As you can see, this is a work in progress.  Mail in a question and I'll post it.  I've been playing my OcToBrass for quite awhile and can't imagine what questions a curious horn player might have. 

1.  Can I actually "play" the OcToBrass and will it really work developing my embouchure?

Yes!  The OcToBrass actually plays.  It takes breath control and an ear, but with a short amount of practice you will be able to play two notes at once coming out of your new musical instrument.  One note is from the ocarina itself and the other note is from your buzzing in your mouthpiece.  You can play in harmony or unison.  It is actually easier to play in harmony because of harmonics dueling inside the OcToBrass.  If you use OcToBrass just 15 minutes a day, you will experience a marked improvement in endurance and range.  Grab time to OcToBrass while driving to work, during breaks at the office, while enjoying the great outdoors.  There is no wasted time buzzing on your OcToBrass.  Every minute counts.

2.  What is the best way to get started on my OcToBrass?

Simply put, you should be able to play the scale and a few simple songs (supplied) using just the ocarina by itself.  This will take some getting used to.   Put your mouthpiece aside for a bit until you are familiar with the Mountain Ocarina.  When playing the OcToBrass using your mouthpiece, you are buzzing the note the ocarina is playing.  You are playing in unison, or harmonizing, with the ocarina, so if you can't play the G scale on the ocarina, you won't have much success playing along while buzzing in your mouthpiece.  You won't be able to have perfect tone and know the notes on the OcToBrass right out of the shipping carton.  Give yourself an hour or two getting to know the ocarina side of your OcToBrass.  Then, let the buzzing begin! Click here for a video on just the ocarina side of the OcToBrass.

3.  I always have my horn with me.  Are there other uses for the OcToBrass? 

Mode 2 is amazing!  Warming up quitely back stage or while driving to the performance is truly life changing.  You show up to the gig with more confidence.  There are some performace situations where it is difficult, if not impossible, to warm up properly on your horn.  If you are driving, you can't use your horn.... but you can use OcToBrass.  You will find that Mode 2 is so quiet, it doesn't bug the other passengers in the car.  I love playing along with the radio/iPod/CD in Mode 2 or 3.  It really helps your chops

4.  Asked on eBay on 7/14/09:  Where does the spit go? How do you empty it?  And my answer:

Good question. When we play our horns, our air (breath) is traveling inside a long length of tubing which causes the moisture in the air to condense and collect on the inside of the tube. The OcToBrass™ is very small with no tubing (except the mouthpiece receiver) so your air goes through the instrument quickly and it doesn't have much of a chance to condense. It's really not an issue. I use my OcToBrass™ in the hot tub with no problems. Just shake out the excess moisture. Every couple of weeks I run tap water through it to clean it. Thanks for your interest.


Chasons Music
Dave Chamberlain
102 Shasta Street
Chula Vista, CA 91910  USA
619-742-8787
seafarer@cox.net
dave@chasonsmusic.com
chasonsmusic.com
octobrass.com