How to Make a 12-Hole Ocarina
- 1). Mold the clay into the shape you want for the ocarina, ensuring there are no air bubbles in the clay. Cut the ocarina horizontally into two pieces.
- 2). Hollow out the inside of both halves, leaving the edges about 6mm thick. Smooth the insides with your fingers.
- 3). Place the two parts together and hold the ocarina gently as if you were playing it. Indent marks where you want the holes to be, including the two thumb holes on the underside of the ocarina.
- 4). Separate the two parts and lay them on a flat surface. Use drill bits to make holes in the ocarina. Initially, make the holes smaller rather than bigger than you think you will need them. Make the hole in the mouthpiece 7/8mm in diameter.
- 5). Use a knife or clay tool to remove the excess clay from the insides of the ocarina. Smooth the clay with your fingers.
- 6). Cut a ramp around the sound hole in the mouthpiece and smooth the clay. Use a nail file or Popsicle stick to make the airway at a straight angle toward the ramp, the same diameter as the sound hole and 1 or 2mm long. If you look through the airway, you should be able to see the edge of the ramp.
- 7). Keep the nail file or Popsicle stick inside the airway to reduce the risk of collapse of the model. Make cuts across the raw edges of the ocarina halves.
- 8). Take some dry pieces of clay and place them in water. Leave them to sit for 15 minutes and then stir the mixture until you have created a paste. Smear both halves of the cut edge with this clay solution. Remove any drips from inside the ocarina and press the two halves together. Seal the closed edges with fresh clay.
- 9). Blow into the ocarina to test the sound. Don't blow for long periods of time, as this will soften the clay. Adjust the shape of mouth piece with a clay tool or knife until the tone sounds ideal.
- 10
Cover all 12 holes and blow into the ocarina. Test the pitch using the chromatic tuner. Tune the ocarina by widening or undercutting holes, using the ocarina finger chart to discover which finger patterns should create each pitch. - 11
Dry the ocarina in a place away from direct sunlight. When completely dry, sandpaper the ocarina to remove any bumps and place it in a kiln.
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