how nice that somebody is interested enough in teaching to take the time to make and broadcast this. if i lived in ottawa, you'd have all my business. thank you so much for this
guys, the thumbed up comments are a bit negative. this is a cool vid if you don't know much about the instrument. Thanks arthur - informative and fun and really inspired me to get into this insturment !! :)
My boyfriend picked one of these up at an auction, and after I tuned it I didn't know what to do next. This is a great video for someone who has no idea what instrument is in their hands. Thanks for all the information and the demonstration! Very helpful :)
Nice playing Doug. Spent many days in Canada. Coast to coast and only one was not as fun as the rest: january in Calgary or Ottawa i bet. From Vancouver with pipes and gardens to rocky foggy St. Johns, Pastel Quebec City with great food music and lovely assets and Halifax. Nice folks and music. And you fit right in!
I've been contemplating purchasing an autoharp for some time now and you have made the decision much easier. Thank you for the concise and intelligent instruction!
This was very interesting. My son was asking about the instrument Mama Maybelle played, and it led me to this. Nice to hear it in a quiet setting, as opposed to on stage. Seems like a good instrument for a bluegrass band, also.
Thank you! Very clear and unlike some others I loved this small lesson on the autoharp. I recently borrowed my friends autoharp and I am so in love but had no idea how to work it!
I'd recommend a 15 bar. Generally you sing in specific keys (those that fit your vocal range) and I've found that, to start, fifteen is generally sufficient. Chords can be changed to suit your style if they don't exist on the harp you own. Fifteen chord bars are available to purchase. You can also purchase felt and cut new chords.
Finally I know what the instrument that was Brian Jones' last contribution to the Rolling Stones looks like! Brian Jones played an autoharp on "You Got The Silver" and Bill Wyman played one on "Let It Bleed", both from the Rolling Stones album Let It Bleed. Cool sounding instrument!!
Just one distinction I have to mention for the folks watching this video. The term "citre" is used for the family of instruments while the actual instrument is called zither. Autoharp is chorded zither. Of course, it belongs to the citre family. I wrote this only because pronounciation of the two is quite similar. :) Anyways, great video.
I wanna learn this! My kindergarten teacher played this 22 years ago! The inside of your elbow is the VOLAR surface, its where IV's are started in the hospital!
Wow thank you for sharing. I just got my new auto harp today. And never played before. Its built in digital tuner. It has many buttons, I think I figure out how to tune the majors but do not understand how to tune the sharps or flats yet. :) I enjoyed the sample song you played. Hope to play good someday.
Thanks for the explanation. My elementary school music teacher played this. I remember her giving us an overview of the instrument. I think she may have played it flat on the table.
Very well done video. I am sorta new to playing the chorded zither, what I am interested in is the Mountain Dulcimers hanging on the wall behind you. Would love to know more about them. Who the builder is. Their age and history if known. I play Mtn Dulcimer and also a collector.
1. Sure you can play lap style. I order to hit the higher strings, you have to pick between the tuning pins and the chord mechanism. To do this while playing lap style can be a bit awkward unless you pick with your left hand. Most often autoharps are picked with the right hand 2. Tuning is hard but you have to do it. The strings are named on the instruments 3. You can play anything you have chords to play. Country, Rock, folk, classical, Check out Basia Bulat for some contemporary playing.
This pretty much satisfied my curiosity over the instrument. I have other goals, but I can certainly see the appeal of this instrument, u can play chords or single notes. I've one heard one played live once in my whole long life. A little high-pitched for my tastes, I prefer playing deeper sounds. Too bad this thing isn't incorporated into more pop music--its a nice instrument. And for the **get a guitar** comment: this clearly has enormous potential, like the guitar. I can see that.
Thanks for a very informative video. Trying to find an instrument for my young son that is not too demanding for a new player. I play guitar and piano and am trying to teach him music. He is having a tough time even fingering a ukulele.
You have a very pleasing voice! Good tone! I have an autoharp 21keys. I want to play with the autoharp on my lap where I can see the keys. where do i place my fingers?
Yes... Maybelle and Sara Carter got tired of always having to have a table at concerts and recording sessions, so they started playing it standing up... and it is easy to play... you probably could play it if you tried.
I don't know squat about music, but I totally love it, and love the sound of the autoharp. Is this a seriously hard instrument to learn (plus, I'm an old 60 years old)? Just beautiful sound.
