Ocarran Traditional Music

Ocarran music is made up of the various instruments, tunes, and musical traditions of the Ocarran people.
Ocarran music has a wide variety of variations, but much of the music focuses on melody and rhythm, with harmony being secondary compared to the two. Music is ofter written in a minor key.
Ocarran musical performances often involve a few instrument players, and sometimes a vocalist. Music is often used to accompany dancing and celebrations.

Instruments

String Instruments

Naj

The naj is a long-necked lute with four strings. It is played by plucking either with the finger or with some type of pick.
While playing the body of the instrument will rest against the hip of the player, with a pick often being used to pluck the strings. Najs typically have a range of between two and three octaves.
The naj is played as a solo instrument and in ensembles and is one of the most common instruments used in ocarran music, and is especially used in traditional ocarran folk music.
It is traditionally made with a long neck and a large round or oval body with a shallow back. The body and neck of the instrument are traditionally made from wood with animal hide stretched over the front of the frame to act as a resonator and animal hair or intestines for the strings. More modern materials are becoming more and more common in the construction of these instruments.

Shuni

The Shuni is a long-necked bowed lute and is very similar in look and construction to the Naj, although the body of the instrument is smaller and it only has three strings. It is played with a bow, but the strings may also be plucked using pizzicato.
While playing the instrument, the body rests on the lap of the player -who is seated- with the neck upright or at an angle depending on the size of the instrument and the style of playing. The neck is held in the left hand and the bow in the right.
The Shuni can be played as a solo instrument as well as in an ensemble and is one of the most common instruments in ocarran music and is necessary for many traditional styles of music.
The Shuni has a long neck with frets and a round or pear-shaped body. The instrument is traditionally made from wood with animal hide stretched over the front body to work as a resonator. Animal hair or intestines were used for the strings. More modern materials have made their way into the modern versions of the instrument, especially in terms of the strings, but the body is often still made of wood.

Percussion Instruments

Chomba

The Chomba is a percussion instrument with a goblet-shaped body and is played by being struck with the hands and in some techniques with a thin drum stick.
They are the most common form of percussion instrument in Ocarran instrument and are used to accompany and determine the beat of music.
Chombas have a goblet-shaped body often traditionally made from wood, but modernly may be made from other materials; the bodies are often heavily decorated. The head of the drum is often made from a stretched skin pulled taunt over the drum. modern materials may be used for the drumhead but this tends to change the sound so it is more rare to use other materials.

Tinta

Tintas are a group of small percussion bell instruments that produce a jingling or ringing sound when shaken or hit. They can be hand-held or played by being struck, or multiple may be sewn onto an object which can then be shaken.
They are most often played as an accompanying instrument, and may sometimes be used as a lone accompanying instrument for dances or other performances to give the performers a beat to work with.
They are traditionally made from metal, modeled after livestock bells, with some having an internal clapper but some may not. It all depends on the individual player's preference. Some are sewn onto other objects, like bracelets, and can be worn by dancers.

Ocarran Mouth Harp

The ocarran mouth harp is a lamellophone that is played by being held against the player's mouth and the tine is plucked. The mouth works as a resonator to make the sound louder and can be used to change the pitch of the note played.
They are made out of metal with one long tine attached to a frame.

Planet of Origin
Ocarro 
Culture of Origin
Ocarran

Ocarran Singing

Ocarran vocal performances often only have one, sometimes two, vocalists who perform at a time often in harmony. The singing is mostly made up of clear full vocals and high-pitched head voice as well as the occasional trill or yodle.
Many of the tunes and melodies used are often quite similar to the songs of traditional herd calls.