Autoharp Avenue - Chromatic vs. Diatonic

[purity4all]

Can it be done in pentatonic?

[XmyAssYTmofo]

Yes I can see that the diatonic gives the rich 12-string guitar effect.

[phototaxisable]

thanks for that explanation! finally i got the difference between chromatic and diatonic!

[bs27975]

Thanks so much for your excellent video. Your sheer enthusiasm comes through - very pleasant to witness.

[freak49]

When I was watching this I was wondering how far the chords can be modified. If you can play maj7 and sus4 could you also get real adventurous and play 6ths & 9ths etc. Did you modify your harp yourself or can you play those chords on a "stock" instrument??

[MusicRowe]

Wow Ty... I have learned more on 8 min than I did in 4 days of web research. Btw can u take a chron harp and make it diatonic? Or do you have to buy the harp already tuned? ie: can you just tune the strings differently and change the chord bars? Much thanks for taking the time to share this wonderful info.

[Johnnyboybravo]

very nice =)

[tw0catf1sh]

you're great

[LightbreadLoftin]

@autoharpist I'm only 15 and after learning guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, and trumpet, i was wanting to get an autoharp and i was wondering if you could recommend a *relatively cheap* autoharp and chromatic or diatonic? and do strings break regularly? because i saw they were about $60 a pack, and since im only 15, money is a little tight haha... thanks for any help

[gtrgdss]

Hi. What makes "dead wire"? Is it just the way the instrument is constructed, bad strings, weather / humidity factors?  Will a good autoharp STILL have dead wire? I am looking at purchasing, and was wondering so that I might look out for these points to consider. Thank you! Excellent video!

[zorilla0]

@gtrgdss As I understood it, "dead wire" just refers to strings muted by the chord buttons currently being pressed. Diatonics have redundant notes and fewer strings need to be muted to construct chords, so the effect is less noticeable.

[londonsteve]

really helpful, your beautiful interesting also,

i could listen to your voice on play all day!

:)

[londonsteve]

what do you mean all thirteen notes?

its twelve isnt it?

:(

???

[k0vert]

i love that first song, i don't know what it is, but it just clicked with me.

[diskgrinder]

don't care what the difference is Jo, just play that more. Completely transporting when you make the example. Thanks enormous

[somedguy]

Hi. I was wondering if you actually moved the mutes on your Diatonic harp. If so do you do it by ear or do you follow a chart of some kind. Thanks

[autoharpist]

@somedguy Yes, I moved the mutes. Once you re-tune the strings from a chromatic to a diatonic scale, all of the chord bars must be re-configured to accomodate the new tuning. The chord bar has a solid piece of felt on the underside; you put notches in the felt over the strings that you want to ring for a particular chord. For instance, for a C major chord, you would notch the felt for all of the C, E and G tuned strings.

[MandoIsland]

Great and informative video!

[joerover22]

i'm totally new to the autoharp, ive just been on a appalachian celtic music fix... and now i want to go buy one.. ive played piano and guitar and have an ear for music so hopefully it goes well... this video was very thorough and explained a lot to me already.... thanks for the info...

[Vlican]

thanks for this video! it was very informative!

[pine2apple]

I'm considering buying an autoharp. This was really helpful. Which one would you prefer. A chromatic or diatonic?

[autoharpist]

@pine2apple I always recommend a chromatic to new players, except in rare instances. Chromatics allow you to play a wide variety of music in multiple keys, and they give you a good foundation in playing techniques. Plus, they are much easier to find than a diatonic (usually a custom job). I played nothing but chromatic autoharps for nearly 3 years before moving to a diatonic.

[dougieladd]

Just been watching Billy Connolly... and wondered what the instrument was he was playing... now I know... Thanks and Yes.... you are a hottie!

[Phyoomz]

She is charming indeed. And such a hottie.

[Sylvia441]

I will be coming into a auto harp so I will have to check which one it is & gather more info from you. Thanks

[psonne]

Thank you for your wonderful videos. I just got a old 12 chord Oscar Schmidt chromatic autoharp for 10 bucks on e-bay. Last night we found a set of new strings at our local music store, for only $40. So for this small investment, we are off on another musical adventure. Looking forward to seeing your other videos.

[FancyPantsElitist]

oh and I do have relative, if not perfect , pitch...

[FancyPantsElitist]

My mom has an old autoharp...

Should I go the effort to futz around with it? I have a background in guitar, violin, cello....

[sirvaan]

You make me wanna buy an autoharp for cheap see if I like it I'm a guitar player. Those minor 7ths and suspended chords at the end sound amazing.

[adamasonyx]

you are so charming, i love watching you over and over again. thanks for the explanation, makes me think twice on what to buy now. I've been searching for online diatonic autoharp to and it's so limited.

[RoryGarbutt]

the charleston!!! yay

[AkkordionBloke]

I AGREE! Yay, indeed.  She played it beautifully - but that tune is not The Charleston. It's «Has Anybody Seen My Gal», a.k.a. «Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue»,

[RoryGarbutt]

ahh there both similar!! ive never herd that before :O its awesome though

[feelingwarmandhappy]

Thanks for your video! I've got a question for you, about the 21 chord autoharp where you mentioned 7ths. What kind of 7ths are typically set on regular factory made ones? Are they usually maj7, min7, dim?

Thanks again and keep making those wonderful vids :)

[autoharpist]

The type of seventh chords that are standard on a 21-chord chromatic autoharp are the DOMINANT sevenths. The way you construct a dominant seventh is to take a major chord like C major (C,E,G) and add the FLATTED seventh note of the C scale. What you get is C7 (C,E,G,Bb).  The dominant seventh is the type of seventh chord assumed when you write only a '7' when notating the chord.

