Hand Made Double Alto G Ocarina

Pure Ocarinas double alto G ocarina with a plain finish

Reviews

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Technical Information

Playing range: F♯4 to G6

Tuning standard: A440 at 20°C

Weight: 350g

Finish Options

Description

The Pure Double Alto G ocarina is a hand made double ocarina with Asian fingering, playing two octaves. The highest note on the second chamber is a split hole, the ocarina has no right thumb hole.

Watch another performance on this instrument

Pure Ocarinas include many innovations designed to help you play better, including:

Hand made in the UK

Pure Ocarinas are hand made in the United Kingdom by Robert Hickman. Robert has been making ocarinas since 2011 and being both a player and maker gives him a unique perspective, influencing the design of his instruments.

Improved Ergonomics

Pure Ocarinas were designed from the start as concert quality musical instruments, and great ergonomics is a key focus. They are carefully balanced to sit comfortably in the hand, with ergonomically placed and angled finger holes.

All Pure Ocarinas have a functional tail and cappello that make it easier to hold the ocarina on the high notes. These support points can be used in combination with the 3 point grip, a technique that keeps the right hand fingers close to their finger holes when playing the high notes. Using these support points allows large leaps to be played easily.

The physical weight of the ocarina has also been reduced, as it is easier to support a lighter instrument.

Learn more about ergonomics --->

Great chamber balance

Our multichamber ocarinas place a great deal of attention on balancing the breath pressure requirements between chambers. The first chamber is tuned with a shallow linear breath curve, like the single chambers. The Second chamber is then tuned to begin from the pressure of the high end of the first chamber, and increases even more gently. Having a shallow and predictable breath curve makes it easier for you to play complex music with good intonation.

Tuning

The tuning of Pure Ocarinas are individually adjusted by hand to ensure an even breath curve over the entire playing range. All glaze is cleaned out of the holes before firing as stray glaze would mess up the tuning.

These ocarinas are tuned to play in a440 concert pitch at 20 degrees centigrade, with a shallow breath curve that is consistent over the instrument's entire range.

How the different finishes feel

It is important to note that different finishes feel different to play. I can summarise as follows:

  • Shellac. Natural shellac has been used to finish ocarinas for hundreds of years. It is durable and has a good feel, but can feel slightly sticky if your fingers are damp.
  • Plain. The plain surface of the ceramic. A plain finish is advantageous if you tend to have damp fingers as earthenware is porous. It will absorb finger moisture and keep your fingers dry, resulting in a more consistent feel. Though it does stain over time and can only be cleaned by re-firing to burn it out.

Sliding movements on shellac ocarinas can be made significantly easier by covering your fingers with talk or chalk dust. This serves to absorb any moisture present and prevents the gripping surface of the skin touching the instrument.

I personally prefer plain finished ocarinas as it has the best feel to me. The staining does not bother me as they age to a slightly yellowed appearance similar to old bone, a likeness frequently cited by people who have seen my instruments.

Reviews

Item Rating: 5 of 5

Concert Quality!

I am very impressed with the sound and quality of my new DAG! It has exceeded my expectations and I can't get enough of practicing with it just to hear the music it makes. My first thought was "this is concert quality!"

It feels natural in my hands, although this is my first double chamber so I need a bit of getting used to it but the holes are all intuitively placed. If you are like me and used to a single chamber in C, it's actually quite easy to get used to this, easier than I thought it would be, and with the added benefit of extended range.

The breath curve is easy, not forced at all, and the balance is perfect. I ordered it unglazed (I would add for other women, you might want to order with the mouthpiece glazed, as I think lipstick will stain it but if you don't mind staining, then the unglazed allows for the lips to slide effortlessly). The texture feels incredibly smooth in my hands, and my fingers glide effortlessly.

I cannot recommend this enough for anyone who wants to enjoy making beautiful and clear music. I love that low G, and the high G impressed me to no end. My ears don't like high shrill notes, but the high notes on here are very smooth and pleasant to my ear, no shrillness or airiness, just a lovely pure tone. I tried blowing the notes a bit softer and a bit harder, and it still sounded great, so you don't need to master precise breathing to sound great right off the bat, unlike other ocarinas I've tried.

The precision that went into making this is astounding. Robert is truly a master of his craft.


