autoharp 12 chord bar layout

This is because a 15 chord autoharp is more limited in musical range, restricting the songs you can play. Autoharp Buyers' Guide on Riverboat Music Advanced players can even customize Autoharp's string and chord layout, to optimize the sound for a given song or test a new setup before modifying a real autoharp. So it's easy to say that you can play songs in the key of A on a 21-chord autoharp, but that isn't the same as saying that the instrument is SUITED for playing in the key of A, unless you're committed to playing only the simplest possible tunes. My hope is to keep it chromatic, but reconfigure 4-5 of the bars to make it more guitar-friendly. HOPF 12 BAR AUTOHARP On offer here is a HOPF 12 BAR AUTOHARP. Song suggestions for a 12-chord. The layout is designed to use the same configuration in all keys as far as is possible given the uneven chord list, so that if you need to change keys you can without putting much thought in to it. I'm still curious enough to see if it's worth fixing up. Celtic Autoharp Autoharp [Sheet music + Audio access] Mel Bay. Autoharp Chord Chart and Melody-Playing Tips Autoharp Mel Bay. How Much is my Banjo Worth? 30 day satisfaction guarantee. $250.00 . Did God Really Give Rock and Roll To You? Evaluating and Buying Used Guitars SKU: HOLDER-15. Then I realized that much of what I "knew" about autoharps was misguided, to say the least, by only being really exposed to a handful of instruments. You may want to get a professional to drill the necessary holes, but if you do, make sure s/he understands where the buttons go. Two: change the chord bar layout to make it more convenient. One of the simplest alterations one can do with an autoharp is to retune it in such a way as to turn the rather utilitarian chords into something more exotic. Back to front. To do this on any of the OS harps, you will need to install strap buttons as per the picture about halfway down this page. Oscar Schmidt's patented chord bar button layout includes A, D, G, C, F, Bb, Eb and A Major; E, A, D, G and C Minor; along with B, E, A, D, G, C, F, and Bb Seventh Chords. In the circle of fifths scheme the B7 and E7 are reversed, for ease of playing in the key of A. Ab Bb7 F7 C7 G7 D7 A7 Eb Bb F C G D Cm Gm Dm Am E7 A Em B7 This is the standard Oscar Schmidt layout, without modifications. Advanced players can even customize Autoharp's string and chord layout, to optimize the sound for a given song or test a new setup before modifying a real autoharp. Note about Bm, F#m, and E: If you already have a 21-chord Oscar Schmidt autoharp, and you're lusting after the E, Bm, and F#m buttons on this 'harp, you might be glad to know that Elderly Music sells those chord bars separately for about $10 apiece. Once you have the buttons, a guitar strap works fine. Pricing & History. Sales runs 11-26 through 12-20. As a side note, if you wanted to play a single note, you can do so by pressing two adjacent chord bars simultaneously (eg, the C and F, which are next to each other, if pressed together, will give you all the Cs on the harp but nothing else). But be careful Out There. One: lower the action of the chord bars so it's more responsive. | taught by Cathy Britell Free Preview Buy $12.00 16 Videos 7 PDFs Course Curriculum Let's Get Started 06:35 Lesson 1: Introduction to the Course FREE PREVIEW Lesson 2: Preliminary introduction to autoharp … Configured this way, your chromatic harp will have the fullest chords and be the most versatile in F, C, and Bb, and their relative minors. google_color_bg = "FFFFFF"; If you are not an experienced musician and do not have a good ear, pay more and buy from a shop that will do the tuning and setup for you. With an in-app purchase, you can set the note assigned to each string (from a total of 53 available notes) and set the strings assigned to each chord bar (either 15 or 21), then switch between any of your saved layouts. The overall effect is to make the autoharp sound more like a hammered dulcimer. Our default layout, Bryan Bowers style, is recommended for ease of play and good ergonomics. OS 10 Sierra A little more likely to be useful (but just as hard to find) is the 10-chord Oscar Schmidt OS10, advertised as a 3/4-sized autoharp. Thankfully, all others remain intact. The fact is that if you want to be able to pick out melodies and have a shot at playing fiddle tunes and complex melodies, you will need to find a layout that suits you. ... A20063 is a 21-chord autoharp with a Leopardwood top and Sycamore and Wenge trim. But for a child and beginners, this option is the best. Elderly Instruments (in the US) and Hobgoblin in the UK both get occasional used