/scstore/p-IA0718.html?L+scstore+xzzt1866ffaca3ac+1105328956
but with an additional 8 holes on the other side. I can't quite figure out how to hold it. The way that seems logical at first results in my smallest fingers going on the largest holes. It is made of clay and painted and has markings that I can't really make out. Possibly says made in Africa. He thinks he bought it in the early to mid-70s at an auction his parents used to run.
He says he bought it because he thought it looked cool and it made music. He also has an old thumb piano and a xylophone-type wooden thing that has only 6 notes, instead of the 8 I am used to.
In other musical happenings, I am taking a 2 month beginning guitar class through our local parks and rec. I'd been playing around with some teach-yourself books, but decided I'd benefit from a regular class to get some human tips and have that motivation to *have-to* practice between classes. The instructor is part of a local musical duo that I've heard play many times locally. http://users.owt.com/humphrey/huha/
Lisa and Jackie both say they'd like to learn to play guitar too and have played around some with the 2 chords I showed them.
Mary Ellen
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
pam sorooshian
On Jan 9, 2005, at 5:56 PM, nellebelle wrote:
-pam
> At one point, he put an object onto the kitchen counter, but didn'tYour husband was STREWING??? <BEG>
> say anything.
-pam
queenjane555
>I know that it WAS somewhere unschooling that I first heard of anI first heard the word "ocarina" from the Legend of Zelda game The
>ocarina.
Ocarina of Time. Then Seamus got a "real" ocarina (made out of clay
i think)at a Renaissance Festival. It makes really pretty sounds.
Its more round than the one in the picture posted though.
Katherine
[email protected]
In a message dated 1/9/05 6:57:27 PM, nellebelle@... writes:
<< It looks sort of like this
http://www.grothmusic.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/online-store/scstore/p-IA0718.html?L+scstore+xzzt1866ffaca3ac+1105328956
but with an additional 8 holes on the other side. I can't quite figure out
how to hold it. >>
Is it blue?
In the late 60's there were many (many) blue ocarinas of a style called a
"potato ocarina" and they have a ton of holes.
It's held horizontally, like a transverse (sideways) flute or piccolo.
Near where you blow into it there's one hole you don't cover up. That's the
fipple or sound hole, and it might be kind of sharp-edged (inside) with a
straight line.
There should be two thumb holes on the bottom. The left hand goes toward you
like you hold a harmonica. The right hand is held nearer your right cheek.
If you've seen pictures of fife and drum corps, hold it like that little fife.
So the holes on the left are covered with your left hand fingers pointing
toward your face, and the other set are covered with right hand facing (pointing)
toward your other hand, kinda.
Blow into it pretty softly and go "doo" when you blow so the note has a
strong and distinct beginning. It will make it easier to get the note started, and
will help keep moisture out of the ocarina. When you play it a lot it might
get spitty, but you'll learn how to keep your mouth more dry as you practice.
Some instruments need moisture (clarinets and other reed instruments) but
clay and wooden flutes of any kind do better with dry air.
I have a blue potato flute (bought at Candyman in Santa Fe in1968, when it
was a block off the plaza instead of over by the college) and I have a rosewood
four-hole ocarina (and a plastic version of that. I'm not good at any of
them. I know instruments as a librarian knows books she hasn't read. But there
are ways in which ocarinas are like recorders, and I know recorders.
http://www.AnitasOcarinas.com/
Looking for a fingering chart (not finding one), I found this. Look at the
note about Nintendo ordering some of her ocarinas, at the bottom!!
Sandra
<< It looks sort of like this
http://www.grothmusic.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.exe/online-store/scstore/p-IA0718.html?L+scstore+xzzt1866ffaca3ac+1105328956
but with an additional 8 holes on the other side. I can't quite figure out
how to hold it. >>
Is it blue?
In the late 60's there were many (many) blue ocarinas of a style called a
"potato ocarina" and they have a ton of holes.
It's held horizontally, like a transverse (sideways) flute or piccolo.
Near where you blow into it there's one hole you don't cover up. That's the
fipple or sound hole, and it might be kind of sharp-edged (inside) with a
straight line.
There should be two thumb holes on the bottom. The left hand goes toward you
like you hold a harmonica. The right hand is held nearer your right cheek.
If you've seen pictures of fife and drum corps, hold it like that little fife.
So the holes on the left are covered with your left hand fingers pointing
toward your face, and the other set are covered with right hand facing (pointing)
toward your other hand, kinda.
Blow into it pretty softly and go "doo" when you blow so the note has a
strong and distinct beginning. It will make it easier to get the note started, and
will help keep moisture out of the ocarina. When you play it a lot it might
get spitty, but you'll learn how to keep your mouth more dry as you practice.
Some instruments need moisture (clarinets and other reed instruments) but
clay and wooden flutes of any kind do better with dry air.
I have a blue potato flute (bought at Candyman in Santa Fe in1968, when it
was a block off the plaza instead of over by the college) and I have a rosewood
four-hole ocarina (and a plastic version of that. I'm not good at any of
them. I know instruments as a librarian knows books she hasn't read. But there
are ways in which ocarinas are like recorders, and I know recorders.
http://www.AnitasOcarinas.com/
Looking for a fingering chart (not finding one), I found this. Look at the
note about Nintendo ordering some of her ocarinas, at the bottom!!
Sandra
[email protected]
In a message dated 1/10/05 10:54:47 PM Eastern Standard Time,
[email protected] writes:
Pretty unschooly.
Elissa
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected] writes:
> I know that it WAS somewhere unschooling that I first heard of an ocarina.For me, it was The Legend of Zalda. <g>
>
Pretty unschooly.
Elissa
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]