Let's talk about the history and music of the American Heartland

Visit our Sister Sites
CreekDontRise.com Home Page Visit our sister site, School of the Rock
Visit our Classic Train Songs Page
A page devoted to some of Paul's own music endeavors.
 

It is currently Tue Oct 08, 2024 10:39 am


To ask any question about the content on this site please use our Site Contact Page.

To sign up for this discussion forum, please use our Forum Signup Page.

Either way, we'll be very glad to hear from you - Paul Click to see Paul's music home page Click to contact Paul through this page. Click to see Paul's music page on Facebook Click to see Paul's music blog page Click to hear Paul's music on SoundCloud. Click to sign up for this discussion forum. Click to learn about our Momma Don't Low Newsletter. Click to see Paul's YouTube Channel. Click to see Paul's Twitter Page

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 1 post ] 
Author Message
PostPosted: Wed Dec 26, 2018 9:13 am 
Offline
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Thu May 15, 2014 3:39 pm
Posts: 1004
A reader writes:

I recently purchased a 21-chord O.S. Autoharp. I pulled sheet music off internet for "Do You Believe in Magic." Does the autoharp use the same chords as guitar? If not where can I find chords for songs using autoharp? There are no local teachers so I guess I will be self-taught via You Tube. How too do I know which chord a song is in? Dumb questions I realize but I would like some advice here.

----------------------------------

Regarding your question about whether the autoharp uses the same chords as guitar,

Yes, it does more or less. As an example a C chord consists of C, E, and G. But on an instrument like guitar or autoharp, each note is repeated as many times as it can be across the strings. So the most common C chord on a guitar is actually Low E, Middle C, and the E, G, C, E above that.

Most advanced guitar players will fret the sixth string, making the lowest string a G instead, but the rest of the strings are the same.

Jazz and rock players will tend to play the whole chord higher up the neck. So in some cases the chord could be, say, Middle C, then G, C, E, G, C above that. The point is, no matter HOW you play a C chord on guitar, the notes used are C, E, and G.

On most autoharps, the C chord starts with Middle C and plays the E, G, C, E, G, C, E, G above that. On some autoharps, there is a high C at the very top as well. But the notes are the same as the notes on a guitar chord (or piano chord, or banjo chord or mandolin chord): C, E, and G.

Two things can make an autoharp sound like it's not playing the right chords.

Bad tuning will make things sound way off. Find a digital piano or a cheap keyboard and make certain your strings are even in the right ball-park. Wear eye protection. Then once you get the strings close to in-tune, you can use a chromatic tuner to fine tune. If you have a smart phone, you can download one for free from the app store.

If the autoharp is very much out of tune, you will need to retune it two or three times the first day. Then a time or two the second day, then eventually it will start holding its tune more or less. Autoharps that are tuned and played every day are actually much lower maintenance in the long run than autoharps that are neglected. Also, if you don't have a case, be certain to cover your autoharp when you're not playing it to reduce dust buildup. That part is just a hint.

If your autoharp is perfectly in tune, it's still possible for it to sound like you're playing the wrong chords in some circumstances. For example, nobody strums all 35 or 36 strings on every beat. Many folks strum the lower strings on beats 1 and 3 and the upper strings on beats 2 and 4. Depending on where you start your strum, you might be playing E, G, C, E, G, C, E instead of C, E, G, C, E, G, C, E, G. You're still playing a C chord, but you're hitting more Es than Cs, so it might sound funny to you.

The thing is, it won't sound funny to anybody else. And if you're playing in an ensemble with other instruments, one of them is probably filling in the middle C or a lower C anyway.

Regarding how to play the autoharp, I use it for playing chords period, but many folks have figured out how to play melodies on the thing - in fact, the earliest autoharps were made with just that in mind, though they used a very strange system for showing you how to do that. In those days, the autoharp manufacturers had to higher composers to write songs you could play using their system. But many Folk and Bluegrass players play melodies on the things today. Usually they don't bother to read music, but if they do use sheet music, it's the standard stuff.

I can't recommend any specific books that will help you do that, sorry. But now that it's come up, I'll keep an eye out for such resources.

- Paul


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 1 post ] 

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron




To ask any question about the content on this site please use our Site Contact Page.

To sign up for this discussion forum, please use our Forum Signup Page.


Paul Race playing a banjo. Click to go to Paul's music home page.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.

And please stay in touch!

    - Paul Race Click to see Paul's music home page Click to contact Paul through this page. Click to see Paul's music page on Facebook Click to see Paul's music blog page Click to hear Paul's music on SoundCloud. Click to sign up for the Creek Don't Rise discussion forum. Click to learn about our Momma Don't Low Newsletter. Click to see Paul's Twitter Page Click to see Paul's YouTube Channel.



All material, illustrations, and content of this web site is copyrighted © 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006,
2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 by Paul D. Race. All rights reserved.

Note: Creek Don't Rise (tm) is Paul Race's name for his resources supporting the history and
music of the North American Heartland as well as additional kinds of acoustic and traditional music.

Creek Dont' Rise(tm) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising
program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.



Visit related pages and affiliated sites:
- Music -
Heartland-inspired music, history, and acoustic instrument tips.
Best-loved railroad songs and the stories behind them.
Visit musings about music on our sister site, School of the Rock With a few tools and an hour or two of work, you can make your guitar, banjo, or mandolin much more responsive.  Instruments with movable bridges can have better-than-new intonation as well. The Independent Christian Musician. Check out our article on finding good used guitars.
Carols of many countries, including music, lyrics, and the story behind the songs. X and Y-generation Christians take Contemporary Christian music, including worship, for granted, but the first generation of Contemporary Christian musicians faced strong, and often bitter resistance. Different kinds of music call for different kinds of banjos.  Just trying to steer you in the right direction. New, used, or vintage - tips for whatever your needs and preferences. Wax recordings from the early 1900s, mostly collected by George Nelson.  Download them all for a 'period' album. Explains the various kinds of acoustic guitar and what to look for in each.
Look to Riverboat Music buyers' guide for descriptions of musical instruments by people who play musical instruments. Learn 5-string banjo at your own speed, with many examples and user-friendly explanations. Explains the various kinds of banjos and what each is good for. Learn more about our newsletter for roots-based and acoustic music. Folks with Bb or Eb instruments can contribute to worship services, but the WAY they do depends on the way the worship leader approaches the music. A page devoted to some of Paul's own music endeavors.
- Trains and Hobbies -
Free building projects for your vintage railroad or Christmas village.
Visit Lionel Trains. Click to see Thomas Kinkaded-inspired Holiday Trains and Villages. Big Christmas Train Primer: Choosing and using model trains with holiday themes Building temporary and permanent railroads with big model trains Click to see HO scale trains with your favorite team's colors.
- Christmas Memories and Collectibles -
Visit the FamilyChristmasOnline site. Visit Howard Lamey's glitterhouse gallery, with free project plans, graphics, and instructions. Click to return to the Old Christmas Tree Lights Table of Contents Page Click to sign up for Maria Cudequest's craft and collectibles blog.
Click to visit Fred's Noel-Kat store.
Visit the largest and most complete cardboard Christmas 'Putz' house resource on the Internet.
- Family Activities and Crafts -
Click to see reviews of our favorite family-friendly Christmas movies. Free, Family-Friendly Christmas Stories Decorate your tree the old-fashioned way with these kid-friendly projects. Free plans and instructions for starting a hobby building vintage-style cardboard Christmas houses. Click to find free, family-friendly Christmas poems and - in some cases - their stories. Traditional Home-Made Ornaments



Click to trains that commemorate your team!

Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group