Autoharpe

The authoharpe is a North-American variation of the Austrian Cithare; she is traditionally played in the area of the mountains of the the Appalachian Mountains to accompany the Musique folk or the Bluegrass.

She has a trapezoidal form, a circular central hearing and generally 36 cords (some autoharpes while having up to 48) there are tended in the direction length of the instrument. The cords are fixed at the base by points and are granted in top by metal ankles which make it possible to regulate the height of the sound of each cord using a metal key.

The characteristic of this instrument which differentiates it from the other zithers is a case posed with the top of the cords in the direction of the width of the instrument. This case contains a set of bars (of which the number varies according to the instrument) equipped with chokes which neutralize the vibration of cords chosen in advance and thus makes it possible to obtain agreements with the other free cords. One puts them in action while pressing on buttons and they return on their initial site thanks to a system of springs. The names of the agreements obtained by these bars are registered with the Anglo-Saxon notation HAS B C D E F G (respectively it if C D semi F ground) on the case. The agreements available are minor, major agreements and of seventh. The most current models have a set of 12 agreements and a more significant number for the more elaborate instruments.

The autoharpe is an instrument with the many possibilities: one can play of this instrument to accompany a melody by scraping the cords with a Plectre (or Médiator) on the free part of the cords in lower part it case or to make a more elaborate and even melody instrumental play on the free part of the cords to the top of the case with the right hand and his possibility of alternation inch-fingers. The inch in general plays the low ones and the other fingers make the harmonized melody. By combining the various methods of play, an trained user can produce music of a surprising complexity.

This instrument was popularized in France by Hugues Aufray with the piece the English nightingale and by Graeme Allwright at its beginnings ( Little boy ); it is even more famous in the United States thanks to the family of traditional musicians Carter of which in particular Maybelle Carter. This instrument owes its diffusion in the mountains of the Appalachian Mountains with the persuasion of the salesmen of catalogs of various objects which convinced the peasants that one could easily sing the traditional airs and to be accompanied with this instrument without knowing large thing of the music. It profits from an renewed interest thanks to violin makers who manufacture instruments of better invoice that in the beginning, and thanks to some musicians who play of it in a professional way such The Brobdingnagian Bards , American group of medieval and Celtic music, or Bryan Bowers, Kilby Snow, Mike Seeger, Billy Connolly, Harvey Reid, Pop Stoneman, Lyle Mays.

Real technical difficulty of this instrument lies in its tuning considering the big number of cords.

the name of the instrument

The word " Autoharp" was deposited in 1926; the company " US Music Corporation " claims to be owner. The organization of recording of the marks in the USA ( USTPO ) protects only " words, letters and/or numbers in their form stylisée". In fact, only the graphics of the word " Autoharp" is protected, the term itself having become a word of general use.

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