autoharps, but the primary source at the moment seems to be eBay, with all the normal risks that buying sight unheard over the Net involves. A mid-to-late 1960s "Bluegrass" model Chromaharp - a 15-chorder with A, D, and E in the first three positions, making it slightly more guitar-friendly than the standard 15-chorder. And so do you. You will at some point come across references to chromatic versus diatonic autoharps. ist .co m arp toh. If you have a 12 or 15 chord or Wildwood Flower model Autoharp, place the chord bar you have just finished back on top of the chord bar holder and determine how much of the excess felt needs to be cut off to make the bar fit snugly into the holder while still working easily. Trying to be Folk-Friendly Autoharp Button Set for 15-Bar Oscar Schmidt. So you can get a 15 or 12-chord autoharp but be mindful of the setbacks. 0 bids. A good way to understand chord structure. SKU: HOLDER-21. A rock maple pin block provides serious strength, to assure your autoharp is always in tune. Each bar chord has a sticker attached. Harmonica Buyers' Guide on Riverboat Music But the only differences between this and their entry-level OS-21 harps are cosmetic. Song suggestions for a 12-chord. Musician Or Wannabe? So both used and new 15-chorders tempt folks who don't want to spend a lot of money on an instrument that they're just trying out. About the musical Creek Don't Rise For questions, comments, suggestions, trouble reports, etc. Autoharp Felt for 15-Bar. I would never consider using an electronic tuner for a guitar or banjo, but for autoharp it really does make a huge difference, particularly when the harp or its strings are new. Archived. On to email. With an in-app purchase, you can set the note assigned to each string (from a total of 53 available notes) and set the strings assigned to each chord bar (either 15 or 21), then switch between any of your saved layouts. But more than that, the standard factory 15 bar chord layout is not as well arranged as a 21 bar autoharp for being user-friendly. google_ad_format = "728x90_as"; In general, a chord should not start in the bass with the third. Otherwise you will probably have a miserable couple of weeks tuning the harp every day. All materials, illustrations, and content on this web page are copyrighted (c) 2017 by Paul D. Race. google_color_border = "CCCCCC"; My advice if you're beginning the instrument and want to limit how much you spend is to look for a used OS in the 20-30 years old range. Bob Lewis has a useful explanation here The "A Reissue" is okay, though - its chord bars are placed for upright playing. A cheap, poor quality instrument will simply frustrate you. In fact the 21-chord "Appalachian" model has the standard 21-chord setup. Frankly, you can play more songs with a 21-chord 'harp, and the way the buttons are arranged makes a lot more sense. Banjo Buyers' Guides on RiverboatMusic.com I just got an old 12-chord autoharp and am learning some tunes. Blank Autoharp Template (15 Bar Chromatic) 10.00 An essential tool for every autoharp owner, Jo Ann’s Autoharp Template provides a simple and accurate way to document an autoharp’s string schedule, chord bar layout and chord “voicing” (how the felts are cut for each chord bar). It's incredibly dusty and has 3 strings broken or missing. History The Autoharp contains 12 bar chords and 32 strings. Sign Up for Our Momma Don't 'Low Newsletter. Note about Oscar Schmidt "Appalachian": As shown above, the 15-chord Oscar Schmidt "Appalachian," made in the 1970s, looked pretty much like their other 15-chorders, but used the same layout described above (with A, D, and E in the left three buttons). It was, they tell me, common for harps to arrive cracked. $24. - Added the ability to customize the autoharp layout and switch between your saved layouts for a $3.99 in-app purchase. google_color_text = "333333"; Ironically, 21-chord owners who later decide they want a diatonic autoharp often go with 15-chorders because going to diatonic reduces the number of chords you can use anyway, and there are just so many of the things lying around. But unlike the former, this model has a completely rearranged chord layout, which allows the player to play in (almost) every key and features 3 “special” chords made to be used in those genres. 