Autoharp Magazine Missing. Help.

Subject: RE: Autoharp Magazine Missing. Help.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 12:57 PM

Bill. A country folk duo with a name "Made in Heaven"

Maybelle Snow and Kilby Carter!

Rick

Subject: RE: Autoharp Magazine Missing. Help.
From: Bill D
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 12:47 PM

why, I use b(r)asswood, kat...(made a couple of picks from and old scrap, and I use a Mizrab..(Sitar plectrum) a lot of the time...all the others get caught in the strings the way I play (yes, Bryan Bowers does FINE his way, I just can't figger it out, I play half-way between Maybelle Carter and Kilby Snow)

Subject: RE: Autoharp Magazine Missing. Help.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 12:42 PM

Thanks folks. Really appreciate it. I've just sent an e-mail to Autoharp Quarterly in hopes they can give me the info. (thanks Sorcha)

Claymore, Thanks. I've been re-configuring autoharps for about thirty years now, and in fact have a REALLY bizzare system now in use on my main harp, that allows me to play jazz chords and scales in any key. (has gotten me on several recording and commercial sessions as that "weird" autoharpist)

My problem (as I may have stated in a convaluted way in my original post) is I need George Orthey's PARTICULAR system of tuning a 36 (not 37) string harp to a C and F configuration. I'd already used his system on several harps for other performers and it worked BETTER than anything I'd come up with. I simply can't remember EXACTLY which strings were doubled. He based his tuning on certain harmonic overtones that might not appear logical at first glance but ended up being very practical.

Harpy, I'll P.M. you on this. Do you HAVE that particular issue of the mag? I don't have a fax, but all I need is the order of the strings from the bass up. Eg:

F,G,A,Bb,.......CC, DD, E, FF,.....etc. right to the high C (which may or may not be doubled in his system)

Thanks again.

Rick

Subject: RE: Autoharp Magazine Missing. Help.
From: clansfolk
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 05:30 AM

Sorcha -

Many thanks for that link - didn't know the Mag existed! But have now sent for a subscription - can't get many mags in the UK related to "traditiona" instruments - oh how I miss the old B.M.G. magazine - I gave all my issues away to an up and coming musician when we moved in the 80's - I love to get hold of some of the issues but have never seen any on sale!

Cheers again

Pete

Subject: RE: Autoharp Magazine Missing. Help.
From: katlaughing
Date: 15 Jun 01 - 12:57 AM

Oh thanks a LOT!**BG** I did laugh when the ad on eBay said it would get here tuned up and ready to go! Nothing stays tuned in shipping!

I'll pick on my big sis, she has several in her classroom.

So what kind of wood pick do you fancy up fer one them things, Bill?*very big grin*

kat

Subject: RE: Autoharp Magazine Missing. Help.
From: Bill D
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 11:51 PM

oh, they're simple! you just tune it and strum it......and re-tune it..and unhook your picks from the strings...and re-tune it, and bend the wires so they don't poke you...and re-tune it....and figure out how to replace broken strings....ASK!...and.....*grin*....(I exaggerate)

Subject: RE: Autoharp Magazine Missing. Help.
From: katlaughing
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 10:55 PM

Oh my gosh! This sounds complicated! I just bought an autharp on eBay. What have I got myself into now? Everyone said they were easy!**BG**

Good luck for Monday, Rick.

kat

Subject: RE: Autoharp Magazine Missing. Help.
From: harpgirl
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 06:47 PM

Rick, have you got a fax? I'll send you my patterns if you like...hg

Subject: RE: Autoharp Magazine Missing. Help.
From: GUEST,Claymore
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 05:41 PM

Rick, the trick to figure out what notes are used in the keys of F and C, and then double them up to the 36 total strings on the harp. Thus, you will have 18 pairs of strings to work with, with some notes like C, F, B etc which will double for some chord bars in both keys. Lay it out on a piece of paper and it will soon be clear to you. Remember that you must also cut the chord bar felts to reflect the two free strings for each note, so take a look at the chord bars that have one or two notes in common with another chord (think 7ths) before you lay out your strings, and cut your felts. Other than volume and a larger area to lay in your pinch for solos, I still go chromatic, unless I was solo and singing. But relatively modest players can still sound great, which is why in WVa they are called "Cheater Harps".

This can also be done with any root chord and its sub-dominant, like A and D, G and C, etc. Good Luck!

Subject: RE: Autoharp Magazine Missing. Help.
From: Sorcha
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 05:24 PM

Rick, I don't know if this will be any help at all:

Autoharp Quarterly

Subject: Autoharp Magazine Missing. Help.
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 14 Jun 01 - 04:49 PM

Hi. I think I loaned a copy of "The Autoharp Quarterly" to a student a couple of years ago and now I REALLY need it. I think my student has left the country (as well as "the building") so I haven't much chance of retrieving it.

It has a picture of either Pop Stoneman or Kilby Snow on the cover, and there's an article by George Orthey (I think) telling WHICH STRINGS TO DOUBLE if you want to put it in a diatonic tuning to play in the keys of C and F.

I really want to put my harp in that tuning for Monday, so I'm hoping that maybe one of our number has that issue, and perhaps I can phone them to get the string set-up that George talks about.

Thanks.

Rick