Play the ocarina online
Tap, click or type to play a recorded ocarina, from A4 to E6.
Tap a note or press Z to start
How to play the ocarina with your keyboard
The bottom letter row of your computer keyboard plays the notes, and the row above it plays the sharps, like the keys of a piano.
- Click or tap a note, or press a key from Z to / on your computer keyboard.
- Hold the key to keep the note sounding. Let go to stop, as if you stopped blowing.
- Press ← to reach the lowest notes, A4 to B4, and → to come back.
- Choose a sound above the ocarina. You can switch sounds while you play.
- SC♯5
- DD♯5
- GF♯5
- HG♯5
- JA♯5
- LC♯6
- ;D♯6
- ZC5
- XD5
- CE5
- VF5
- BG5
- NA5
- MB5
- ,C6
- .D6
- /E6
- 2C♯5
- 3D♯5
- 5F♯5
- 6G♯5
- 7A♯5
- 9C♯6
- 0D♯6
- QC5
- WD5
- EE5
- RF5
- TG5
- YA5
- UB5
- IC6
- OD6
- PE6
Five recorded sounds
Every note comes from a recording of a real instrument: one ocarina played two ways, two recorders and a flute. Pick one here or above the ocarina.
Ocarina
An ocarina played with a steady, straight breath: a round, pure tone with almost no overtones.
Ocarina with vibrato
The same ocarina with a gentle breath vibrato, the way many players warm up a long note.
Alto recorder
A baroque alto recorder: soft and woody, with a little more edge than the ocarina.
Soprano recorder
A baroque soprano recorder, the small recorder many children first learn at school. Clear and bright.
Flute
A concert flute played without vibrato: airy and smooth, with more breath in the tone.
A free ocarina for practice and fun
This online ocarina plays twenty notes, from A4 to E6, which covers most of the range of an alto ocarina. Open the page and play: there is nothing to install and no account.
Use it to work out a tune before you pick up a real ocarina, to practise a melody with a class, or just to play with your children. It also lets you hear how an ocarina differs from a recorder and a flute.
Like a real ocarina, it plays one note at a time, and each note lasts as long as you hold it. The notes are real recordings with a soft room sound, so even a simple tune sounds like breath and not like a beep.
Questions
Is this online ocarina free?
Yes. It is free to use, with no sign-up and no download. It runs in any modern browser.
How do I play the ocarina with my computer keyboard?
The bottom letter row, from Z to /, plays C5 to E6, and the sharps are on the row above it. Press ← and the top row, from Q to P, plays C5 to E6 while N, J and M play A4 to B4. Press → to go back.
Can I play on a phone or tablet?
Yes. Tap a note and hold it for as long as you want it to sound. Slide your finger along the notes to glide between them. On an iPhone, turn off silent mode if you hear nothing.
Can I connect a MIDI keyboard?
Yes, in Chrome, Edge and Opera. Press MIDI and allow access. Your MIDI keyboard then plays the selected sound, one note at a time.
Can I change the sound while I play?
Yes. Pick another sound at any time. A note that is already sounding finishes on the old sound, and new notes use the new one as soon as it has loaded.
Why does only one note sound at a time?
An ocarina has a single chamber, so it plays one note at a time, and so do a recorder and a flute. If you hold two keys, the newer one sounds, and letting it go brings back the other. Double and triple ocarinas with two or three chambers exist for playing harmony.