Ocarina

wind instrument · clay · music · Italy

Egg-shaped vessel. An ocarina is a hollow instrument that looks a bit like a small egg or potato with a spout sticking out. The enclosed space inside is what makes it special, trapping the air you blow in to create its warm, gentle sound.

Finger holes make melodies. Most ocarinas have 4 to 12 holes you cover with your fingers, just like a flute or recorder. By opening and closing different combinations of holes, you can play different notes and create full songs.

Invented in Italy. A teenager named Giuseppe Donati created the ocarina in 1853 when he was only 17 years old. He made each one by hand from clay and even came up with the name ocarina, which means 'little goose' in Italian.

Made from many materials. While traditional ocarinas are crafted from clay or ceramic, modern ones can be made from plastic, wood, glass, metal, or even bone. Each material creates a slightly different tone and feel in your hands.

Beautiful, mellow tone. Because the sound comes from a closed space rather than an open tube, ocarinas produce a soft, warm tone that many people find really peaceful and pretty to listen to.