How to Make a Sweet Potato Ocarina out of clay, instructions on how to make a ceramic 10 finger hole ocarina...
Ocarina Construction Tips
Here are some suggestions if you want a crisper sound:
1. Make the voicing smaller (about 1/3 smaller) This will make the lowest note easier to overblow, so this is a delicate balance.
2. Widen (from side to side) the exit slot of the wind way (see pictures below)
3. Narrow the exit slot (from top to bottom) This will focus the air stream for a crisper sound. There is a delicate balance. If it is made too narrow, the high notes might sound "whistle-y" or squeaky.
4. Widen the entrance of the wind way. The breath is compressed as it moves toward the narrower exit slot. The air moves faster, and less breath pressure is needed.
The diagram below shows the tapered wind way (steps 3 and 4).
5. Under cut finger holes. This allows you to keep them smaller. If you have two finger holes of equal size, one under cut, and the other not, the undercut finger hole will raise the pitch higher than the non-under cut finger hole.
6. On the voicing labium edge (lip), make the upper ramp less steep (flatter). Cut the underside of the ramp (labium edge) so it is also flatter. The edge should be a narrow wedge, not a wide one. (see diagram below)
Many Japanese and American makers use an "open construction" method when building their ocarinas. This is when they cut the voicings and sometimes the finger holes before the ocarina body halves are joined. Constructing ocarinas this way makes it much easier to cut the voicing, in particular. There is plenty of room to maneuver, and you can really see what you are doing.
The blue lines in figures 1 and 3 show the cutting line that I find works best (for me) for open construction. The ocarina is cut lengthwise.
