Allegro 12 Hole Ocarina - Ceramic Alto C - Sweet Potato Flute - Strawfire Finish- Focalink- Easy to Play - Free Padded Carrying Case - Free Songbook & Tutorial Included

What can I say? I'll start it off by saying that I'd be lying if Legend of Zelda didn't have a marginal pull in my wanting to learn the ocarina. Well, to be fair I did play a couple of ocarinas in my childhood. My very first a cheap plastic model, and the second, a simple clay pendant. Years later I decided I'd revisit this instrument again. I did a couple of days of research. I was going to be very very picky about what I was going to choose. I knew for certain I was pretty done with plastic instruments (even though good quality plastic ocarinas are out there apparently). I decided ceramic was going to be a good bet. I read somewhere that the Sonoro model by this company was by far one of the best twelve hole ocarinas out there and was lead to none other than Amazon, which was good since it seems somewhat difficult to find ocarinas on the main market that are actually of decent quality. I went with Sonoro first, but after reading some of the reviews for this model and much more on other sites, this is the one I settled on. Absolutely nothing wrong with the Sonoro (model B). It was perfect, chip and clear sounding. But I really liked the idea of hitting high notes without the intensity of having to acute bend to reach them. While the Sonoro's holes were more evenly spaced, and a bit easier for me to find, this one still cinched my decision. I have small hands and a pianist's fingers so this instrument is nice to hold. It's also quite beautiful. The straw fire finish is something unique to behold, especially since the patterns will be different for each ocarina crafted. But how does it sound? Robust, clear, hearty, warm and soothing. I learned several songs in the span of spending one afternoon learning this little ceramic flute the moment I unpacked it from its box.I agree that the Allegro most certainly has a more open, mellow tone compared to the slightly longer cousin and I adore the sound. Make this your first ocarina. It is a bit pricey, but it's money well spent and so very much worth it. I can hardly put it down it's so fun and easy to play and it's the most PERFECT introductory ocarina into the wonderful world of ocarina playing. Shipped fast too. Faster than I expected. Transactions were seamless. If you are like me and like to really pick apart what ocarina you wish to choose and cherish for a long time? I implore you to look no further. This beautiful instrument will treat you good.

This was my first 12 hole Songbird Ocarina and I doubt it will be my last. To provide a little more context, I have a 6 hole Songbird ocarina which I love, but find the limited range rather restrictive. After some research, I settled on the Allegro and couldn't be more pleased.The instrument feels well constructed and the strawfire looks even better in person than in the pictures. While I'm a relatively new ocarina player, I'm a musician and no stranger to wind instruments, so I immediately felt at home with the Allegro. The ocarina holds its tune fairly well, but I did find myself using some alternate fingerings to the ones found in the included pamphlet. While the tone is quite nice, just be aware that it does require different breath pressure at the low and high end which takes a little getting used to. Despite the more intuitive finger patterns, it is definitely harder (but not difficult) to produce a consistent sound on this 12 hole Songbird than my 6 hole Songbird. Also, be warned, it is pretty loud in the upper registers!I especially like the fact that these are not only fully chromatic but go a minor 3rd below the tonic. Having the leading tone on the low end gives quite a bit of flexibility when picking out repertoire. On a side note, this ocarina has a slight smokey smell to it. I'm assuming this is from the firing process. I don't mind that at all, in fact I kind of like it but it may put off some other players. One minor complaint is that the ocarina is a bit hard to hold given it's shape, especially when reaching for high notes. It is somewhat difficult to fine a spot for the fingers on your right hand to support the instrument without getting in the way of the lower holes. Hopefully this awkwardness will go away with more practice. Overall, I'm very happy with my purchase.

Love the Ocarina it’s has a great sound and because of its smooth service it’s really easy to transition notes.

Great ocarina

a little smaller than i though, great sound otherwise! Songbird has top notch customer support btw

This is a rock-solid ocarina choice in the ocarina enthusiast community online. Made by a very reliable & well-documented ocarina maker.Very well rounded ocarina. It's tuned well through its range, has a medium-high breath requirement as far as ocarinas go. This is style "A" (Called "Allegro" as sold through Songbird Ocarinas) and there's also a style "B" (Called "Sonoro" through Songbird) that's very similar. I've tried both and overall I like this one better, as I think it's a little brighter and more spirited to play, but the differences are small in how they sound. This is a great beginner ocarina though you may never outgrow it as long as you're satisfied with the note range.Just don't drop it. I accidentally broke mine a while back. You need to find a really padded camera case (or something similar) for it, because the little sleeve it comes with won't help the ocarina in a fall. It'll also fit most hand sizes but if you've got gargantuan sized hands, probably get a lower (thus bigger) ocarina than Alto C, maybe Alto G for example.