Q&A for How to Make an Ocarina with Your Hands

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  • Question
    Can I play a music by this?
    Community Answer
    Well, yes, but remember to keep all the gaps closed. It may take a lot of practice, sometimes even people who are very good at it are not able to do this!
  • Question
    Should there be a spot for the air to escape at all?
    Community Answer
    No. Only ever let air out if you are changing the pitch.
  • Question
    It did not work for me, and I've tried 25 times! What am I doing wrong?
    Community Answer
    You might have too much air coming through. Remember, when it's your first whistle, you want to seal up every little crack.
  • Question
    Is it better to have wet, or dry hands for this?
    Community Answer
    It's better to have dry hands because it makes it easier to both seal up cracks, and have the sound vibrate off your fingers.
  • Question
    Should I lick my lips before blowing?
    Community Answer
    If it helps you then, yes. First, try doing it dry then lick your lips. Whichever one sounds better do that one.
  • Question
    I've covered every crack, have a narrow hole, but only have a soft sound. How can I fix this?
    Community Answer
    Make sure your hands are tight together and don't blow directly into the hole.
  • Question
    How do I make a really loud noise with this?
    Community Answer
    Practice until you get quite good at it. Then you will just have to experiment until you can do it loudly. I've gotten mine to get quite loud, but I've been doing it for years.
  • Question
    How hard do I need to blow to get a sound?
    Community Answer
    You shouldn't need to blow too hard, but it depends on the shape of your thumbs. (I normally blow at a steady pace though.)
  • Question
    What am I doing wrong if I only get a lot of air going through my hands?
    Community Answer
    Try blowing more softly. Don't press your lips too hard on the thumb; just lay them without crushing them.
  • Question
    How do you not directly not blow into the hole?
    Community Answer
    Lift your mouth very slightly above the hole, perhaps?
  • Question
    Is it supposed to make a loud farting noise when I blow?
    Community Answer
    No. For best results, don't jam your hands against your lips; lightly rest them and blow smoothly and steadily.
  • Question
    Should there be space between my hands when playing the ocarina?
    Community Answer
    No. Try to create as little space as you can unless you’re changing the pitch.
  • Question
    Are there ways to make it sound different?
    Community Answer
    Yes, try lifting your right hand and the pitch should be higher. And try a different variety of spaces with your hands. The more space, the higher the pitch, the less space, the lower the pitch.
  • Question
    Does it matter if my teeth are not straight?
    Community Answer
    No, your teeth will not affect your ability to do this, nor the sound it makes when you do it.
  • Question
    Where can I find a simpler explanation?
    Community Answer
    Jeremy Shafer has a great video that I used to learn this. It's called "How to Handwhistle," and his YouTube channel is "Jeremyshafervariety."
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