Billy Connolly describes it as the only instrument which can be played as soon as you take it home from the music shop (assuming it is tuned)! :) You probably have a good chance of getting used to it quite quickly. Connolly describes the basic chord style as very intuitive (although he also says that playing jigs and reels and more complex tunes can take a little time, so that's something to aim for).
Sure you can just use your finger. You'll have to build up some pretty mean callus though! Usually one uses a flat pick of plastic or felt or fingerpicks of metal or plastic.
Hi. Im thinking of buying my first Autoharp, but i dont know whats best to begin with, a 15 chord or a 21 chord? Im currently looking at a nice 15 chord Oscar Schmidt. Cheers!
@theloneviolist I think that's nit picking. My only issue is there are some problems with his technique. Traditional autoharp is supposed to be played on one's lap for better finger dexterity. Check out my Amazing Grace video for a proper demonstration.
Thanks for the lesson. Helpful, but the one I just bought via e-Bay seems to be a tabletop model, with rounded buttons in three rows...so I'm having some trouble playing it against my chest - or even on a table - the buttons/chords are often difficult proximity to each other, depending on the song. Yours looks a little easier to manage physically. Any suggestions?
I was given an autoharp that sounds very similar to yours. I too have been asking those same questions about how to hold the instrument and the "weird" arrangement of the chord buttons. Thinking about moving the some of the chord bars.
I would be a zither, the basic instrument of the musical instrument family that includes autoharps, dulcimers, and a bunch of hybrid instruments from the early 20th century like the mando-zither, the guitar-zither etc.
I just realized something--this is a mini-harp, to-go. Big harps cost thousands, I think u can get a good autoharp for a few hundred. Its a good deal for those so inclined. Soprano harp?
its somehow similar to the stradella bass system for accordion.. 1 key makes a chord. its cool but i bet you cant play a tricky harmony jazz :P anyway, its still much better than basic guitar playing
The top comment on this video is a great example of how brainless and impatient newer generations and society in general has become. Such a loss of wonder, imagination and thirst to know how things tick, We want what we want, and we want it RIGHT NOW
I thought your lesson content, delivery, and demonstration were excellent. It all seems spoiled by the autoharp being out of tune, and I wonder if you might do this over again someday.
how nice that somebody is interested enough in teaching to take the time to make and broadcast this. if i lived in ottawa, you'd have all my business. thank you so much for this
guys, the thumbed up comments are a bit negative. this is a cool vid if you don't know much about the instrument. Thanks arthur - informative and fun and really inspired me to get into this insturment !! :)
Interesting introductory video. I see no reason for the negative comments.
My boyfriend picked one of these up at an auction, and after I tuned it I didn't know what to do next. This is a great video for someone who has no idea what instrument is in their hands. Thanks for all the information and the demonstration! Very helpful :)
Nice playing Doug. Spent many days in Canada. Coast to coast and only one was not as fun as the rest: january in Calgary or Ottawa i bet. From Vancouver with pipes and gardens to rocky foggy St. Johns, Pastel Quebec City with great food music and lovely assets and Halifax. Nice folks and music. And you fit right in!
I've been contemplating purchasing an autoharp for some time now and you have made the decision much easier. Thank you for the concise and intelligent instruction!
This was very interesting. My son was asking about the instrument Mama Maybelle played, and it led me to this. Nice to hear it in a quiet setting, as opposed to on stage.
Seems like a good instrument for a bluegrass band, also.
This was a good instructional. I'm thinking of starting the autoharp and you've been very helpful :)
I was just given an autoharp today! I'm excited to learn this new instrument
Thank you! Very clear and unlike some others I loved this small lesson on the autoharp. I recently borrowed my friends autoharp and I am so in love but had no idea how to work it!
I'd recommend a 15 bar. Generally you sing in specific keys (those that fit your vocal range) and I've found that, to start, fifteen is generally sufficient. Chords can be changed to suit your style if they don't exist on the harp you own. Fifteen chord bars are available to purchase. You can also purchase felt and cut new chords.
Most informative and enjoyable. Great incentive to go and buy one, thanks for posting
Finally I know what the instrument that was Brian Jones' last contribution to the Rolling Stones looks like! Brian Jones played an autoharp on "You Got The Silver" and Bill Wyman played one on "Let It Bleed", both from the Rolling Stones album Let It Bleed. Cool sounding instrument!!
