Zelda Inspired 12 Hole Ocarina – Plastic Soprano C by Focalink

A friend of mine recently got a clay alto C ocarina on a business trip to Shanghai. Playing it a little, as well as watching youtube videos of ocarina playing inspired me to purchase my own. After a little research, I found the Focalink ocarinas, made by Zack Shih in Taiwan to be highly recommended by many independent sources. Most praise amounted to them being both quality instruments, and fairly priced, and I would now agree with both of those descriptions. I chose this soprano because I wanted to give ocarinas a try, and it was the cheapest option that promised a quality musical experience. Also, I have a two year old son, and wanted something sturdy that he could handle without risk of harming.The tone of this instrument is pleasant and round. There are not a lot of overtones in the audible range, so it's a very pure sound. I don't think it sounds plasticky, but maybe a little brighter than clay. The intonation sounds good to me, though I haven't checked it against a tuner. I found it easy to pick out several songs right away with almost no prior ocarina experience. A fingering chart and a pamphlet of tabbed out songs come in the box. This instrument is capable of playing all the chromatic pitches from A5 to F7, an octave plus a minor sixth, which makes it possible to play quite a range of tunes, and many of them in multiple keys. That's a lot of music available to the player for a pretty great price, and in a very small package. It takes more breath support to play the higher notes in tune. This leads to a little more volume on higher notes and a little less on lower notes, which often makes musical sense anyway. I'd say that volume and pitch are more independent than on the recorder, but less independent than on a transverse flute.Although, I might prefer to have one of these in a terra-cotta, burgundy, or black color, basically, the only thing I didn't totally love about this instrument was how high pitched it is. This was not a surprise; I knew the range before I bought it. Although it is high, I don't find it too shrill or piercing. However, the sound is very focused. I played it a little bit while walking home from work across a valley, and the whole valley seemed to resonate with the sound of the little ocarina. That made me a little self conscious--although several neighbors have appreciated hearing the "Concerning Hobbits" melody coming from my ocarina in the garden or the field. Three days after buying this soprano, I ordered the alto (one octave lower) to get something more mellow. My wife likes the sound of the alto a lot better, but I like both of them.This instrument is sturdy, plays nearly two chromatic octaves, and fits easily in a pocket, or comfortably on the supplied lanyard around my neck. If you plan on playing outdoors or far from others, and you don't have very large hands, I'd highly recommend this instrument, whether you have a lot of musical experience or not. However, if you think you'd like the alto in the future, I would get it first. It's only a little less portable, and there are more settings in which you'll be able to play it. I will write a separate review of the alto soon.

I'm a life-long collector of ethnic folk flutes. I'm hugely impressed with both the construction and the intonation of this little blue soprano. To get *really* good at playing any instrument, you have to put in dozens - then hundreds - and ultimately, thousands of hours. To move in that direction, it helps to have an instrument you can take anywhere, without fear of losing or breaking it - what helps with that is durability and replacability. Focalink's plastic ocarinas are highly durable, and if you do need to replace one, it's not gonna bankrupt you. My very large hands are more suited to an alto C - so I have a couple of those now - but sopranos have this seductive tonal sweetness to them - almost like a song bird. There is something uniquely impressive about seeing somebody grab their tiny little 'toy' plastic necklace and produce mind-blowing music on it. Search YouTube for a video of Osawa playing 'Fly Me to The Moon' (title of video is "Plastic Ocarinas Performance at Music Fair Japan 2011 in Yokohama") on two different ocarinas, accompanied only by a pianist. He uses two different plastic Focalink ocarinas, and the soprano he uses (from @ 3:00 until the end of the clip) is a pink Brio - identical to this blue one in every respect, except for the color. When you see this masterful virtuoso play a jazz standard, you're gonna be sold - on both Osawa (the man is a national and international treasure) and plastic Focalink ocarinas as great beginning instruments for learning to play. So, If you've got unusually large hands, you might prefer an alto, but for most adults, and any curious kid, this soprano is a great starter. One last note - the blue plastic is a gorgeous lapis - deeper than royal blue, but not quite as dark as midnight. The photos here simply don't do it justice.

I like the fact that it's 12 holes and gives you the ability to hit sharps and flats but...it's kind of loud. Well that would be okay if the soprano key wasn't so ear piercing. Almost makes your ears itch if you really blow. Also, my fingers aren't the biggest but they still have trouble playing this ocarina. I say this because I used to have the same ocarina only it was either a tenor or alto...either way it was bigger.This product is more for celtic sounding music. Good product if you are looking for that sound and if your hands can work the flute.

The product itself is great for what you are paying. It can make a nice tune and is a good start for getting into the hobby. But my problem was I didn't research before buying this ocarina. Being an adult with normal sized hands if found it too small, but this is not an intrinsic product flaw, but instead just how sopranos are made. The other thing I learned about this ocarina and other soprano ocarinas is that they have a very high pitched sound and do not possess the ability to make the lower notes.Overall my suggestion is if you are a teenager or above go with an Alto C ocarina (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Base). I suggest also going with the one made by Focalink as though my research I found their company as one of the most reliable and most used among those well versed in the use of ocarina. But if you are a child I suggest Soprano, being it would be very simple for smaller hands to cover the holes.Your best bet in the end would be to go to youtube and listen to the different types of ocarina and hear which one you like best. No matter if you have big hands or small ones, each type of ocarina is playable.Hope you enjoy your future ocarina<3 Zig