Penny, I have played accompaniment for YEARS without melody-picking at ALL, as I consider my voice is my main instrument, so GOODONYA. I also have hammed mine when accompanying fiddlers, because strumming the same chord pattern for hours is just too boring and tiring.

Also, if a 12er is available, and it lacks chords in your preferred singing/accomp keys, you can always refelt into your keys (or find someone as I was lucky enough to do, who was kind enough to do it for me).

Not all the ChromaHarps were/are crap, BTW.

~S~