Huh? Never knew that. Guess I'll have to go and re-listen.thanx
Just one distinction I have to mention for the folks watching this video. The term "citre" is used for the family of instruments while the actual instrument is called zither. Autoharp is chorded zither. Of course, it belongs to the citre family. I wrote this only because pronounciation of the two is quite similar. :) Anyways, great video.
I wanna learn this! My kindergarten teacher played this 22 years ago!
The inside of your elbow is the VOLAR surface, its where IV's are started in the hospital!
Very nice basic history and info.
Wow thank you for sharing. I just got my new auto harp today. And never played before. Its built in digital tuner. It has many buttons, I think I figure out how to tune the majors but do not understand how to tune the sharps or flats yet. :) I enjoyed the sample song you played. Hope to play good someday.
I am a classical musician and hope folks enjoy music anyway they wish..can we stop with the negative comments?
I read somewhere that this was the instrument on which John Sebastian composed and played "Welcome Back"
John Sebastian used the auto Harp on practically everyone of his songs, including the spoonfuls wonderful catalog!
thanks for the post...I am interested in trying to learn to play one....love the sound!
Thanks for the explanation. My elementary school music teacher played this. I remember her giving us an overview of the instrument. I think she may have played it flat on the table.
John Sebastian of the Loving Spoonful almost always played autoharp in their concert appearances.
Very well done video. I am sorta new to playing the chorded zither, what I am interested in is the Mountain Dulcimers hanging on the wall behind you. Would love to know more about them. Who the builder is. Their age and history if known. I play Mtn Dulcimer and also a collector.
Beautiful instrument, and beautiful explanations - it's clear you really care for it. Thanks for the info, and great playing!
Thanks for the great basic explanations!
Informative, thank you! I'm looking forward to enjoying time spent with my autoharp!
1. Sure you can play lap style. I order to hit the higher strings, you have to pick between the tuning pins and the chord mechanism. To do this while playing lap style can be a bit awkward unless you pick with your left hand. Most often autoharps are picked with the right hand
2. Tuning is hard but you have to do it. The strings are named on the instruments
3. You can play anything you have chords to play. Country, Rock, folk, classical, Check out Basia Bulat for some contemporary playing.
Thanks for the video. You play very well, too!
This pretty much satisfied my curiosity over the instrument. I have other goals, but I can certainly see the appeal of this instrument, u can play chords or single notes. I've one heard one played live once in my whole long life. A little high-pitched for my tastes, I prefer playing deeper sounds.
Too bad this thing isn't incorporated into more pop music--its a nice instrument. And for the **get a guitar** comment: this clearly has enormous potential, like the guitar. I can see that.
Beautiful instrument.
Super explanation! Greetings from Germany!
Thanks this was helpful. One question, is there a right way to pick it? Can you just strum it like a guitar with just your hand and no pick?
Thanks for a very informative video. Trying to find an instrument for my young son that is not too demanding for a new player. I play guitar and piano and am trying to teach him music. He is having a tough time even fingering a ukulele.
You have a very pleasing voice! Good tone! I have an autoharp 21keys. I want to play with the autoharp on my lap where I can see the keys. where do i place my fingers?
Trixie Mattel got me here
Pomme brought me here
Same
Hey thanks I’ve been curious about the auto harp.
Thanks so much for this vid, really helpful!
Yes... Maybelle and Sara Carter got tired of always having to have a table at concerts and recording sessions, so they started playing it standing up... and it is easy to play... you probably could play it if you tried.
Hi I have an autoharp and I need to get parts for it do u know how to fix an autoharp please help me anyone please 😊❤
Judith Durham, lead singer of The Seekers, played the autoharp in their song "A World of Our Own", but I can't make it out at all.
I don't know squat about music, but I totally love it, and love the sound of the autoharp. Is this a seriously hard instrument to learn (plus, I'm an old 60 years old)? Just beautiful sound.
Billy Connolly describes it as the only instrument which can be played as soon as you take it home from the music shop (assuming it is tuned)! :) You probably have a good chance of getting used to it quite quickly. Connolly describes the basic chord style as very intuitive (although he also says that playing jigs and reels and more complex tunes can take a little time, so that's something to aim for).
Original Carter Family used one also June Carter Cash used it too.
Thank you very much
Do you change strings before each gig?
