Ocarina roundup
The Best Ocarinas for the Money
There's no single best ocarina — just the right one for your budget and how far you want to take it. Here's how the price tiers actually break down.
"Best" is a slippery word when it comes to an ocarina, because the right one depends entirely on who's holding it. A nervous first-timer, a gigging folk musician and a parent buying for a curious ten-year-old are shopping for three completely different things, even if they end up looking at similar-looking clay eggs. Rather than crown one winner, here's how to think about value at each price tier and for each kind of player — so you spend your money where it actually helps.
Budget tier: under about £15
At this end of the market you're mostly buying small pendant-style instruments, often with four to six holes. They're genuinely good value for what they are — a gentle, low-commitment way to find out whether the sound appeals to you at all — but don't expect much range or refined tuning. This tier suits:
- Children being introduced to their first wind instrument.
- Casual buyers who just want a pleasant sound to noodle with.
- Anyone testing the waters before committing to something more capable.
Treat anything at this price as a taster rather than a long-term instrument, and don't be surprised if you outgrow it within a few months of regular playing.
Mid-range: roughly £15–£40
This is where most sensible first purchases live, and it's the tier worth spending the most time browsing. A well-made 10- or 12-hole plastic alto instrument in this range typically offers a genuinely full octave and a half of playable notes, solid tuning, and fingering that matches widely available charts. Look here if you:
- Want to actually learn tunes rather than just make pleasant sounds.
- Need something durable enough for regular practice, travel or classroom use.
- Aren't yet sure how far you'll take the instrument but don't want to buy twice.
Plastic dominates this tier for good reason — it holds tuning well, shrugs off the odd drop, and keeps the price sensible while still delivering a proper playing experience.
Specialist and traditional: £40 and up
Above the mainstream mid-range sits a smaller world of Italian-tradition transverse instruments, often terracotta or fine ceramic, made in or around the Budrio region that shaped the modern ocarina. You're paying for hand-finishing, careful voicing and, often, a maker's individual reputation. This tier suits:
- Players who already know they love the instrument and want a step up in tone and craftsmanship.
- Anyone drawn specifically to the traditional transverse "sweet potato" form rather than a modern plastic alto.
- Collectors and players who value provenance as much as playability.
Multi-chamber instruments, which link two or more chambers to extend the range well beyond a standard alto, also tend to live in this bracket. They're worth it only once you've outgrown a single-chamber instrument's range — buying one as a first ocarina is usually a mismatch between ambition and ability.
Best by player type
| Who you are | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Absolute beginner | A budget or mid-range plastic 10- or 12-hole alto in C |
| Parent buying for a child | A robust, inexpensive pendant or small alto with a simple fingering chart |
| Folk or acoustic performer | A mid-range or specialist transverse instrument with proven tuning stability |
| Traveller or classroom teacher | Durable mid-range plastic — light, tough, and easily replaced if lost |
| Zelda fan wanting to actually play tunes | A game-styled instrument that is explicitly sold as a functional 12-hole ocarina, not a display prop |
| Serious or advancing player | A specialist single-chamber instrument first, then a multi-chamber once range becomes limiting |
Value comes from three things, not price alone
Whatever your budget, the instruments that feel like genuinely good value share three traits: accurate, stable tuning; a fingering system you can actually find a chart for; and a hole count that matches what you want to play. A cheap ocarina that nails all three will outperform an expensive one that gets even one wrong. If you want the full list of what to check before you commit, our complete buyer's guide goes through it point by point.
Don't overspend on your first one
It's tempting to assume more money automatically means a better start, but a solid mid-range plastic instrument will teach you everything you need to know about whether this is an instrument you want to stick with. Save the specialist purchase for once you actually know what you're missing. If you're right at the start of that journey, our beginner's guide is the natural next stop, and it's worth reading common mistakes to avoid before habits set in either way. For the full picture of how the instrument works and the types on the market, see our ocarina explainer.
The bottom line
There's no single best ocarina — only the right one for what you actually want to play, how often, and how much you're willing to spend before you know whether it's for you. Start honestly about your own commitment, buy accordingly, and let your playing tell you when it's time to move up a tier.
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