The ocarina is one of the world’s oldest wind instruments, with a history believed to span over 12,000 years. Variations of ocarina-type instruments have played an important role in ancient Chinese and Mesoamerican cultures, evolving over time into many different shapes, sizes, and hole configurations.
This 12-hole Alto C ocarina is professionally crafted from kiln-fired ceramic and finished with a smooth, durable glaze that is both beautiful and long-lasting. Carefully tuned for accuracy and balance, it produces a warm, clear tone with excellent resonance across the full range.
Designed to be beginner-friendly yet expressive, the ocarina is easy to learn. Its fingering system is similar to that of a recorder, making it intuitive for first-time players, while offering a richer, more lyrical sound and a uniquely sculptural form.
Dimensions - Length: 19.5 cm - Width: 4.5 cm - Height: 10.2 cm
Tips for a Beautiful Sound
- Use articulation, not just air. Instead of simply blowing into the ocarina, gently shape the sound with your tongue, as if saying “to” or “do.” This helps the note start cleanly and makes the tone warmer and fuller.
- Keep the airflow steady and relaxed. Avoid forcing air. Let the sound speak naturally with controlled breath support.
- Adjust breath pressure for different notes. Lower notes need gentler air, while higher notes require slightly more support.
- Make sure finger holes are fully covered. Even a small gap can cause notes to sound airy or out of tune.
- Warm up the instrument with a few minutes of gentle playing to help stabilise tone and tuning.
Care, Cleaning & Storage
- After playing, gently wipe the exterior with a soft, dry cloth to remove moisture.
- Allow the ocarina to air-dry before storing, especially after long practice sessions.
- Do not rinse with water or submerge, as moisture inside the instrument can affect tuning.
- When not in use for extended periods, store the ocarina in a padded bag (included) in a dry, stable environment, away from extreme heat, cold, or humidity.
- Avoid dropping or knocking the ocarina, as ceramic instruments are naturally fragile.
With proper care and relaxed playing technique, this ocarina will reward you with a beautiful, expressive sound for many years to come.
Ocarina 12 Hole Alto C Teal - I purchased it for its $10 discount over a Stein Rose model. Despite its slightly lower price tag, and (assumed) different brand, it plays really well. Even as a complete beginner, I was able to play in tune, with a linear, comfortable breath curve, and even pull off some extended range techniques by Milt. 10/10 for its price and appearance. It came with a basic padded carry bag, beaded strap, and fingering chart/song book.
Minor nitpicks:
1) i did not realise at first, that it was not itself a Stein model (box labeled made in china, seemed generic), as the landing page for ocarinas stated "we proudly carry Focalink Stein (Fengya) ocarinas" which at first read I thought that the whole range was by Stein. Thats partially my fault though, so no stars deducted.
2) The photos of the teal model appear to be AI or slightly modified? It would not hurt to have real photos representing the model, so that folks are not deceived about how it looks. e.g. the crackle glaze pattern in reality is a lot more dense than the edited photos. The photos do not affect the performance of the instrument though so no stars deducted.
The Rose series by Focalink is a beautiful ocarina. I love the cracked pottery look on the teal model. Tone is beautiful particularly on the high notes.
This is a beautiful bass c ocarina; it has a lovely tone. For a beginner it’s a bit of a challenge to get use to (it’s bigger and much heavier than alto c), but with regular practice it gets better. Most importantly it’s perfectly in tune. I’m happy with my purchase
An amazing, high-quality instrument delivered with excellent customer service. The staff assisted me in making a terrific selection. I couldn't be happier!
Little Kalimba Shop came to my rescue today with their speedy processing time and allowing me to pick up same day. This ocarina look beautiful, sounds amazing and everything you did to support me and brighten my day allowed me to accompany my ukulele group with this gorgeous instrument adding a little flare to our music tonight! I'm looking forward to making more memories with this amazing instrument in gigs!
A beautiful instrument, no cracks or scratches. Comes with a little velvet bag, and a beaded cord.
Low and mid notes play beautifully smooth, but the top notes can be more difficult to manage.
Overall an amazing Ocarina that’s clearly well made and of higher quality.
Had a great experience with Melodic Forest. Hankered after a bass, which arrived quickly and is a beautiful sounding instrument. Can’t play much yet, but a quality ocarina is a wonderful thing that can do so much, from slow and other-worldly to jaunty and dashing. Thank you!
My heart was filled with joy when my ocarina arrived in the mail. I love the sound when I play it, and when I hold it, it feels so right. It is truly a beautiful instrument. Thank you, Melodic Forest, for the support and encouragement. Thank you for creating such a beautiful space.
Store owner replied:
Hi Angela,
Sorry to hear you're having trouble with your ocarina.
The Focalink Stein series is widely regarded as an industry benchmark for tuning accuracy and is considered one of the most accurately tuned ocarinas available.
Could you please send us a short video of you playing it? We'd like to rule out any transit damage. If the instrument was damaged during shipping and developed a crack, that could certainly affect the sound, although this is quite rare.
Other than transit damage, it is very unlikely that the tuning itself is incorrect. Ocarina is a proper musical instrument and requires correct technique, including breath control, fingering, airflow, and articulation. Unlike many other sound healing instruments, it does not automatically sound good without practice. Even a professional-quality $300 ocarina can sound like a plastic recorder if played with incorrect technique.
Once we receive a video, we'll be happy to have a look and provide some tips to help you get the sound the instrument is designed to produce. If we identify a genuine quality issue or shipping damage, we will of course provide a refund or replacement.
Kind regards,
Tiffany
Very high quality and I love the storage bag that is included. Beautiful sound and look.
My first ocarina. After about 1 hours practice I can play a few songs. I find it easy to play, comfy to hold, no trouble getting enough air to make the alto F sing well. The sound is beautiful. It would sound even better in a room with good acoustics or with a microphone. Very similar fingerings to a recorder so its quite intuitive for me. Im very happy with my purchase. Ill be buying an alto C and probably a bass ocarina soon. The ocarina can play two full octaves of notes which is half an octave less than a recorder, although the highest recorder notes are difficult to play well and very high pitched. Im using my recorder book 1 and that's working just fine for learning ocarina. If you can, buy an ocarina!
Once again, Melodic Forest has delivered.
The parcel arrived, the ocarina wrapped in many protective layers. I was so excited to open the parcel as I could hardly wait to see and hold my new ocarina. Then I "played" it, and my heart filled with joy. I look forward to my music time every day.
I know I am a beginner but it just sounds airy and you can’t hear any difference between the notes. Nothing like the sample sound obviously that was a different instrument. Since writing this review the company has got back to me and I now know I had the wrong technique. So for any people reading this review please be aware that it isn’t the easiest instrument to pick up but worth it if you put in the effort
This is great, beautiful to hold and play. The video i watched said it can take years to master this, now I understand. Some of the notes, when I get them steady, feel soothing, in an ancient way.
Ordering was as easy as can be and delivery was super fast (even living in regional WA!) I loved the packaging and the cord, which I think would look equally good as a necklace (I did not like hanging the Okarina around my neck).
I used to play the recorder 55 years ago. I found the Ocarina very similar in the fingering. It will take a while to really "get" it, but I am looking forward to the journey!
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