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Is the ocarina a good instrument on which to learn? There are several factors that make Mountain Ocarinas^® very approachable to those not yet able to play an instrument. Firstly, as alluded to above, the ocarina is portable, making mastery much more attainable. An instrument that is always with you can be played more often, providing the practice that makes perfect. Forming the embouchure is effortless, covering the tone holes is relatively easy because of the instrument's small size, and even a young child can produce the air flow needed to play it. The ocarina is simply less complicated than most instruments. Moreover, my ocarinas have been designed to mimic the fingerings of the flute, clarinet, saxophone, recorder, oboe, etc., which facilitates subsequent learning of another instrument. Those who already play one of these instruments pick up the ocarina almost immediately. Additionally, Mountain Ocarinas^® are fully chromatic (they play all the sharps and flats) and are actually easier to finger than recorders or pennywhistles because chromatic notes are not played by half covering holes. Finally, Mountain Ocarinas^® are especially well suited to independent learning because our book and its accompanying tape have been written to that end. Bear in mind that the language of music translates from one instrument to another. The ocarina can serve as a springboard to learning other instruments in the future.