8 autoharps available. To enable this feature, tap the Settings icon, then tap the edit button for Layout, then tap New Layout. But the On an Oscar Schmidt, this layout requires three bars to be changed. Several of the people I read on the subject of chord bars and layouts were adamant that any autoharp needs the three diminished chords (if you don't understand what these are or why there are only three, you probably need to read up on some music theory; try a Google search). Introduction to Chords Who Owns Folk Songs? My second harp, which is another OS21C, I intend to optimize for the fiddle keys D, G, and A. I decided there would be advantages in having two identical harps that would use the same parts. The truth is, I have a Chromaharp Bluegrass that I got cheap, but it needs new strings, and I'm not entirely sure what I want to do with it. Later on, Oscar Schmidt introduced the 15-chord OS45B and the 21-chord OS45, both of which are also called the "Appalachian." Contact Us d'Aigle Autoharps 19106 Des Memorial Dr. S. Seatac, WA 98148 Local: (206) 439-3549 Moreover, as a Folk singer who plays a lot of songs in D, I'm used to having access to Em, Bm, and F#m on guitar, banjo, and mandolin. This autoharp features select maple construction. Main menu. 6-String Banjo Buyers' Guide on Riverboat Music harp, either OS or a German make. Hope future updates will make this a worthwhile purchase and not a wish I'd not bothered - potential exists but needs urgent work. Whilst I am no expert, the 12 bar chords would appear in good working condition. I also figured that telling folks what they could change their autoharps TO without being clear what they were changing them FROM would be less than helpful for folks who are wondering if, say, that $100 autoharp on Craigs List would be a good starting point. Autoharp Button Set for 15-Bar Oscar Schmidt. Visit Our Discussion Forums oA nn. Whilst I am no expert, the 12 bar chords would appear in good working condition. HOPF 12 BAR AUTOHARP On offer here is a HOPF 12 BAR AUTOHARP. Details. A good way to understand chord structure. There are, of course, many more modifications you can make -- they make pickups for autoharp, for example -- but you don't need more than this to get started. Note: If you don't already own an autoharp, and are looking to buy one, consider bypassing the old "A" style - they were made for playing on the lap, not held across the chest as is the modern usage. Common major chords for the autoharp are made up of the I, III, V of the scale which begins with the root, or chord name. Listen Details . The standard tip is to first make note of the chord bar layout and not to remove a bar without ensuring that the chord name is on the bar itself and can be reunited with the corresponding button label. A standard 21-button" Oscar Schmidt or Chromaharp autoharp's "factory layout" chord array (given in Circle-of-Fifths) is Ab, Eb, Bb, Bb7, F, F7, C, C7, Cm, G, G7, Gm, D, D7, Dm, A, A7, Am, E7, Em, and B7. Did God Really Give Rock and Roll To You? Whatever else you get out of our pages, I hope you enjoy your music and figure out how to make enjoyable music for those around you as well. Home There would be room for several more chord bars if you don't mind building your own and maybe adapting the chord bar holders from a 10- or 12-chorder. Hammered Dulcimer Buyers' Guide on Riverboat Music Anything in any musical genre is cool, whether modern or standard. The Unified Chord Bar Arrangement. So it's easy to say that you can play songs in the key of A on a 21-chord autoharp, but that isn't the sam… Other Inst. Now, say you're moving from your Ragtime Banjo Society gig to a Folk, Bluegrass, Celtic, or Country gig, and your new bandmates want to do the same song in A that you're used to playing in F. You'll discover in a heartbeat that you don't have the chords you need, which may include, not only D and E7 but also A, Em, and B7 (present on a 21-chorder, but not on a 15-chorder) as well as E, Bm, F#m and maybe even C#m. Anyone have some favorite songs I can play on my limited rig? Contact Appalachian and Chromaharp "Bluegrass" models shown above give you E and A chords by sacrificing the Eb and F7 chords. The Autoharp contains 12 bar chords and 32 strings. 5-String Banjo Buyers' Guides on Riverboat Music And is finished in an attractive sunburst gloss. Unfortunately, the penultimate string from the right is broken. The Play Incidentally, Chromaharp also came out with a 21-chord autoharp. This may or may not include changing the actual chords themselves. This feature lets you change the note assigned to each string and the strings assigned to each chord bar. This is a Bryan Bowers style layout with existing Oscar Schmidt chord bars. google_ad_width = 728; Are You a "Brand Bigot"? //-->. Details. ... 12/28/2019 . If you're playing in keys like Bb, you have a lot of extra chords to use for fancy arrangements. Music Theory All rights reserved. Autoharps are wonderfully portable instruments (no fights over carrying *these* guys on aircraft), but the standard nylon "gig bag" sold by Oscar Schmidt is pitifully inadequately padded, and the cardboard ("chipboard") cases many of the old ones come with is even worse. 