Autoharp

It can be played cradled on the left elbow with the left hand reaching over to press the chords while the right hand thumb is picking and fingers strumming the open area of strings. Alternatively it can be played on the lap or a table. It's usually strummed but can also be plucked. It is commonly used for song accompaniment.

History

The Autoharp was first made in the 1880s in its current shape and is a German design. A rectangular shaped model was desinged in the USA by a German immigrant a few years earlier but never made. The Oscar Schmidt brand trademarked the name Autoharp in the 1920s, but that has expired and the trademark now only applies to the style of the lettering, not the word itself.

Choosing

Autoharps generally have 36 or 37 strings and 15 or 21 bars.

Why are Autoharp strings so expensive? The problem with autoharp strings is that are only available expensive sets. All of the wound strings have an unwound bit at each end, so you can't use normal strings to replace these - they have to be specially made. The unwound strings, however, can be replaced with guitar strings of the correct guage.

Tunings and Fingerings

Eb Bb F C G D A
F7 C7 G7 D7 A7 E7 B7
Ab Bb7 Cm Gm Dm Am Em