Bob Ellis has redesigned his autoharps so he can play the melodies of fiddle tunes, instead of just chording. In this video he explains and demonstrates how he does this.
The two most influential auto harp players today are Bob Ellis and Jo Ann Smith. Bob teaches that the instrument is not as simple as it seems, and Jo Ann teaches that it is simpler than it seems. It's great that they both share there talent.
What a treat to run across Bob Ellis on youtube--I saw him at a festival some years ago and he immediately became one of my favorite harpers. He nails the melody like nobody else. If anybody else happens to have video of Ellis's wonderfully innovative playing, I hope you'll consider posting. It'd be a real service to everyone who loves the 'harp.
What a great demonstration and story ! Music is joy isn't it? I love the tingy sounds of double stringed instruments , mandolin bouzouki , now the auto harp , zither , oud , etc,. It just sounds like joy to me. Thank you and happy trails and playing with your wife and friend , and enjoying the music.
It's great that you're making people happy with your music. We're about the same age and I remember street musicians playing on the streets when I was a kid. For an interesting story look up the story about Willie's Nelson's song PRETTY PAPER, PRETTY RIBBONS OF BLUE.
This is almost the same as the original autoharps from the late 19th. century. They took a three or four chord guitar zither and put three or four chord bars on it. I am so happy you recreated this!
Lovely playing! i've got an autoharp but can't play it like you do. I play guitar so I can work out how you're doing it. I've just gotta practice now. Thanks!
Beautiful Bob , you realy put life into your music and very informative , Im into most stringed instruments but youve given me an awakening to an Autoharp
I loved this video. I lo e the sound of the autoharp. It makes me think of hot summer nights, sitting on the porch and tuning with family and friends, while the kids run around chasing fireflies. Aside from that, it has an amazing range as an instrument, as you demonstrated. A rank beginner can play along with others, but there's lots and lots of room for improvement and experimentation. Thanks for sharing your music.
WOW> Bob--your idea of tuning adjacent strings to the same note, like a mandolin or 12-string guitar is brilliant! What that does for novices like me is to double the amount of good notes, and lessen the amount of sour notes. I've been playing folk/traditional guitar for a long time...but just trying to learn autoharp at 67...though I've always loved the sound...particularly for the old gospel standards. Could you possibly be more specific on just HOW to double-tune the strings for D/A or G/C...on an old Oscar Schmidt?????? That would be an immense help! TXZ TX TX for the inspiration
I loved your explanation and like you said the big autoharp has so much more volume. (Love to hear Maybelle Carter though) Thanks for posting and hooray for youtube! Love from Holland and good health for many more years! Frans.
There is a magazine, called, "Autoharp Quarterly", that lists all the luthiers, or you could find them on the 'net. Look at some of my videos, entitled, "gfharper", and listen to some of the luthier autoharps. I am in Montana. I have more than a dozen luthier 'harps, and am satisfied with all of them! Some luthiers are: Pete d'Aigle, George Orthey, Ray Choi, Fladmark, Schrieber, Daniels, and others.
That's totally cool and very impressive I'm on the same wavelength I've got me a new autoharp and I'm in my sixties I've had them in the past but now I really have time to me sitting around and making music and singing songs with your friends that's real life and it's real fun I play harmonica too I've got quite a few friends here now join me
See Autoharp 101, performed by Bryan Bowers. He started using the picking technique at least 30 years ago and he still performs. Google Bryan Bowers, Scott O'Malley Associates "Bower’s creativity and talent have won him induction into Frets Magazine’s First Gallery of the Greats, after five years of winning the stringed instrument open category of the magazine’s readers’ poll. This distinction put Bowers along side other luminaries, such as Chet Atkins, David Grisman, Stephan Grappelli, Itzhak Perlman, Tony Rice, Rob Wasserman and Mark O’Connor, recognized for their personal accomplishments. In 1993, Bryan was the first living member inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame to stand only with Maybelle Carter, Kilby Snow, and Sara Carter. In 2003, Bryan organized and co-produced Autoharp Legacy. He brought together 55 autoharp players and created the definitive three-CD set on autoharp music. In addition, Bryan Bowers’ critically acclaimed recordings on Flying Fish/Rounder Records are: The View From Home, Home, Home On the Road, By Heart, Friend For Life and For You."
Hi Bob, What a lovely video! I too am retired and have been learning ukelele! However now I want an autoharp! However I aint got a clue on what to buy and how much to pay. I play 5 string banjo and guitar and melodeon also so would buy a decent one cos I really want to play. Can you help?
I play in a self-taught style like this. I keep about 8 black 12-bar autoharps from the 1950's & 60's. Whenever I found them at yard sales, for $40 or less, in good condition, I'd pick up another. I dont like the newer one so much
Sounds good! A lot of people starting out on the autoharp will do these really big chords, and some never go further than that. I don't really like that effect for a solo performance. Between the rapid succession of notes, the short intervals between those notes, and the long sustain of the autoharp, even harmonies begin to sound crowded to the point of near-dissonance.
Autoharps are fun and I don't begruge anyone that enjoys playing them. But they were the death knell for a wide and varied group of instruments. That never recaputred popular use.
As I'm turnin' sixty this year, I understand what you mean by just havin' fun. I've always loved the autoharp, though I'm much better at the reed harps. - - KelticDead
Helloo, great to see you playing/teaching, somehow i get here to your video, and i feel almost like the same you say here, i'm 20 years old, from brazil, and I like music, at all, producing, to write songs, playing, sing. Since all this 20 years of my life i was passive in music, just listening to songs and afraid to enter in this world, so now I decide to take this road for my life, a "musical open mind", so I started playing flute (quena flute), drum and maracá, and writing songs. Now I interested in autoharps/mini harps too, but i dont know how can i get it, here in Brazil, i need a cool and nice one to start to play, what you recommends me? grateful for the video, nice to meet you sorry for my bad english, hope you understand me hahah peace and light! cya
eta sou de SP, tem como vc me passar o nome da loja ou o site? Eu achei um lugar mas é la na Europa, mt caro, da uns 200 U$, contando o preço da entrega, fora q vai demorar uns 3 meses p chegar. Obrigado pela dica!
Caio Alcântara Não sei onde é a loja. Só sei que tem uma aqui. Pesquisa no google, pra ver se acha. Eu acho que é na asa norte, mas realmente não sei te informar. Boa sorte na tua carreira!
I have noticed only Bryan Bowers uses a strap sometimes to play autoharp. I'm wondering about using a strap as my forearm gets sore a lot from extended playing. Does anyone here use a strap sometimes? Thanks Bob, I'm in my early 60's and am finding enjoyment from my autoharp once again. My wife and I sing and play in a small church in Melbourne, FL called a Cowboy or Country church. It's part of a United Methodist church. The congregation loves the autoharp!!
Yep, I'm 67---had the same idea for the same reason. I'd suggest holding the harp up across your chest at a comfortable position...figure a good place on either side...and drill two small holes. In the holes, screw in two smalll o-rings, and to those join a banjo strap or camera strap. Works great...and takes the strain offa yer arms. Yeah, I'll bet the congregation loves it. I'm using it on old gospel classics like" In a Land Where We'll Never Grow Old". And I think it's just a magical sound. I'm sure they were used in little country churches that couldn't afford a piano