Item Rating: 5 of 5

Truly a fine instrument

I received my Ocarina yesterday and I've had difficulty putting it down. The breath curve is incredibly even and the tone is crystal clear. The design is very ergonomic. The weight of a double Ocarina is something to get used to but the added range is so welcome. It's opening up the amount of repertoire I can play and the Chambers are tuned exquisitely. I don't think I can quite express just how beautiful and resonant the tone is. I fully recommend this to musicians who want a quality, capable instrument for their Ocarina!!


Item Rating: 5 of 5

Amazing DAG

I received my ocarina today, I played on it a couple of hours and I wanted to write a review tonight just because I wished I would have found more reviews here and got it sooner. :)
It is an amazing musical instrument in the way it looks, plays and sounds. I am very happy with it! The fact that it is not a high breath ocarina and that I do not need ear plugs when I play it makes it my dream ocarina. Looking forward to play a lot of music with it! Thank you a lot for such a fine instrument!


Item Rating: 5 of 5

A work of art and engineering

The tone on the DAG ocarina is clean and responsive. Breath pressure feels perfect throughout the range. This ocarina allows me to play expressively without issues like overblowing or breath cuts. The ergonomics are incredible and make me want to play this ocarina for hours. Perfectly in tune. Pure ocarinas are a work of ocarina engineering!


Item Rating: 5 of 5

Ideal Ocarina

I am very fortunate to be an owner of this ocarina. Perfectly crafted, perfect ergonomics, perfect balance between chambers and amazing tone. Highly recommended - these are serious ocarinas for the serious ocarina player.

Here is a video I made using Pure Double Ocarina in G: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8lWcc7JryM


Item Rating: 5 of 5

Nice sound, well balanced ocarina

I bought this ocarina last year and had the chance to experiment with it for a while. It is a perfect ocarina for practice and play in a closed ambient. It has many features that I like. Ergonomics is very good, it is easy and intuitive to reach both chambers with the fingers, without pivoting the thumb to position properly. The angle of blowing has a thin direction, you need to get used to it at first but this is very good, because you can play legato passages, switching back and forth the chambers fast and very easy, without inserting wonky noise by blowing in both chambers.

The ocarina does not require acute bend on any note, but contrarily the acute bend might worsen the sound. This makes it flexible, you can easily play in tune, standing up, sitting on a chair or laying in bed. Characteristic is soft blown, sound is nice with any breathing technique, for beginners might create bad reflex to blow without proper breathing down the diafragm to create the round sound.

You can also play loud if needed, by overblowing with up to a semitone without becoming airy on high notes.

I recommend this ocarina, it is surprisingly comfortable, it has its own mood and 'personality' and I will be interested in a potential double C in the future.


Item Rating: 5 of 5

Double Alto G Ocarina

This is an amazing functional work of art! The tones are so pure I cant imagine how Robert accomlished this. My husband and I both own some nice ocarinas from other makers but this one is my most favoret, it blows me away how simple it is to change chambers and the harmony from both chambers at once is out of this world pure, true and oh so BEAUTIFUL!
It's real music!

I love how smooth the unfinished surface is, I got my lip part only lacquered but as smooth as the body surface is I didn't need to, but still my lips move effortlessly from one chamber to the next. The finger holes are just right, not too big and not too small.

The distance between the holes are perfect for changing both notes as well as chambers.

I am in love with Roberts work!
It is pure joy to play my PureOcarina, thanks so much Robert!


Item Rating: 5 of 5

Wonderful Double Alto G

Hello Robert, I wanted to wait til I had a chance to give this ocarina a really good workout before I emailed you. I'm soooo glad that I opted for the unshellacked mouthpiece! I absolutely LOVE how easy this is to change chambers! This has now become my favourite double ocarina!

Thank you!
Robbyn


Item Rating: 5 of 5

Another great creation from Pure

I purchased this ocarina at the International Ocarina Festival in Budrio, in 2017.

I always admired Robert's work, and i was looking forward to try out his new DAG. I found out they were even better than what i thought! The ergonomics of this ocarina are great and it feels really comfortable, way more than another double i bought at the same festival from another maker. The sound is deep and dreamy. It has become my new favourite!

I'll be waiting for the DAC!