THE INSTRUMENTS
The wooden inline ocarina has become a cornerstone at Bretti Musical Instruments, redefining it as a high-end woodwind. Each ocarina is painstakingly crafted over a 3 month period, with exceptional attention to material selection, wood pairing, grain features, layout, voicing, and finish. The inline ocarina has historically been seen as a more limited instrument compared to its far more ubiquitous transverse (or “sweet potato”) ocarina cousin, and compared to transverse ocarinas, who have enjoyed significant advances over the years, the inline family of ocarinas has remained relatively stagnant. Up until this point, inline ocarinas have featured a more limited note range, with limited available materials, with makers of inline ocarinas have become increasingly rare. My goal with the inline ocarina however has been to elevate the inline to a high-end, professional quality woodwind for the discerning musician and collector, and offer an unmatched selection of extraordinary woods and a wider number of keys than prior available.
The inline ocarinas at Bretti Musical Instruments are unique in many regards. They are the first and only single-chamber inline models that extend a full 19 note range, equivalent to an 11-hole transverse, and this range is the same regardless of the ocarina size and key. The hole layout of the inlines also utilizes the typical Asian-style transverse layout, making transitioning between these inlines simple for players who are familiar with the standard transverse style. Voicing of the inlines is also unique in that they utilize a rounded teardrop soundhole as opposed to the more conventional rectangular one seen on virtually all other inlines. The wooden body of the inline naturally lends itself to a more textured, less hollow, and more “flute-like” tone compared with transverse style ocarinas, and coupled with the teardrop-style soundhole, provides a unique timbre that is sweet and clear, yet with its own unique texture. These inlines can be described as low-medium breath ocarinas, with a light breath pressure at the low end and gently rising up through the range.
Because of the incredibly challenging and precise voicing required for an inline ocarina to work over an extended 19-note range, a key feature of these ocarinas has become the use of a distinct mouthpiece, which utilizes either solid aromatic cedar, or curly redwood. Both of these woods are some of the most moisture absorbent and moisture stable woods in the world (with aromatic cedar being the wood of choice for fine wooden recorder blocks for hundreds of years), and combined with the physical properties of these woods in addition to extremely careful selection of high quality pieces for proper grain orientation and grain quality, moisture control is optimized in the windway, leading to a wooden ocarina that is virtually clog-free under normal use, even under long practice sessions. In this way, you can enjoy the unique and various flavors of any woods, both hard and soft, for the body, without worry of clogging. This mouthpiece style has become a defining aspect of my inlines, and these ocarinas would not in fact even work across the full range without a highly-absorbent mouthpiece.
Finally, each ocarina undergoes a long and laborious finishing process, which balances food safety and durability. All parts of the ocarina that directly interact with the player’s mouth and breath (the inside of the ocarina cavity as well as the outside of the cedar/redwood mouthpiece) are finished in numerous, hand-brushed layers of the highest quality shellac made from pure shellac flakes and 100% food grade ethanol. The outside of the body is finished in a number of hand-rubbed layers of a penetrating, hardening oil varnish, which not only brings out the extra beauty and richness in the colors of the woods, but also provides an extra level of protection. Both the mouthpiece and body are finished to a high-gloss for a showpiece-quality instrument as beautiful to look at and display as they are to play. Each ocarina is signed, dated, and serialized inside, and stamped with a unique serial number on the outside.
THE KEYS
THE ALTO A4
RANGE: G#4-D6 (19 notes)
SIZE: 5″L x 2.75″W x 1.5″T
COMMENTS: The smallest of the inlines, characterized by a more bright and sweet tone. Despite it being the smallest and highest pitch of the inlines, its tone is still pleasing to the ears without any harshness, and the warmth of the wood and balanced volume makes the A4 comfortable to play indoors.
THE ALTO G#4
RANGE (G#4): G4-C#6 (19 notes)
SIZE: 5.75″L x 3″W x 1.5″T
COMMENTS: A semi-tone higher than the popular G4 model for those looking for a bit of an unconventional key. Because both ocarinas are the same size and very closely voiced, the G#4 will have a very similar tone and response to the G4.
THE ALTO G4
RANGE (G4): F#4-C6 (19 notes)
SIZE: 5.75″L x 3″W x 1.5″T
COMMENTS: The G4 is one of the most popular and versatile sizes, with a slightly deeper tone than the A4 and a bit more mellow tone. The timbre is sweet and balanced across the range, with a gently rising breath curve and warm resonance.
THE ALTO F#4
RANGE: F4-B5 (19 notes)
SIZE: 6″L x 3″W x 1.5″T
COMMENTS: A transitional ocarina size between the alto and tenor range with a slightly larger body and deeper tone than the G4, yet shares very similar response and feel to the G4 and A4 sizes.
THE TENOR F4
RANGE: E4-A#5 (19 notes)
SIZE: 6.5″L x 3.25″W x 1.5″T
COMMENTS: The smallest of the tenor sizes, the tenor F4 combines the rich mellowness of the lower tenors with the sweet response of the altos for a truly beautiful instrument to play.
THE TENOR E4
RANGE: D#4-A5 (19 notes)
SIZE: 7″L x 3.375″W x 1.5″T
COMMENTS: One of my earliest styles developed and one of my favorite keys, the E4 is characterized with a more soft breath and gentle response, with a rich texture and sweetness unique to this key. The E4 is large enough to show off more beauty of the wood while being a step under the bass sizes and easy enough for most players to handle.
THE TENOR Eb4
RANGE: D4-G#5 (19 notes)
SIZE: 8″L x 3.5″W x 1.5″T
COMMENTS: The tenor Eb4 is the largest of the tenors, with a noticeably larger body than the E4. Its response is also much different than the E4, with a stronger breath curve and bolder tone for a deep and robust ocarina.
THE BASS C4
RANGE: B3-F5 (19 notes)
SIZE: 9.25″L x 3.5″W x 1.5″T
COMMENTS: Like the alto G4, the bass C4 is one of the most popular sizes in terms of versatility of the key. The C4 is characterized with a soft tone and lower breath pressure, however its tone is rich, resonant, and mellow, with warm lows and clear highs. The C4 also utilizes a more modified ergonomic grip style. The size of the final two holes (right thumb and left pinky) are on the larger side, so the C4 may be a challenge for those with small fingers. Despite the increased finger hole size however, the breath curve at the top remains comfortable without having to push the ocarina too hard to play in tune. While it takes a bit of practice to get used to the unique style, the C4 will reveal itself as a wonderful and exceptionally capable full range wooden bass ocarina, perfect for solo play and those who enjoy deeper tones.
THE BASS B3
RANGE: Bb3-E5 (19 notes)
SIZE: 10″L x 3.5″W x 1.5″T
COMMENTS: The bass B3 is a step larger than the C4, sharing similar breath curve, tone, response, modified ergonomic grip style, and fingerhole sizes. The B3 is beautifully deep and resonant, and despite being the deepest inline on the market, it still enjoys the full 19 note range as all my other inlines, with a low breath at the bottom and rising up to medium breath at the top. Its rich warmth and depth of tone will be a joy for anyone looking to push the range of the deepest wooden inlines.
THE GALLERY
