Why are my ocarina's high notes flat?
Most often, an ocarina's high notes will be flat because you are not blowing hard enough.
Ocarinas are tuned with a breath curve, where pressure must increase as you play higher notes. If your high notes are flat, there is a good chance that you are not blowing hard enough.
As holes are opened, air can escape the chamber, and the high notes become increasingly airy-sounding. To compensate for this, ocarinas are tuned with a pressure curve that ramps up towards the high end.
Using a chromatic tuner or your ear, finger one of the high notes and vary your pressure, gradually raising it until the note sounds in tune; you may be surprised just how much pressure is required relative to the low notes.
Other reasons for flat high notes
There are a number of other reasons an ocarina may have flat high notes, including:
- Playing in a cold environment.
- Shading finger holes.
These are discussed in the FAQ item Why does my ocarina have airy high notes?