[janepaddy]

fantastic information! thank you!

[DanceCakes]

very informative vid from a very charming lady.thanks

[laubar]

I am so in love with you.

[Mikkeyboyy]

thanks that was some great info

and yes! some cool stuff

[sangolt88]

Oscar Schmidt makes great instrument for a good price.

[kaapiovuohi]

Fascinating - I never realised there would be so much to the difference in tuning. Thanks for posting!

[monaleisure]

When you convert an autoharp to diatonic, do you have to modify the chord bars yourself, or can you order them, or do you have the whole thing done by Schmidt, or by a dealer, or what?

[autoharpist]

Depends on which you are more willing to invest: Time or $. Although it isn't an afternoon project, re-felting chordbars is something most folks can easily handle. The string changes aren't quite as easy, but it's definitely do-able for the DIY-minded. The most important thing is getting good information about diatonic conversions. The best resource I know (besides knowledgeable luthiers) is "The Autoharp Owner's Manual" by Mary Lou Orthey. Google it and you'll find it easily.

[elweedo]

Hey, I really wanted to say thanks for the explanation!

[felineaveb]

I LOVE YOU!!!

Seriously - thank you THANK YOU for posting all of this!!!

[sunrobot7]

I love you.

[dk215]

A fascinating instrument and one truly beautiful lady with great humour. A pleasure to watch.

[unamacarana]

Excellent.

[gat19a]

Superb.

[revadavis]

Thanks for your videos. I found an old 15 chord harp in my church and found that I loved playing it, but I just went on-line and purchased the chromatic harp you show here! I hope to play this while singing with my now 9 week old son.

[telecaster1963]

You rock, Catwoman!

Thank you very much for posting.

[inhyruleprincess]

Is your C diatonic autoharp able to be found in ANY stores? Im trying to learn harp, and I want one that sounds like that :P

[happychildhood]

Hi Joann,

I am a totallyblind musician from New York. Thanks so much for the fantastic videos, your descriptive and down to Earth mannor. I love your videos and will check back for more soon. I am purchasing an Oscar Schmidt autoharp optimized by an expert. I look forward to this new musical journey as I also play guitar and mandolin. Keep up the great work.

Sincerely,

Marissa

[CharlotteFairchild]

You didn't play a song on the diatonic! What do you play on the diatonic, mostly?

I was really happy to hear both harps and your explanations were great. I will tell my students to look at your videos, and thank you!

[CharlotteFairchild]

In your tags, put in the word autoharp lesson, and class, please. More people will find you!

[amiwilliamsoncom]

Dear Jo Ann

Thankyou for your lessons! You're a great teacher. I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I buy an autoharp- I love the sound of the diatonic autoharp you tuned to c only. Is it possible to buy a chromatic autoharp and tune it to one key and also have the interesting chords as well in that key.So you then have the option of all 21 chords if you want to change it back, I can only buy 1. Please excuse my ignorance. Many Thanks again for your lessons- keep them coming please!!!!

[bellobard]

Very cool. Thanks Jo Ann. And keep 'em coming!

[jzguru1]

Thanks so much for this, so totally cool what you are doing! (=

[flyinga40]

Very well explained.I will be checking all your videos..Thanks...Carl

[gogobionicgirl]

what's a good begginer autoharp?

[autoharpist]

A good beginner's autoharp would be almost any of Oscar Schmidt's current 21-chord models -- with the caveat that it be adjusted or "optimized" by an expert. Without these initial setup adjustments, you'll likely not have the best experience. On my YouTube page, you'll find a link to my website. Once you get to my website, look at the "Links" page, where you'll find some information I've started compiling on the subject.

[PhuckHue2]

I wonder if they make them bigger with more chord selections. 21 is not really enough.

[GreeninMissouri]

I'm trying to think of the name of that song you play on the chromatic. What is it? Great video!

[autoharpist]

The name of the song is "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue".

[GreeninMissouri]

That's it! Thank you! :) Great playing. Keep it up!

[nancywarren]

sounded a little like "The Charleston".

Thank you for the podcasts!!! Your theory is perfectly great.

[Pigglies]

Excellent educational video! Your chromatic autoharp is the same model that I have except mine is the blue quilted one.

[stevo61]

Someday I am going to dig out my Oscar Schmit chromatic, dust it off and change it over to a diatonic. Thanks for the info. You are charming. You might consider turning off your auto-iris and auto-white balance when you make these little vignettes.

[Loreen2008]

I love you playing technique! I can't wait to see the video on how to play melody!!! Can you also demonstrate how you make the "chime" sound?

[AllAmericanFE]

Ive noticed in your videos that you are able to pick individual notes out and make them sound louder than the other notes of the chord. Is this easy to do? Can you post a video on how to do this? I am in the market for an autoharp and would love to know how to pick the individual notes out.

[autoharpist]

The subject of the next video will be exactly that -- how to play melody notes on the autoharp. I hope to have it up within the next week or so.

[deathgore]

i will always love you my gently madame! ^^

[DanCeekey]

Excellent tutorial. Great job, Jo Ann.

[Badgerbeads]

Fantastic! I've been playing autoharp since December 2007 (Mike Fenton in the UK sold me mine) and I'm always looking for more good instruction and info. Your playing is an inspiration.

[sooth15]

Awesome! This explains a lot.

[victorolden]

I love your music!!!

I love your autoharp!!!

great sound!!!

Like Russian Gusly (гусли)