12 Chord, 36 String For Parts The parts alone are worth the $30 OSCAR SCHMIDT AUTOHARP MODEL 12A(c.1964) black finish. If you want to play the autoharp standing up (recommended, certainly for singing, if you're going to perform in front of an audience at all), you will want to attach a strap. My personal principle with all musical instruments is simple: spend the money to get a good one. ŠJ. It will be more difficult to play, be less satisfying when you do, and be resalable for less money when you give up. SKU: HOLDER-15. Doesn't follow standard Autoharp chord bar layout. (More information on these variants is provided below.). I decided after some thought that the procession of major chords in fifths up the center would provide a valuable "home row" (to borrow a typewriter expression), and so it has proved. $6.99 - See more - Buy online Pre-shipment lead time: 4 to 6 business days. What's preventing you from rechording your 21-button OS? The Autoharp has over 100 years of history. contact us. That said, as long as you don't disassemble your autoharp over shag carpet, there is no compelling reason you can't move the keys around to make your favorite keys easier to play. [12] Autoharps have been used in the United States as bluegrass and folk instruments by Maybelle Carter, Sara Carter and June Carter; all of the Carter Family. Ukulele Buyers' Guide on Riverboat Music WHICH IS LISTED A FEW LINES DOWN IN RED INK PLEASE USE SHIPPING CALCULATOR LOCATED AT END OF LISTING TO … I have used my Richwood 'harp, (which incidentally I bought off Jan), as it has the F#dim chord which my OS does not..Also the chord bar layout is … What is a Tenor Guitar? google_color_url = "666666"; http://classictrainsongs.com. If being installed on a USA autoharp or an original 15 chord new holes will need to be drilled. Recent Arrivals; Vintage; Instruments; Electronics; Accessories; Contact Us; Account; Our Story. Wählen Sie ein Land/eine Region für Ihren Einkauf. Some of the songs I was hoping to learn are not possible but so far I’ve gotten a hang of Ring of Fire and Wildflowers. I got it sight-unseen, and the vendor offered to take it back, but I just asked him to give me a discount on it instead. Mine arrived in good condition, but it had never been tuned, there were buzzes in places where the pins had not been milled correctly, and several of the strings were so short that when they popped out of the tuning pins I couldn't get them to reset and had to buy new strings. SKU: AB-12/15-SET. This may in turn involve buying some new strings to ensure that the retuned strings do not overly stress the instrument. They can set up the chord bar layout any way you like, and install a pickup for $198 if you want. Instrument store owners of my acquaintance tell me that after Oscar Schmidt (now owned by Washburn) moved its autoharp production to the Far East, the build quality of the instruments plummeted. Rated 5.00 out of 5 £ 579.00 £ 499.00 Read more; Autoharp Gig Bag £ 49.99 Add to basket; Autoharp method-In four easy steps £ 12.99 Add to basket; Autoharp Strap Button The most common make of autoharp you'll find out there is Oscar Schmidt, and these are factory-produced jobs that run, new, anywhere from $250 (street) to $650 (list) depending on the model and the source. Folk and Traditional Music They produced 15-chorders that gave you E and A chords by sacrificing the Eb and F7, two chords you almost never need in Folk, Bluegrass, or Country. Go to www.autoharp.com, then Marketplace, then to "In Stock d'Aigle Autoharps". During the Folk Revival, the rise of Bluegrass, and the mainstreaming of Country music, autoharp players clamored for more guitar-friendly chords on their instruments. I have had my Oscar Schmidt 21-Chord Autoharp for at least 6 months and I love it. You can convert a chromatic harp into a diatonic (and vice versa); to do so, expect to change both the set of chord bars and their layout *and* the stringing schedule -- that is, the pattern in which the strings are tuned. Jo Ann Smith ~ autoharpist.com. Recent Arrivals; Vintage; Instruments; Electronics; Accessories; Contact Us; Account ; Our Story. It is, however, not always intuitively obvious what constitutes a "good quality" autoharp, and this instrument may be the one exception to the rule. 1950's Oscar Schmidt 12 Chord Autoharp Model 73.36 String in case for your bids.Late 1950's Oscar Schmidt 12 Chord Autoharp Model 73.36 String in case.with tuning wrench and multiple music books and original booklet from Oscar-Schmidt.