Sure you can just use your finger. You'll have to build up some pretty mean callus though! Usually one uses a flat pick of plastic or felt or fingerpicks of metal or plastic.
Beautiful.
I've wanted one of these since I saw Rob from MC5 playing one.
What an interesting instrument!
Demo starts at 5:15.
@steve0281 How do you know he plays one? When and where does Brian play an autoharp?
Great!! keep em coming!
So its all about knowing your chord progressions?
The phone ringing in the background really put me off, thanks
How about the Syrian kunan?
Hi. Im thinking of buying my first Autoharp, but i dont know whats best to begin with, a 15 chord or a 21 chord?
Im currently looking at a nice 15 chord Oscar Schmidt.
Cheers!
Nice playing!
i can tune a piano-but i just bought this older os21c think maybe from 79? and my wrench doesnt move these pins-what's the problem? do you know?
You can tune a piano but you can't tune a fish :D
Plenty of places, but there is a bloke who makes autoharps for Aussie conditions (Even Matthison) in Queensland...
@theloneviolist I think that's nit picking. My only issue is there are some problems with his technique. Traditional autoharp is supposed to be played on one's lap for better finger dexterity. Check out my Amazing Grace video for a proper demonstration.
I play Autoharp in guitar orchestra The sound is very good
DEMAREZ Michel
Thanks for the lesson. Helpful, but the one I just bought via e-Bay seems to be a tabletop model, with rounded buttons in three rows...so I'm having some trouble playing it against my chest - or even on a table - the buttons/chords are often difficult proximity to each other, depending on the song. Yours looks a little easier to manage physically. Any suggestions?
I was given an autoharp that sounds very similar to yours. I too have been asking those same questions about how to hold the instrument and the "weird" arrangement of the chord buttons. Thinking about moving the some of the chord bars.
The loving spoonful Do you believe in magic with john sebastian playing autoharp.
what song is he playing at the end? Carter family but what song ?
Sounded a bit at first like wild wood flower and then later on it appeared to be Will the circle be unbroken....
inconceivable!
I would be a zither, the basic instrument of the musical instrument family that includes autoharps, dulcimers, and a bunch of hybrid instruments from the early 20th century like the mando-zither, the guitar-zither etc.
I just realized something--this is a mini-harp, to-go. Big harps cost thousands, I think u can get a good autoharp for a few hundred. Its a good deal for those so inclined.
Soprano harp?
lionsareus it's not actually in the harp family but essentially yes
John Sebastian brought me here!
Thank you!
Thanks!
Are you Canadian?
Are they always out of tune?
great vid thanks!
well explained
Interesting video, but why did you record it in a busy shop? The background noise is really distracting
does this guy play the thing?
I take a completely different approach while playing mine lol slower and more spooky sounding
@theloneviolist dude! No autoharp police! You heard the man!
Mitch and Mickey brought me here
Nice!
@N0Camping4U I read it in an article on-line. Of course, that is hardly authoritative.
Mine has 23 strings
he's using picks, not his fingers, arf744
@Chars13x me to
Randy Van Warmer brought me here.
its somehow similar to the stradella bass system for accordion.. 1 key makes a chord. its cool but i bet you cant play a tricky harmony jazz :P
anyway, its still much better than basic guitar playing
q chord kinda like it butt its like a syth
Bazinga
Tune it
Brian May plays this instrument. That makes it OK by me.
Lovely I with that I could play
something tells me Arthur is quite attached to his faux Lee Press On Nails
JUST EAT THE DAMN ORANGES!!!!
The top comment on this video is a great example of how brainless and impatient newer generations and society in general has become. Such a loss of wonder, imagination and thirst to know how things tick, We want what we want, and we want it RIGHT NOW
Brilliant...I bought one secondhand but when it arrived, it had no bars 😕 could i get some secondhand do you think ...it's chromatic
Hmm...No Autoharp Police eh? We'll see about that!
Big bang theory Amy got me here.
I thought your lesson content, delivery, and demonstration were excellent. It all seems spoiled by the autoharp being out of tune, and I wonder if you might do this over again someday.
Tom macdonald
só conversa
That's what I was thinking, shut up and play it.
This guy plays like a child. There is a guy in Seattle that plays Battle Hymn of the Republic with 4 part harmony fingerpicking at that!!!!
SriPhi54 unnecessary prick comment buddy