Editing Ocarina (section)

==Musical performance==
=== Tone production and acoustics ===

{{See also|Vessel flute#Acoustics}}

How an ocarina works:
# Air enters through the windway
# Air strikes the [[fipple|labium]], producing sound
# Air pulses in and out of the ocarina, as the vessel resonates a specific pitch (see [[Helmholtz resonator]])
# Covering holes lowers the pitch; uncovering holes raises the pitch
# Blowing more softly lowers the pitch; blowing harder raises it. Breath force can change the pitch by several semitones, of which about a third of a semitone either way is useful.<ref name=breath_curve>{{cite web|url=https://pureocarinas.com/playing-techniques/learning-to-play/playing-in-tune-and-managing-the-breath-curve |title=Playing the ocarina in tune – ocarina intonation |publisher=Pure Ocarinas |access-date=2018-03-30}}</ref> Too much or too little air will harm the tone.<ref name="temp_sensitivity">{{cite web |last1=Hickman |first1=Robert |title=How air temperature affects an ocarina's pitch |url=https://pureocarinas.com/about-the-ocarina/ocarina-temperature-sensitivity |website=Pureocarinas.com |access-date=8 March 2021}}</ref> This is why ocarinas generally have no tuning mechanism or dynamic range, and why it is hard to learn to play one in tune.

The airstream is directed on the labium by a [[fipple]] or internal duct, which is a narrowing rectangular slot in the mouthpiece, rather than relying on the player's lips as in a [[transverse flute]]. Like other flutes, the airstream alternates quickly between the inner and outer face of the labium as the pressure in the ocarina chamber oscillates.

At first, the sound is a broad-spectrum "noise" (i.e. "chiff"), but those frequencies that are identical with the fundamental frequency of the resonating chamber (which depends on the fingering), are selectively amplified. A [[Helmholtz resonator|Helmholtz resonating chamber]] is unusually selective in amplifying a single frequency. Most resonators also amplify more [[overtones]].<ref name="Musical Acoustics pp.473">{{cite book|title=Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics|last=Benade|first=Arthur H.|author-link=Arthur Benade|year=1990|publisher=Dover Publications|isbn=9780486264844|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cCW5Ng0UfYYC|pages=473–476}}</ref> As a result, ocarinas and other [[vessel flute]]s have a distinctive overtoneless sound.

Unlike many flutes, ocarinas do not rely on pipe length to produce a particular tone. Instead, the tone is dependent on the ratio of the total surface area of opened holes to the total cubic volume enclosed by the instrument.<ref name=physicsocarinaforest>{{cite web | publisher = ocarinaforest.com | title = Ocarina Physics | url = http://ocarinaforest.com/info/physics/how-ocarinas-work/ | access-date = 2012-12-30 | date = 2012-12-24 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130314100538/http://ocarinaforest.com/info/physics/how-ocarinas-work/ | archive-date = 2013-03-14 }}</ref> This means that, unlike a [[transverse flute]] or [[recorder (musical instrument)|recorder]], sound is created by resonance of the entire cavity and the placement of the holes on an ocarina is largely irrelevant – their size is the most important factor. Instruments that have toneholes close to the voicing/embouchure should be avoided, however; as an ocarina is a [[Helmholtz resonance|Helmholtz resonator]], this weakens tonal production.

The [[resonator]] in the ocarina can create [[overtone]]s, but because of the common "egg" shape, these overtones are many octaves above the keynote scale.<ref name="Musical Acoustics pp.473"/> In similar [[vessel flute|Helmholtz resonator instruments]] with a narrow cone shape, like the [[Gemshorn]] or [[Tonette]], some partial overtones are available. The technique of [[overblowing]] to get a range of higher-pitched notes is possible with the ocarina but not widely used because the resulting note is not "clean" enough, so the range of pitches available is limited by the total area of the holes.

Some ocarina makers bypass these physical limitations by creating ocarinas that have two or three resonating chambers, each with their own windway and [[fipple|labium]]. There are two main systems that dictate how these additional chambers are tuned: the Asian system and the Pacchioni system. The Asian system maximizes range by beginning each chamber one semitone higher than the highest note of the previous chamber. The Pacchioni system instead focuses on smoothing the transition between chambers by overlapping their ranges slightly, thereby making it easier to play melodies that fall in that range.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hickman |first1=Robert |title=Multichamber ocarinas and their tuning systems |url=https://pureocarinas.com/about-the-ocarina/multichamber-ocarinas-and-their-tunings |website=Pure Ocarinas |access-date=8 January 2020}}</ref>

===Musical notation and tablature===
Ocarina music is written in three main ways. The most apparent is the use of sheet music. There are archives of [[sheet music]] either specifically written for ocarinas, or adapted from piano sheet music. Since some ocarinas are fully [[chromatic]] and can be played in [[professional]] musical situations, including [[classical music|classical]] and [[Folk music|folk]], sheet music is an ideal notation for ocarinas.

Second is the use of numerical tablature, which expresses the musical notes as numbers. Some makers have developed their own system of numerical [[tablature]] for their ocarinas, while others follow a more universal system where numbers correspond to different notes on the scale. This method is typically used by beginners who have not learned to read sheet music.

A third method uses a pictorial tablature similar to the ocarina's finger hole pattern, with blackened holes that represent holes to cover. The tablature represents the holes on the top of the ocarina, and, where necessary, the holes on the underside. This enables easy playing, particularly for beginners. The two most popular tablature systems are:
* The John Taylor four-hole system (invented in 1964 by British mathematician John Taylor)
* The 10 hole sweet potato system (invented by [[Giuseppe Donati]] of Budrio Italy)
Depending on the artist, some may write a number or figure over the picture to depict how many beats to hold the note.<ref name=fingeringcharts>{{cite web | publisher = www.hindocarina.com | title = Ocarina Fingering Charts | url = http://hindocarina.com/enjoy/fingering.shtml | access-date = 2007-04-21 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080129090713/http://hindocarina.com/enjoy/fingering.shtml | archive-date = 2008-01-29 | url-status = live }}</ref>

===Articulation===
{{See also|Tin Whistle#Ornamentation}}
Due to its lack of keys, the ocarina shares many articulations with the [[tin whistle]], such as cuts, strikes, rolls, and slides.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hickman |first1=Robert |title=Articulating notes on the ocarina |url=https://pureocarinas.com/ocarina-tutorial/ocarina-ornamentation |website=Pure Ocarinas |access-date=8 January 2020}}</ref> However, tonguing is used more often on ocarina than on tin whistle, and vibrato is always achieved through adjusting breath pressure instead of with the fingers.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hickman |first1=Robert |title=Ornamentation on the ocarina |url=https://pureocarinas.com/ocarina-tutorial/ocarina-ornamentation |website=Pure Ocarinas |access-date=8 January 2020}}</ref>